A
maverick in a country not known for its willingness to accept
nonconformists, Soichiro Honda (1906-1991) created an automobile giant
despite the opposition of the Japanese government. One of his company's
cars, the Accord, was a best-selling model in the American market.
The
first son of blacksmith Gihei Honda and his wife Mika, Soichiro Honda
was born on November 17, 1906, in rural Iwata-gun, Japan. In 1922 he
graduated from the Futamata Senior Elementary School and began his
career as an apprentice auto repairman for Arto Shokai, after which he
established a branch shop for the firm in Hamamatsu. Honda also
participated in auto races and became interested in cars and
motorcycles.
Soon
he was experimenting with engines, and in 1928 he organized the Tohai
Seiki Company to manufacture piston rings, some of which were sold to
Toyota. During the 1930s it seemed his would become one of the hundreds
of small shops that supplied the major companies in what still was a
small domestic market.
