The decision was made to put staff at the Swindon plant on a two day week until the end of May as the manufacturer struggled to source supplies from Japan. It's thought around 22 500 cars were produced during this period.
AUTOMOBILES
Honda's global line-up consists of the Jazz, Civic, Accord, Insight, CR-V, CR-Z, Legend and two versions of the Odyssey. An early proponent of developing vehicles to cater to different needs and markets worldwide, Honda's line-up varies by country and may feature vehicles exclusive to that region. One example of an exclusive model is the Honda Civic five-door hatchback sold in Europe. Honda's automotive manufacturing ambitions can be traced back to 1963, with the Honda T360, a car truck built for the Japanese market. This was followed by the two-door roadster, the Honda S500 also introduced in 1963. In 1965, Honda built a two-door commercial delivery van called the Honda L700.
Honda's first four-door sedan was the air-cooled, four-cylinder, gasoline-powered Honda 1300 in 1969. The Civic was a hatchback that gained wide popularity internationally. The first two-door hatchback built was the Honda N360, that was adapted for international sale as the N600. The Civic appeared in 1972 and replaced the N600. It also had a smaller sibling that replaced the air-cooled N360 called the Honda Life that was water-cooled. As Honda entered automobile manufacturing after World War II unlike other Japanese manufacturers, it appears that Honda instilled a sense of doing things differently from the start. Its mainstay products, like the Accord and Civic, have always employed front-wheel-drive powertrain implementation, which is now a long-held Honda tradition.
TECHNOLOGY
Honda also installed new technology in their products, first as optional equipment then later standard.
These include anti-lock brakes, speed sensitive power steering and multi-port fuel injection in the early 1980s. This desire to be the first to try new approaches is evident with the creation of the first Japanese luxury Acura.
Honda's ambition was also evident with the all-aluminium, mid-engined sports car, the Honda NSX, which also introduced variable valve timing technology, which Honda calls VTEC.
The Civic is a line of compact cars developed and manufactured by Honda. In North America, the Civic is the second-longest continuously running nameplate from a Japanese manufacturer. The Civic, along with the Accord and Prelude, comprised Honda's vehicles sold in North America until the 1990s.
The model line-up was expanded and after several model changes, the Civic has become larger and more upmarket.
Honda also produces the Civic Hybrid, a hybrid electric vehicle, as well as the Insight and CR-Z, also hybrid electric vehicles.
In 2008, Honda increased global production to meet demand for small cars and hybrids in the US and emerging markets. Honda is the largest motorcycle manufacturer in Japan and has been since it started production in 1955.
INDY 500
Honda engines powered the entire 33-car starting field of the 2010 Indianapolis 500 and for five consecutive races there have been no engine-related retirements and a lower number of crashes.
By 2005 Honda was the dominant engine manufacturer and from 2006 to 2011, the company has been the only engine manufacturer in the IndyCar Series. Most of the engines, including those used for the Indy 500, are used for multiple races and were intended to last 1 931km between rebuilds.
(Source: Wikipedia)
The Acura is Honda's offering to the luxury market. This is a 1987 model. Photos: www.wikipedia.org
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