Honda

The Honda Motor Co. was officially founded in 1948. First manufacturing motorcycles and scooters, which it continues to this day, it started to develop automobiles in the early Sixties. Primarily aimed at the Japanese market, the cars proved to be too small for the American public.

That changed with the introduction of the Honda Civic in 1972. Americans, facing the 1973 gas crisis, found the Civic to be extremely fuel-efficient. Honda was also one of the first automakers to manufacture automobiles to fully comply with the U.S. government's more strict anti-pollution laws. Honda would later introduce now standard technologies into its cars like four-wheel steering (Honda Prelude) and airbags (Acura Legend).

Honda, in 1982, set up its own manufacturing plants in the U.S. in Marysville, Ohio, the first Japanese automaker to do so. Honda would also found Acura in 1986, the first Japanese luxury brand, to compete against German luxury automakers such as Mercedes-Benz. Honda rivals' Toyota and Nissan would follow later with Lexus and Infiniti.

The Civic is Honda's most popular brand both in the U.S. and the world. Both the Civic and the Accord occupy the number two and three slots among best-selling cars in the U.S. right after the Toyota Camry. Other well-known Honda automobiles include the company's first hybrid, the Insight (now discontinued); CR-V (SUV); and Odyssey (minivan). In 2005, the company debuted its first pickup, the Ridgeline.

Honda has been tightlipped about its plans for 2007 and beyond. New vehicles include an all-new Accord as well as more hybrids. The automaker also looks to be returning to regain its "safety" reputation as well. Besides being the only automaker which displays its vehicles' safety rating on car stickers, it is standardizing many safety features such as side-airbags and anti-lock brakes on them as well.