Honda

In 1948 Soichiro Honda, at the age of 41, started the Honda Motor Company. Hooking up with the numbers man Takeo Fujisawa together they started what was to become an empire. In 1948 Honda produced it's first motorycle, the D-Type Dream, a 2-stroke which Mr. Honda was involved in every step of the design and manufacture. In 1954 Honda entered the scooter market.
By 1959 Honda had established the American Honda Motor Company, Inc. which commenced with 12 employees. The building still stands on the original site at 4077 Pico Boulevard in Los Angeles. The first Honda motorcycle sold in the U.S., the C100 Super Cub eventually becomes the world's best-selling vehicle with 30 million sold by 2006.