Honda Classic Cars for Sale

Honda is the realisation of one man's dream. From humble beginnings to being the world's leading manufacturer of motorcycles, Honda's policy of creating innovative, championship winning machines continues to this day, with their distinctive red and black logo, a byword for perfection.

Honda Dream

When self-taught mechanic Soichiro Honda began making piston rings in a shed for Toyota in 1937, his dream was to one day create his own motorised vehicle. In 1946, Honda finally developed his first engine, the Honda A-Type, which he fitted to bicycles. Three years later, his first motorcycle, the aptly named Honda Dream D-Type, with a 98cc single cylinder engine, was in full production. By 1952, Honda was exporting the Cub Type F motorcycle to Taiwan. When the Juno K-Type was launched in 1954, it was the most innovative scooter available with a unique self-starting engine and indicator lights fitted to the large windscreen. Its success gave Honda the opportunity to export to America, leading to phenomenal worldwide sales. The Supercub C100 was unveiled in 1958 and featured a 50cc four stroke engine, a centrifugal clutch and a large leg shield. Its design was so successful, it is still used as a basic blueprint for today's models.

Honda Victories

In 1954, Honda began to test their motorcycles in competitions. They first entered the gruelling Isle of Man TT Race in 1959 with a four man team in the lightweight 125cc category, their success leading to them being awarded the Manufacturer's Team Award. Honda developed Moto Cross models such as the 1972 Elsinore CR250M with an air cooled 250cc engine, followed in 1973 by the improved Elsinore MT250. The powerful 999cc Goldwing sportsbike of 1974 was acknowledged in America as "the King of motorbikes", and by 1979 Honda had won its first Moto Cross Championship. Honda finished sixth in their debut Dakar to Paris Rally in 1981 with the XR500R, then went on to win the next four rallies. Honda's development of the first fuel injection system featured in the CX500 Turbo outshone their rivals. Honda's success in the World Trials Championship brought them three victories in 1982, 1983 and 1984 and five Manufacturer's Awards. In 1992, the lightweight but powerful sportsbike Fireblade, with a 600cc engine, was introduced. The VFR800F1 of 1998 combined high performance with ecological technology in the form of a gas purification system.

Honda Logo

The Honda badge, an encircled letter 'H', was firmly established by 1963. Red symbolises the passion of the company, black and silver the perfection and elegance of their products, while the wings that accompany it on their motorcycles represent speed. Their motto, "The Power Of Dreams", is a lasting tribute to their founder, Soichiro Honda.