A Recipe to Stir the Soul

Friday, November 20. 1998
A Recipe to Stir the Soul
There are a lot of companies that claim that racing is an integral part of the company philosophy. Honda has taken the expression "racing improves the breed" to heart, enjoying success in Motorcycle racing, Formula One Grand Prix racing, Champ Cars (CART),and IMSA competition. Our first win in Formula One came in 1965 at the Mexican Grand Prix when Ritchie Ginther took a Honda across the finish line to take the checkered flag. Honda finished sixth in the manufacturers championship that year and from those humble beginnings a motorsport legend was born.

Soichiro Honda was a fledgling automobile racer in his youth until an accident ended his driving career. That only seemed to intensify his desire to introduce innovative technologies to solve seemingly impossible engineering hurdles. Honda Motor Company was formed 50 years ago, and the first product was a prototype scooter whose engine was from a 50-cc war surplus generator. From the start there was racing. He regarded racing as the fastest way to learn, try new things, and find ways of providing a better product to his customers. Many of our most innovative products such as our revolutionary VTEC valve train, variable induction systems, direct ignition and advanced double wishbone suspensions all came from our involvement in motorsports.
Until his death in 1991, Mr. Honda was unique among the world’s automakers, an engineer who actually ran the company that bore his name. Tales of his hands on involvement abound, once during the 1965 racing season, a young engineer designed a piston that failed during a race, when he was questioned about that design, he defended his position by saying that was the way it was taught at Tokyo University. Mr. Honda was furious, he said, I did not hire you to copy Tokyo University. He made that engineer go up and down the garage and apologize to every mechanic and both drivers for drawing such a poor design!

Honda re-entered Formula one in 1983, this was the Turbo Era in Formula One and the rules called for a 1.5 liter motor with turbocharging. The motor they developed produced over 1000 horsepower, and took Honda to its first manufacturers championship in 1987. In 1988 Honda won 15 of 16 races, cruised to the manufacturers title and gave Ayrton Senna his first driving championship and Honda consecutive manufacturers titles. When Turbos were banned for the 1989 F-1 season, many experts expected a changing of the guard, after all Ferrari, TAG Porsche, Renault, and Ford-Cosworth were all capable of producing very good 3.5 liter normally aspirated ( non-turbo) engines. However this was not the case, Honda, led by a talented engineering team including future president, Nobohiko Kawamoto produced a new V-10 that kept the momentum going. Honda won the drivers and manufacturers titles in 1989, and in 1990. A switch to a V-12 for 1991 led to a fifth consecutive manufacturers title for Honda and it’s drivers.

Because Formula One has never had as much exposure in America as it has in Europe and the rest of the world, Honda left F-1 after 1991 and started concentrating its efforts on Motorsports in the US its largest market. This is summed up in one historic place - Indianapolis Motor Speedway
See my next issue -
“Crossing the Pond”