Soichiro Honda is well-known for establishing the company that bears his name. It’s now one of the most successful automakers ever, but did you know he had a co-founder? Takeo Fujisawa joined soon after Honda had established his company, and he would become Soichiro’s right hand, helping to lead Honda to big successes over the pair’s nearly 25 years together.
Fujisawa, inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame this week, met Soichiro in August 1949, a year after Soichiro had established his company and right after the launch of Honda’s Dream D-Type motorcycle. Fujisawa would join the operation by October of that year, running the business side, such as sales, finance, and marketing. Soichiro focused on product design, technology, and manufacturing operations.
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Fujisawa was instrumental in getting Honda to America before it even started manufacturing automobiles. In 1959, when the company was exploring the idea of expansion, Fujisawa wanted to establish American Honda. At the time, he said, “To succeed in the US is to succeed worldwide,” noting, “To take up the challenge of the American market may be the most difficult thing to do.” The rest is history.
Honda would become the best-selling motorcycle brand in the US by the mid-1960s thanks to Fujisawa’s savvy business expertise. He helped create the company’s independent dealer network, working with small and even first-time dealers, successfully expanding its operations across the country.
Fujisawa would also have a hand in creating Honda’s independent R&D company in 1960. He wanted to free engineers from the constraints, distractions, and fluctuations of the automobile businesses so they could focus on innovating, and free them he did, as it would secretly begin an aircraft research program in the 1980s that would eventually result in the HondaJet. The company launched the HondaJet Elite II late last year.
Honda R&D Co. also helped and continues to support the automaker in cultivating a culture of creativity that protects its ability to pioneer new technologies. The business is exploring green technology, autonomous driving systems, and other cutting-edge areas today.
Fujisawa was born on November 10, 1910. Before meeting Soichiro, he wanted to become a teacher, but ended up working as a salesman for a steel products company and then a lumber company before joining Honda. Fujisawa worked alongside Soichiro until March 1973, when the pair retired together. He died on December 30, 1988 at the age of 78.
Fujisawa was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame on Thursday, July 20, at The Fillmore Detroit. Honda Motor Co. chairman Seiji Kuraishi accepted the honor on behalf of Fujisawa’s family. In 1989, Soichiro Honda was the the first Japanese automotive executive inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame.
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