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Gary & Louise Lee
Gary & Louise Lee have been in business together for over 30 years. They operate Advantage Customs at 6400 N Broadway, one of the leading auto and truck accessories businesses in the Midwest. They are most knowledgeable in all areas including Truck Tops and lids, pickup bed covers, tonneau covers and just about every accessory item manufactured for your car or truck. They custom build "flatbeds" for pickups for farm and ranch uses. Gary and Louise are also heavily involved in "tractor pulls" all around the area, and have won a number of events. You can reach them at (316) 744-0454 , or email them at garanwisey@aol.co |
Cars, Trucks, Vans & Automotive
2003-09-01 10:08:00
The history of Honda
ANSWER: To continue our discussion on Honda from last months’ issue, in 1937, Soichiro Honda started his first company Tokai Seiki Heavy Industry (TSHI) to manufacture piston rings. With his first business, Honda experienced many failures in experimenting with the die casting techniques. He would spend day and night working in the company, so much so that his wife had to stop by the factory to cut his long straggling hair. Honda had a simple belief. A piston ring is made out of such small amount of material, and when done right, it could be sold at a good price. At that time TSHI's piston rings were more valuable than the silver of the same weight. By perfecting the die casting methods, he began expanding to manufacture cast iron spokes (in place of the wooden spokes). The idea was so revolutionary that Honda was granted a patent on producing metal wheels. The piston rings were of such high standards that Honda landed its biggest customer, Toyota Motor. Toyota Motor was impressed with the quality of the product and made TSHI an offer of 450,000 yen (equivalent of almost l million US Dollars today) for complete 100% ownership of his company. Honda accepted the deal and decided to live the rest of his life in comfort, in a sort of a semi-retired lifestyle. But automobiles and racing were still in his blood.The First Honda After the end of World War II, Soichiro Honda established Honda Technical Research Institute on October 1946. The Post WWII days were very harsh. Japan faced many shortages of the basic needs, such as food, water, and medicine for its citizens. People in cities which were completely destroyed by war, had to travel great distances to the country side farms to buy the necessities of life, at a time when nearly all forms of public transportation were disrupted. So Honda's first project with this new company was to recycle small engines that had been used by the Japanese Imperial Army. These tiny motors were bought cheaply, then attached to bicycles, and sold for a high profit. The popularity of his motorbike increased so much all over war-torn Japan that bicycle dealers across the country came to his factory, with cash in hand, to buy it on the spot. As a very resourceful man, Honda also sold them a special blend of turpentine oil and gasoline. Next time we will discuss more about Honda… the businessman.
