Honda and Ville Valo: Difference between pages

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Revision as of 09:26, 12 June 2007

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{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->

{{Unreferenced|date=March 2007}}

| Name = Ville Valo

| Img = Ville_Valo.jpg

:''This article is about the Japanese engineering corporation. For people sharing the family name of Honda, and other uses, see [[Honda (disambiguation)]].''

| Background = solo_singer

{{Infobox_Company |

| Birth_name = Ville Hermanni Valo

company_name = Honda Motor Co., Ltd.<br>本田 技研 工業 株式会社<br /> |

| Born = {{birth_date_and_age|1976|11|22}}<br/><small>[[Vallila]], [[Finland]]</small>

company_logo = [[Image:Honda.svg|150px]] |

| Died =

company_type = [[Public company|Public]] {{tyo|7267}} |

| Origin = Finland

company_slogan = ''"The Power of Dreams"'' |

| Instrument foundation = [[September 24Vocals]],[[Bass guitar|Bass]],[[1948Drums]] |,[[Guitar]],[[Piano]].

| Genre ___location = {{flagicon|JPN}}fundaded [[Tokyo]],Love [[JapanMetal]] |

| Occupation key_people = [[Soichiro HondaSinger]], Founder <br /> [[Takeo FukuiSongwriter]], CEO|

| Years_active = [[1983 in music|1983]] - Present

num_employees = 144,785<ref name="Annual Report 2006"/> |

| Label industry = [[Automobile]] & [[Truck]] [[manufacturer]]| =

| Associated_acts = [[HIM (band)|HIM]]

products = automobiles, trucks, [[motorcycle]]s, [[scooter (motorcycle)|scooter]]s, [[all-terrain vehicle|ATVs]], [[electrical generator]]s, [[robotics]], [[Electric boat|marine equipment]], [[jet aircraft|jet]]s and jet engines, and [[Landscape maintenance|lawn and garden equipment]] |

[[Daniel Lioneye]]

revenue = {{profit}} $84 billion<ref name="Annual Report 2006">Honda Annual Report 2006 [http://world.honda.com/investors/annualreport/2006/pdf/ar2006.pdf], Retrieved March 16, 2007</ref> [[USD]] ([[2006]])|

| URL = [http://www.heartagram.com/ Official website]

net_income = {{profit}} $2.7 billion<ref name="Annual Report 2006"/> [[USD]] ([[2006]])|

homepage = [http://honda.com/ Honda.com], [http://world.honda.com/ World.Honda.com], [http://automobiles.honda.com/ Autos.Honda.com]

}}

'''Ville Hermanni Valo''' ({{Audio|Fi-Ville_Valo.ogg|pronunciation}}) (born [[November 22]], [[1976]]) is the [[vocalist]], [[songwriter]] and frontman of the [[Finland|Finnish]] [[Love Metal]] band [[HIM (band)|HIM]]. They have released five full length albums, and as of [[2006]], they are the first and only Finnish rock band to sell Gold in the [[United States]].

{{nihongo|'''Honda Motor Co., Ltd.'''|本田 技研 工業 株式会社 Honda Giken Kōgyō [[Kabushiki kaisha|Kabushiki-gaisha]]|Honda Technology Research Institute, Co., Ltd.}} ''{{Audio|Honda_giken_kougyou.ogg|listen}}'' ({{tyo|7267}}, {{nyse|HMC}}), or simply called '''Honda''', is a [[Japan]]ese engine [[manufacturer]] and engineering corporation. The company is perhaps most notable for its [[automobile]]s and [[motorcycles]], but it also produces a long list of other products: [[truck]]s, [[scooter (motorcycle)|scooters]], [[robot]]s, [[jet aircraft|jet]]s and jet engines, [[all-terrain vehicle|ATV]], water craft, [[electrical generator]]s, marine engines, lawn and garden equipment, and aeronautical and other mobile technologies. Honda's high-end line of cars are branded [[Acura]] in North America and China. More recently they have ventured into the world of mountain bikes, producing the very first bike to use an internal gear changing system in the [[Honda RN-01 G-cross]].

With more than 14 [[million]] [[internal combustion engine]]s built each year, Honda is the largest engine-maker in the world. In [[2004]], the company began to produce [[diesel]] motors, which were very quiet whilst not requiring particulate filters to pass pollution standards. It is arguable, however, that the foundation of Honda's success is the motorcycle division.

Honda is headquartered in [[Tokyo]]. Their shares trade on the [[Tokyo Stock Exchange]] and the [[New York Stock Exchange]], as well as exchanges in Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo, Kyoto, [[Fukuoka, Fukuoka|Fukuoka]], London, Paris and Switzerland. American Honda Motor Co. is based in Torrance, California. [[Honda Canada Inc.]] is headquartered in the Scarborough, Ontario district of Toronto, Ontario, and is building new corporate headquarters in [[Richmond Hill, Ontario]], scheduled to relocate in 2008. Honda of Canada Manufacturing is based in [[Alliston, Ontario]]. Honda has also created many joint ventures around the world, such as Honda Siel Cars India Ltd , Hero Honda Motorcyles India Ltd, [[Dongfeng Honda Automobile Company]] in China and [[Honda Atlas Cars Pakistan]].

==Company history ==

[[Soichiro Honda]] was a [[mechanic]] who, after working at [[Soichiro Honda#Art Shokai|Art Shokai]], developed his own design for [[piston]] rings in [[1938]]. He attempted to sell them to [[Toyota]] who did not reject his first design like believed.{{Fact|date=March 2007}} He constructed a new facility to supply Toyota, but soon after, during [[World War II]], the Honda piston manufacturing facilities were almost completely destroyed.

Soichiro Honda created a new company with what he had left in the Japanese market that was decimated by World War II; his country was starved of money and fuel, but still in need of basic [[transport|transportation]]. Honda, utilizing his manufacturing facilities, attached an engine to a [[bicycle]] which created a cheap and efficient transport. He gave his company the name ''Honda Giken Kōgyō Kabushiki Kaisha'' which translates to ''Honda Research Institute Company Ltd''. Despite its grandiose name, the first facility bearing that name was a simple wooden shack where Mr. Honda and his associates would fit the engines to bicycles. The official Japanese name for Honda Motor Company Ltd. remains the same in honor of Soichiro Honda's efforts. On [[24 September]], [[1948]] the Honda Motor Co. was officially founded in Japan.

Honda began to produce a range of [[scooters]] and [[motorcycles]] and Soichiro Honda quickly recovered from the losses incurred during the war. Honda's first motorcycle to be put on sale was the [[1947]] [[Honda A-Type|A-Type]] ''(one year before the company was officially founded)''. However, Honda's first full-fledged motorcycle on the market was the [[1949]] [[Honda Dream D-Type|Dream D-Type]]. It was equipped with a 98[[cc]] engine producing around 3 [[horsepower]]. This was followed by a number of successful launches of highly popular scooters throughout the [[1950s]].

[[Image:C50.jpg|thumb|right|[[Honda Super Cub|Honda Cub]]]]

In 1958, the ''American Honda Company'' was founded and only one year later, Honda introduced its first model in the United States, the [[1959]] [[Honda Cub|Honda C100 Super Cub]]. The Honda Cub holds the title of being the best-selling vehicle in history, with around 50 million units sold around the world.<ref>Total Super Cub Production Reaches 50 Million [http://world.honda.com/news/2006/c060208SuperCub/], Retrieved February 8, 2007</ref> By the [[1970s]], Honda was the largest producer of motorcycles in the world, a title it has never relinquished.

In the United States during the [[1960s]], large motorcycles had the image of being ridden by tough, hardened characters. It was an image fostered by owners of [[Harley Davidson]] motorcycles, but Honda countered this public perception with their successful "You meet the nicest people on a Honda" advertising program. Honda introduced their new [[SOHC]] inline 4-cylinder 750 in [[1969]], which was immediately successful and established this configuration as one of the most popular for performance motorcycles, even to this day.

Honda began developing prototypes for road cars in the early 1960s, mostly intended for the Japanese market. The first production vehicle by Honda was the [[1963]] [[Honda T360|T360]], a tiny pickup truck featuring 4 different body styles (including a traditional truck bed and a panel van) and a 360cc, 30hp engine. This was followed two months later by Honda's first production automobile, the [[Honda S500|S500]]. The S500 was a 2 door [[roadster]] featuring a 492cc engine capable of 44&nbsp;hp with a high 9,500 [[RPM]] redline. It was fitted to a 4-speed transmission with the rear wheels being chain driven. Mr. Honda took his extensive knowledge of motorcycles and applied it to making his car, of which the chain drive and high redline are evidence.

At the time, nearly all of the Japanese automakers were associated with the former [[zaibatsu]], or [[keiretsu]]--Japanese business [[conglomerate]]s. These large companies had close ties with the government who urged them to absorb smaller carmakers into large brands that could be marketed internationally. Since the government had extensive control over the industry, it was unheard of for a small, independent company to mass produce vehicles, thus making Honda's success historical in the [[Japanese economy]].

Though participating in international [[motorsport]] (see [[#Racing history|Racing]]), Honda was having difficulty selling its automobiles in the United States. Built for Japanese buyers, Honda's small cars had failed to gain the interest of American buyers. Honda's first automobile imported to the United States was the [[Honda N600|N600]], sold in Hawaii in 1969. In [[1970]], the car was imported to California and beyond, but its tiny 600&nbsp;cc engine and minuscule dimensions made it very unpopular with the American public.

[[Image:Honda Civic 1st generation-1.jpg|thumb|left|[[Honda Civic]]]]

Honda finally established a foothold in the American market in [[1972]] with the introduction of the [[Honda Civic|Civic]]&mdash;larger than their previous models, but still small compared to the typical American car&mdash;just as the [[1973 energy crisis]] was impacting worldwide economies. New emissions laws in the US requiring American car makers to add expensive smog pumps and [[catalytic converter]]s to engines increased car prices. However, Honda introduced an innovative variation on the [[stratified charge engine]], the [[CVCC]] (Compound Vortex-Controlled Combustion) in the [[1975]] Civic, this allowed the Civic to emission standards without a smog pump or a catalytic converter. Due to its more complete combustion it also obtained the lowest fuel consumption rating of any vehicle available on the American market for four years during its production.<ref>Introducing the CVCC, [http://world.honda.com/history/challenge/1972introducingthecvcc/index.html], Retrieved April 5, 2007</ref> American companies were slow to begin producing small, fuel efficient cars, which gave the Honda Civic a chance to sell well, as well as prove Honda's reputation for reliability and further expand its customer loyalty.

[[Image:Honda Accord 1st.jpg|thumb|right|[[Honda Accord]]]]

In [[1976]], the new, larger-than-the-Civic [[Honda Accord|Accord]] was immediately popular because of its value, economy, and fun-to-drive nature. Honda had found its niche in the United States. In [[1982]], Honda was the first Japanese car manufacturer to build [[factory|car plants]] in the US, starting with an Accord plant in Marysville, Ohio. They now have four plants located in [[Ohio]]: two in Marysville ''(the Marysville Auto Plant and the Marysville Motorcycle Plant)'', [[Anna, Ohio]], and [[East Liberty, Ohio]]. They also have plants in [[Lincoln, Alabama]] ''([[Honda Manufacturing of Alabama]])'' and Timmonsville, [[South Carolina]] and have recently ([[2006]]) opened a new plant in [[Tallapoosa, Georgia]]. Honda also has an extensive aftermarket parts operation located in [[Marysville, Ohio]], and a [[research and development]] facility in [[Raymond, Ohio]]. Honda's North American and U.S. headquarters are located in [[Torrance, California]]. Honda's [[Canada|Canadian]] and many US-market Civics have been manufactured in their plant in [[Alliston, Ontario]] since [[1986]]. On [[27 June]], 2006, Honda announced that another vehicle assembly facility will be opening in North America, this time in [[Greensburg, Indiana]]. Its completion is expected in [[2008]].

Honda was the first Japanese automaker to introduce a separate luxury line of vehicles. Created in 1986 and known as [[Acura]], the line is made up of modified versions of Honda vehicles usually with more power and sportiness than their Honda counterparts. The very first model was the [[Acura Legend]], with a 2.5 [[liter]] engine producing 151 horsepower. [[Europe]]an luxury-car manufacturers initially scoffed at the thought of a luxury company from Japan, with criticism coming mostly from [[Mercedes-Benz]].

[[1987]] was an important year for new safety and technology at Honda. The 1987 [[Honda Prelude]] was the first passenger vehicle in the world equipped with four-wheel [[steering]] (4WS) technology. This also marked the year for the first Japanese car equipped with an SRS [[airbag]], the Honda (Acura) Legend.

In [[1989]] Honda launched their [[VTEC]] [[variable valve timing]] system in its production car engines, which gave improved efficiency and performance across a broader range of engine speeds. One of the first of its kind in passenger vehicles, it worked on the premise of tuning one engine to operate at two different 'settings' depending on load. Normal driving would use a "shorter" [[camshaft]] lobe that resulted in more efficient operation. A more aggressive, longer duration, cam engages when engine RPM reaches a set point resulting in more power during hard acceleration.

In [[1999]] Honda began selling the [[Honda Insight|Insight]] which is a small two-seat [[hybrid]] vehicle. Power is derived from a combination of a 1.0L 3-cylinder [[gasoline engine]], and a large [[NiMH]] battery pack providing power-assist during acceleration. This computer-controlled combination provided acceptable performance with exceptionally low fuel consumption and emissions. Honda's hybrid power train in now an available option for the Civic and Accord.

For the [[2007]] model year, Honda plans to improve the safety of its vehicles by providing front-seat mounted side airbags, side-curtain airbags, and [[anti-lock brakes]] as standard equipment in all automobiles available in [[North America]] (except the [[Honda Insight|Insight]] and [[Honda S2000|S2000]], which will not have side-curtain airbags). By 2008, Honda plans to have standard [[traction]] with vehicle [[stability]] control with [[rollover]] sensors in all light trucks, which include the [[Honda CR-V|CR-V]], [[Honda Odyssey|Odyssey]], [[Honda Pilot|Pilot]], and [[Acura MDX]]. Honda also plans to make its vehicles safer for [[pedestrian]]s, with more safely-designed hoods, hinges, frame constructs, and breakaway wiper pivots.

==Leadership==

*1948-1973 — [[Soichiro Honda]]

*1973-1983 — [[Kiyoshi Kawashima]]

*1983-1990 — [[Tadashi Kume]]

*1990-1998 — [[Nobuhiko Kawamoto]]

*1998-2004 — [[Hiroyuki Yoshino (Honda)|Hiroyuki Yoshino]]

*2004-present — [[Takeo Fukui]]

==Racing history==

===Motorcycle===

{{main|Honda Racing Corporation}}

[[Image:HRC-logo.jpg|thumb|200px|'''[[Honda Racing Corporation]]''' logo]]

[[Honda Racing Corporation]] (HRC) was formed in 1954. The company combines participation in motorcycle races throughout the world with the development of high potential racing machines. Its racing activities are an important source for the creation of leading edge technologies used in the development of Honda motorcycles. HRC also contributes to the advancement of motorcycle sports through a range of activities that include sales of production racing motorcycles, support for satellite teams, and rider education programs.

Soichiro Honda, being a race driver himself, could not stay out of international [[motorsport]]. In [[1959]], Honda entered five motorcycles into the [[Isle of Man TT]] race, at that time the most prestigious motorcycle race in the world. While always having powerful engines, it took until [[1961]] for Honda to tune their chassis well enough to allow [[Mike Hailwood]] to claim their first [[Grand Prix motorcycle racing|Grand Prix]] victories in the 125 and 250&nbsp;[[Cubic centimetre|cc]] classes. Hailwood would later pick up their first senior TT wins in [[1966]] and [[1967 British motorcycle Grand Prix|1967]]. Honda's race bikes were known for their exotic engine configurations, such as the 5 cylinder, 22,000&nbsp;rpm, 125&nbsp;cc bike and their 6 cylinder 250&nbsp;cc and 380&nbsp;cc bikes.

1979 saw Honda return to [[Grand Prix motorcycle racing]] with their exotic, [[monocoque]]-framed, [[four-stroke]] [[NR500]]. The NR500 featured elongated cylinders each with 8 valves and with connecting rods in pairs, in an attempt to comply with the [[Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme|FIM]] rules which limited engines to four cylinders. Honda engineered the elongated cylinders in an effort to provide the valve area of an 8 cylinder engine, hoping their four-stroke bike would be able to compete against the now dominant [[two-stroke]] racers. Unfortunately, it seemed Honda tried to accomplish too much at one time and the experiment failed. For the 1982 season, Honda debuted their first two stroke race bike, the NS500 and in [[1983 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season|1983]], Honda won their first 500&nbsp;cc [[Grand Prix motorcycle racing|Grand Prix]] World Championship with [[Freddie Spencer]]. Since then, Honda has become the dominant marque in motorcycle Grand Prix racing and, more recently, won the 2006 MotoGP championship with rider [[Nicky Hayden]] on a [[Honda RC211V]].

Honda riders have also claimed 24 [[Motocross]] World Championships.

===Automobile===

:''See also [[Honda F1]]''

Honda entered [[Formula One]] as a constructor for the first time in the [[1964 Formula One season|1964 season]] at the [[1964 German Grand Prix|German Grand Prix]] with [[Ronnie Bucknum]] at the wheel. [[1965 Formula One season|1965]] saw the addition of [[Richie Ginther]] to the team, who scored Honda's first point at the [[1965 Belgian Grand Prix|Belgian Grand Prix]], and Honda's first win at the [[1965 Mexican Grand Prix|Mexican Grand Prix]]. [[1967 Formula One season|1967]] saw their next win at the [[1967 Italian Grand Prix|Italian Grand Prix]] with [[John Surtees]] as their driver. In [[1968 Formula One season|1968]], [[Jo Schlesser]] was killed in a Honda RA302 at the [[1968 French Grand Prix|French Grand Prix]]. This racing tragedy, coupled with their commercial difficulties selling automobiles in the [[United States]], prompted Honda to withdraw from all international motorsport that year.

After a learning year in 1965, Honda-powered [[Brabham]]s dominated the 1966 French [[Formula Two]] championship in the hands of [[Jack Brabham]] and [[Denny Hulme]]. As there was no European Championship that season, this was the top F2 championship that year. In the early 1980s Honda returned to F2, supplying engines to [[Ron Tauranac]]'s [[Ralt]] team. Tauranac had designed the Brabham cars for their earlier involvement. They were again extremely successful. In a related exercise, John Judd's [[Judd (engine)|Engine Developments]] company produced a turbo 'Brabham-Honda' engine for use in [[CART]] racing. It won only one race, in 1988 for [[Bobby Rahal]] at Pocono.

Honda returned to Formula One in 1983, initially with another Formula Two partner, the [[Spirit (racing team)|Spirit]] team, before switching abruptly to Williams in 1984. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Honda powered cars won six consecutive [[Formula One]] Constructors Championships. [[WilliamsF1]] won the crown in [[1986 Formula One season|1986]] and [[1987 Formula One season|1987]]. Honda switched allegiance again in 1988. New partners Team [[McLaren]] won the title in [[1988 Formula One season|1988]], [[1989 Formula One season|1989]], [[1990 Formula One season|1990]] and [[1991 Formula One season|1991]]. Honda withdrew from Formula One at the end of 1992, although the related [[Mugen-Honda]] company maintained a presence up to the end of 1999, winning four races with [[Ligier]] and [[Jordan Grand Prix]].

Honda debuted in the American [[CART]] series as a works supplier in 1994. The engines were far from competitive at first, but after development, the company powered six consecutive drivers championships. In [[2003]], Honda transferred its effort to the rival [[Indy Racing League]] series. In 2004, Honda-powered cars overwhelmingly dominated IRL, winning 14 of 16 IRL events, including the Indianapolis 500, and claimed the IRL Manufacturers' Championship, Drivers' Championship and Rookie of the Year titles. In 2006, Honda became the sole engine supplier for the IRL, including the [[Indianapolis 500]]. In the [[2006 Indianapolis 500]], for the first time in Indianapolis 500 history, the race was run without a single engine problem [http://racing.honda.com/results/detail.aspx?date=2006_05_28].

During 1998, Honda considered returning to Formula One with their own team. The project was aborted after the death of its technical director, [[Harvey Postlethwaite]]. Honda instead came back as an official engine supplier to [[British American Racing]] (BAR) and Jordan Grand Prix. Honda bought a stake in the BAR team in 2004 before buying the team outright at the end of 2005, becoming a constructor for the first time since the 1960s. Honda won the [[2006 Hungarian Grand Prix]] with driver [[Jenson Button]].

==Strategy and public image==

[[Image:Honda_Accord-sedan.jpg|thumb|right|2006 [[Honda Accord]]]]

During the 1960s, when it was a small manufacturer, Honda broke out of the Japanese motorcycle [[market]] and began exporting to the US. Taking Honda’s story as an archetype of the smaller manufacturer entering a new market already occupied by highly dominant competitors, the story of their market entry, and their subsequent huge success in the US and around the world, has been the subject of some academic controversy. Competing explanations have been advanced to explain Honda’s strategy and the reasons for their success.

The first of these explanations was put forward when, in 1975, [[Boston Consulting Group]] (BCG) was commissioned by the [[United Kingdom|UK]] government to write a report explaining why and how the British motorcycle industry had been out-competed by its Japanese competitors. The report concluded that the Japanese firms, including Honda, had sought a very high scale of production (they had made a large number of motorbikes) in order to benefit from [[economies of scale]] and [[learning curve]] effects. It blamed the decline of the British motorcycle industry on the failure of British managers to invest enough in their businesses to profit from economies of scale and [[economies of scope|scope]]. [[Image:2004supercub.jpg|thumb|right|2004 [[Honda Super Cub]]]]

The second story is told in [[1984]] by [[Richard Pascale]], who had interviewed the Honda executives responsible for the firm’s entry into the US market. As opposed to the tightly focused strategy of low cost and high scale that BCG accredited to Honda, Pascale found that their entry into the US market was a story of “miscalculation, serendipity, and organizational learning” &ndash; in other words, Honda’s success was due to the adaptability (and hard work) of its staff, rather than any long term strategy. For example, Honda’s initial plan on entering the US was to compete in large motorcycles, around 300cc. It was only when the team found that the scooters they were using to get themselves around their US base of [[San Francisco]] attracted positive interest from consumers that they came up with the idea of selling the [[Honda cub|Supercub]].

The most recent school of thought on Honda’s strategy was put forward by [[Gary Hamel]] and [[C. K. Prahalad]] in [[1989]]. Creating the concept of [[core competency|core competencies]] with Honda as an example, they argued that Honda’s success was due to its focus on leadership in the technology of internal combustion engines. For example, the high power-to-weight ratio engines Honda produced for its racing bikes provided technology and expertise which was transferable into mopeds.

Honda's entry into the US motorcycle market during the 1960s is used as a [[case study]] for teaching introductory strategy at [[business school]]s worldwide.

Its first entrance into the pickup segment, the lightduty [[Ridgeline]], won Truck of the Year from [[Motor Trend]] magazine in 2006 (also in 2006, the redesigned Civic won [[Motor Trend Car of the Year|Car of the Year]] from the magazine, giving Honda a rare double win of Motor Trend honors).

==Initiatives==

Although a relatively small manufacturer compared to the other Japanese automakers, Honda is the largest engine maker in the world. Honda has a number of firsts in many categories, including the first luxury Japanese car (1987 [[Honda Legend|Legend]]) and motorcycle (2006 [[Gold Wing]] bikes) equipped with an airbag, as well as the first mid-size pickup truck with [[Independent rear suspension|independent rear suspension]] (2006 [[Ridgeline]]).

The 2006 [[Ridgeline]] is one of the first Uni-Body trucks produced (after the early 1980s [[Volkswagen Caddy|Volkswagen Rabbit pick-up]], [[Dodge Rampage]] and [[Plymouth Scamp]]).

Honda has also pioneered new technology in its [[Honda HA-420 HondaJet|HA-420 HondaJet]] that allows new levels of reduced drag, increased aerodynamics and fuel efficiency thus reducing operating costs.

Honda's robot [[ASIMO]] (see below) as an R&D project brings together expertise to create a robot that walks, dances and navigates steps.

==Marketing==

Honda's official slogan is ''The Power of Dreams''.

In 2003, Honda released its [[Cog (television commercial)|Cog]] advertisement in the [[UK]] and on the [[Internet]]. To make the ad, the engineers at Honda constructed a [[Rube Goldberg Machine]] made entirely out of car parts from the Honda Accord. To the despair of the engineers at Honda, all the parts were taken from 2 of only 6 hand assembled [[Pre-production car|pre-production]] models of the Accord. The ad depicted a single cog which sets off a chain of events that ends with the Honda Accord moving and [[Garrison Keillor]] speaking the tagline, "Isn't it nice when things just... work?" It took 606 takes to get it perfect.

In 2004, they produced the [http://www.honda.co.uk/change/ Hate Something advert], which is still shown on British television now, usually immediately followed by a shortened version of the 2005/2006 [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=697177106372116286&q=impossible+dream Impossible Dream] advert.

In 2006, Honda released its [http://www.honda.co.uk/civic/ Choir] advertisement, for the UK and the internet. This featured a 60-person choir who sang the car noises as film of the Honda Civic are shown.

There is also a 2006 advertisement for Honda in general (not a specific product) where an impressively mustachioed man in racing leathers starts traveling on a motorcycle, then a car, then a powerboat, then goes over a waterfall only to reappear piloting a [[hot air balloon]], with Garrison Keillor saying "I couldn't have put it better myself" as the song ends. One version of this is around two minutes long. The soundtrack is "The Impossible Dream" from the musical "[[Man Of La Mancha]]", sung by [[Andy Williams]].

In Australia, Honda advertised heavily during most motor racing telecasts, and were the official sponsor of the 2006 FIA Formula 1 telecast on broadcaster channel "Ten". In fact, they were the only manufacturer involved in the 2006 [[Indy Racing League]] season. But in a series of adverts promoting the history of Honda's racing heritage, Honda falsely claimed that Honda "built cars that won 72 Formula 1 Grand Prix" when in fact the bulk of those victories were claimed by Honda ''powered'' (engined) machines, with cars themselves designed and built by Lotus F1, Williams F1 and McLaren F1 teams respectively (see [[Honda F1]]).

Several commercials throughout 2006 have also featured an [[animated character]] known simply as Mr. Opportunity. The casual looking man talks about various deals offered by Honda and ends with the phrase "I'm Mr. Opportunity, and I'm knockin'." Also, commercials for Honda's international minivan, the Jazz, are parodies of well-known pop culture images such as [[Tetris]] and [[Thomas The Tank Engine]].

As part of their marketing campaign, Honda is an official partner and sponsor of [[Major League Soccer]].

In Late 2006 Honda released an ad with [[ASIMO]] exploring a museum, looking at the exhibits with almost child-like wonderment (spreading out its arms in the aerospace exhibit, waving hello to an [[astronaut]] suit that resembles him, etc.), while Garrison Keillor ruminates on progress. It concludes with the tagline: "More forwards please".

==Facilities (partial list)==

====Japan====

* [[Suzuka, Mie]] &mdash; cars

* [[Hamamatsu, Shizuoka]] &mdash; motorcycles

* [[Sayama, Saitama]] &mdash; cars, light trucks

* [[Kikuchi, Kumamoto]] &mdash; motorcycles, ATVs

* [[Utsunomiya, Tochigi]] &mdash; vehicle R&D

====United States====

[http://www.hondanews.com/categories/1092/releases/192 North American Facilities List and description]

* [[Lincoln, Alabama]] &mdash; Odyssey, Pilot, V6 engines

* [[East Liberty, Ohio]] &mdash; Civic Sedan/Coupe/GX, Element, CR-V

* [[Marysville, Ohio]] &mdash; Accord Sedan/Coupe, Acura TL, Acura RDX, motorcycles

* [[Anna, Ohio]] &mdash; Engines

* Raymond, Ohio &mdash; vehicle R&D

* [[Torrance, California]] &mdash; vehicle R&D/design

* [[Greensburg, Indiana]] &mdash; Civic Sedan (Opening in Fall 2008)

====Canada====

* [[Alliston, Ontario]]

====Europe====

* [[Swindon]], [[England]]

* [[Gebze]], [[Turkey]]

====Brazil====

* [[Manaus]], [[Amazonas]] &mdash; motorcycles

* [[Sumare]], [[São Paulo State|São Paulo]] &mdash; cars (Civic and Fit)

====Thailand====

* Ayutthaya

==== Malaysia ====

* [[Malacca]]

==RobotsEarly life==

Valo was born to a [[Finland|Finnish]] father named Kari and a mother of [[Hungarian people|Hungarian]] descent named Anita in a small suburb of Helsinki called [[Vallila]]. As a child, Ville was influenced by his music-loving parents, who exposed him to the songs of popular Finnish performers such as [[Tapio Rautavaara]] and [[Rauli Badding Somerjoki]], while an older cousin introduced him to the heavier sounds of bands like [[KISS (band)|KISS]], [[Black Sabbath]] and [[Iron Maiden]]. Valo's first musical step was as a three year old [[bongo drum|bongo]] drummer. At age nine, Valo attended the Pop and Jazz Conservatory in [[Helsinki]], where he studied several different musical genres. His father eventually opened a [[sex shop]] where Valo often worked before launching his career in music. Valo's father's [[sex shop]] is still in business today and doing well, according to interviews with Valo. His interests gradually expanded to include [[reggae]], early [[blues]] and country-oriented material such as [[Johnny Cash]], [[Roy Orbison]] and [[Neil Young]]. From a young age, Valo's enthusiasm for music also took a more active form of expression, and he participated in a large number of different Helsinki-based bands: B.L.O.O.D. (1986-89), Eloveena Boys (1987-88), Kemoterapia (1989-97) and numerous other, more obscure projects.

[[Image:HONDA ASIMO.jpg|right|150px|thumbnail| ASIMO at [[Expo 2005]] in Japan]]

==Side Projects==

[[ASIMO]] is the part of Honda's [http://world.honda.com/ASIMO/history/history.html Research & Development robotics program]. It is the eleventh in a line of successive builds starting in 1986 with [[Honda E0]] moving through the ensuing [[Honda E series]] and the [[Honda P series]]. Weighing 54 [[kilograms]] and standing 130 [[centimeters]] tall, ASIMO resembles a small [[astronaut]] wearing a backpack, and can walk on [[biped|two feet]] in a manner resembling human [[locomotion]], at up to 6 km/h. It is the world's only humanoid robot able to ascend and descend stairs independently.<ref>Frequently asked questions about ASIMO [http://asimo.honda.com/downloads/pdf/asimo-technical-faq.pdf], Retrieved February 28, 2007</ref> However, human motions such as climbing stairs are difficult to mimic with a machine, which ASIMO has demonstrated by taking two plunges off of a staircase.

Apart from working with HIM, and side-project [[Daniel Lioneye]], Valo has kept busy in the music world, collaborating with many artists over the years. He contributed guest vocals for The 69 Eyes, on [[Apocalyptica]]'s album ''[[Apocalyptica (album)|Apocalyptica]]'' for the song "Bittersweet" (with [[The Rasmus]]' singer [[Lauri Ylönen]]), on [[The Bloodhound Gang]]'s ''[[Hefty Fine]]'' for the song "Something Diabolical", and on [[Cradle of Filth]]'s ''[[Thornography]]'' for the song "The Byronic Man". In 2007 he duetted with Polish German actress [[Natalia Avelon]] for a cover of [[Nancy Sinatra]] and [[Lee Hazlewood]]'s song "Summer Wine", part of the ''[[Das Wilde Leben]]'' soundtrack. A video featuring both was recorded as well.

<br>

* [http://world.honda.com/ASIMO/ Official website]

'''''Below is a list of Valo's side projects and collaborations.'''''

* ''[[Skreppers]] & Ville Valo (1995)

* ''[[Apocalyptica]] & Ville Valo (1996)

* ''[[The 69 Eyes]] & Ville Valo (1997)

* ''[[Tehosekoitin]] & Ville Valo (1999)

* ''The 69 Eyes & Ville Valo (1999)

* ''[[Neljä Ruusua]] & HIM (1999)

* ''[[Agents]]& Ville Valo - Paratiisi, Jykevää On Rakkaus, Ikkunaprinsessa(1999)

* ''[[Tributti Tuomari Nurmio]]: Ville Valo & Others (2000)

* ''[[The 69 Eyes]] & Ville Valo (2000)

* ''[[Musta Paraati]], Ville Valo, Gas Lipstick & Others (2001)

* ''[[Daniel Lioneye And The Rollers]]/Daniel Lioneye And The Blues Explosion (2001)

* ''[[The 69 Eyes]] & Thulsa Doom (2001)

* ''[[Five Fifteen]] & Ville Valo - The Prostitue & Season Of The Witch (2001)

* ''[[The 69 Eyes]] & Ville Valo (2002)

* ''[[The Skreppers]], Ville Valo, [[Migé Amour]] & [[Lily Lazer]] (2002)

* ''[[The Mission]] & Ville Valo (2002)

* ''[[Lowemotor Corporation]] & Ville Valo - Love Me (2003/2004)

* ''[[The Skreppers]] & Ville Valo (2004)

* ''[[The 69 Eyes]] & Ville Valo - Beneath the Blue (2004)

* ''[[Apocalyptica]] feat. Ville Valo & Lauri Ylönen - Bittersweet (2004) (FIN: #1, D: #6)

* ''Two Witches & Ville Valo - Dracula Rising (2005)

* ''[[Bloodhound Gang]] feat. Ville Valo - Something Diabolical (2005)

* ''[[Isabelle´s Gift]] feat. Ville Valo - If I Die Tonight (2006)

* ''[[Cradle of Filth]] feat. Ville Valo - The Byronic Man (2006)

* ''Ville Valo & [[Tommi Viksten]] - Kun Minä Kotoani Läksin (2006)

* ''[[Kari Tapio]] & Ville Valo - Tällä Pohjantähden Alla (2006)

* ''Ville Valo & [[Natalia Avelon]] - Summer Wine (2007) (FIN: #1, D: #2, AU: #4, CH: #2)

* ''Ville Valo & Manna - Just for Tonight (2007) ==

==See[[HIM also(band)|HIM]]==

{{Portalmain|JapaneseHIM Car(band)}}

*[[List of Honda vehicles]]

*[[List of Honda motorcycles]]

*[[List of Honda engines]]

*[[List of Honda transmissions]]

*[[List of Honda assembly plants]]

*[[Acura]]

*[[VTEC]]

*[[Honda Type R]]

*[[Honda Automotive VIN codes]]

*[[Mondial]]

*[[Dongfeng Honda Automobile Company]] - joint venture

*[[Honda Automobile (China) Company]] - importer of cars into China

*[[Honda Canada Inc.]]

*[[Honda Airport]]

*[[Cog (television commercial)|Honda "Cog" commercial]]-Famous [[Honda Accord]] commercial

*[[Honda Atlas Cars Pakistan]]

*[[Honda F.C.]] (Football (soccer) club)

*[[Honda Heat]] (Rugby union club)

*[[Loh Boon Siew|Mr Honda]] (Boon Siew Honda)

*[[CT110]]

*[http://hondamobilia.vtec.net World's Largest Hondamobilia Collection]

==Trivia==

== External links ==

{{Trivia|date=June 2007}}

{{commonscat|Honda}}

[[Image:Kerranghim.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Ville Valo on the cover on Kerrang! magazine.]]

* [http://world.honda.com/ Honda Global site]

*[[Bam Margera]]'s character in the 2003 movie ''[[Haggard: The Movie|Haggard]]'' is named after Ville Valo.<ref name="imdb">http://www.imdb.com/name/nm</ref>

* [http://www.gstock.com/quote/hmc.html Honda stock quote]

*He makes a very small appearance in ''[[Jackass: Number Two]]''.<ref name="imdb" />

* [http://www.honda.co.jp/pressroom/library/ Honda Press Library] (Japanese, but with graphical timelines of car and bike models)

*He was voted as #13 on a television program in which people voted for who they thought were the greatest Finns of all time<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suuret_suomalaiset]</ref>

* {{dmoz|Recreation/Autos/Makes_and_Models/Honda/|Honda Automobiles}}

*He can also be seen in clips of episodes from [[Viva La Bam]] while they were in Finland.

* {{dmoz|Recreation/Motorcycles/Makes_and_Models/Honda/|Honda Motorcycles}}

*He has a number of tattoos, including a pair of Edgar Allan Poe's eyes on his shoulder blades.<ref>[http://www.vanishingtattoo.com/tattoo/celeb-valo.htm VILLE VALO TATTOO PICS PHOTOS]</ref>

*He learned to walk with the help of the family dog Sami, and when the dog died, not only was he extremely upset, he also apparently developed his allergies to animals and asthma at the same time.<ref>http://www.tv.com/ville-valo/person//trivia.html</ref>

*He smokes about 60 cigarettes a day (around 21,900 a year) to give his voice a gruff, husky edge.<ref>http://www.tobacco.org/news/.html</ref>

*Valo is an avid reader and has indicated that he draws a large influence for his music from the books that he has read. Among his favorite authors he includes Finnish writer, [[Timo K. Mukka]], and American writers [[Edgar Allan Poe]] and [[Charles Bukowski]].

*Ville appears in the music video "Wasting the Dawn" by The 69 Eyes as Jim Morrison of The Doors.

== References ==

{{reflist|1}}

<references/>

==External links==

* "Move Over, Volvo: Honda Sets New Safety Standard for Itself", an article in the "News" section of the March, [[2004]] issue of ''[[Motor Trend]]'', on [[Page (paper)|page]] 32

*[http://www.nndb.com/people/266/000030176 Ville Valo] at Notable Names Database

* [http://world.honda.com/investors/annualreport/2004/46.html 2004 Annual Corporate Report]

*[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1204517 Ville Valo] at Internet Movie Database

* The story of Honda's entry and growth in the American market is documented in [[Terry Sanders]]' film [[The Japan Project: Made in Japan]]. [http://www.honda.lv Honda]

*[http://www.heartagram.com Official website] of [[HIM (band)|HIM]]

* Honda's Midlife Crisis: Honda's slipping market position and views of Fukui Takeo (Chief Executive magazine, December 2005 issue) [http://www.chiefexecutive.net/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=5AC37129F35C4D56830A806ED3E76297]

*[http://www.sweetville.net Ukrainian HIM website] of [[HIM (band)|HIM]]

*[http://www.himonline.tv UK HIM website] of [[HIM (band)|HIM]]

*[http://community.livejournal.com/valo_daily Valo Daily], Livejournal Community (images of Valo)

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