Honda Oz celebrates 50th birthday
BY SPENCER LEECH | 1st Feb 2019
HONDA Australia has created a line of one-off gold car, motorcycle and equipment products to celebrate 50 years since the company was established Down Under.
The unique collection includes Honda’s NSX hybrid supercar and Civic Type R hot hatch, as well as models from its motorcycle range – the CBR1000RR Fireblade sportsbike, CRF450L enduro bike and CRF50F kids’ bike.
Honda also included its Buffalo lawnmower and EU22i generator in the gold-clad collection.
To achieve the golden chrome look, Honda Australia called on Melbourne-based specialists Vinyl Wraps and Graphics to produce and install a vinyl film.
Although Honda Motor Company has been around for longer than 50 years, the brand’s local wing wasn’t introduced until February 1969.
It was initially set up to sell passenger cars, but has since developed into a much broader company covering an extensive product range, explains Honda Australia managing director and CEO Hiroyuki Shimizu.
“Honda Australia was a Honda subsidiary set up primarily to sell cars, but it has since grown with the global Honda brand to deliver a wide range of products and services that help make people’s lives more enjoyable,” he said.
“We thought about how we could celebrate our birthday and our unique diversity in a bold and fun way. I mean, who has ever seen a golden mower or generator before?”
The celebratory golden collection will be used as promotional material throughout the year as a way for the brand to “thank and connect with Honda Australia customers”.
Mr Shimizu also described what the brand hopes to achieve in the next 50 years, saying that it will focus heavily on sustainability and technology, without losing the “human touch”.
“We are striving to be leaders in the areas of environment and safety, and will continue to invest heavily to become a company that leads efforts to realise a carbon-free and collision-free society,” he said.
“What is crucial to us in the midst of the technology evolution, however, is that we don’t lose the human touch,”
“Electrification, connectivity and autonomous developments are all in the future, but we must always ensure that we connect with our customers and deliver an experience that reflects the heartbeat of Honda.
“Delivering joy and connecting with our customers will always be a priority for Honda Australia.”
