Honda Australia
Honda Australia Pty Ltd, commonly known as Honda Australia, is an Australian wholly owned subsidiary of Honda based in Moonee Ponds, Victoria, Australia.
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | 1969 |
| Headquarters | Moonee Ponds, Victoria, Australia |
Key people | Hiroyuki Shimizu (Managing Director Carolyn McMahon (Director) |
| Products | Automobiles |
| Parent | Honda |
| Website | honda |
The Honda brand arrived in Australia in the mid 1950s, when independent firms imported Honda motorcycles. By the 1960s, motorcycles were joined by Honda vehicles, notably the tiny Honda S600 sports car and Honda N360 and later the Accord and Civic.
In the late 1960s, Honda decided on a national approach to motor vehicle sales. On 4 February 1969, Japanese Manager Hidehiko Shiomi set up Honda Australia. It was the first Honda subsidiary in the world set up primarily to sell cars. By 1987, all of the private distributors of Honda motorcycles and power equipment had relinquished distribution rights and Honda Australia became sole importer of all Honda products.
In 1991, motorcycles and power equipment were relocated to Campbellfield to become Honda MPE, while Honda Motor Vehicles remained at Tullamarine.
In recent years Honda Australia has supported motorsport teams such as Wall Racing in TCR Australia. It also supported Jenson Button in his FWD lap record attempt at Mount Panorama.