In 1959, American Honda Motor Company (AHM) opened its doors in Los Angeles, California and used a fleet of Chevy trucks to transport and deliver the motorcycles they were selling. To commemorate their 60th year of business during the month of June, AHM got their hands on a 1961 Chevy half-ton truck and meticulously replicated one that was photographed in front of their first office building at 4077 Pico Blvd. These trucks were driven by salespeople to transport America’s most popular two-wheeled machines to dealerships where they were sold on consignment. Over a 6 year-period, Honda owned 72 percent of the market on motorcycle transportation in American with the help of Chevy trucks.
They spared no expense, tracking down archival sources and talking to former employees, This long-bed model retains its 160hp, 283ci. V8 and a column-shifted manual transmission. It wasn’t enough to just build the truck though; Honda also loaded the bed with two of their most popular bikes from back in the day to complete the homage. A 1965 Honda 50 or “Super Cub” and CB150 are strapped down in the back in fully-restored glory with can be seen parked in front of their current office in Torrance, California.
Honda invested in a presence in the States early on with creative marketing campaigns for the American consumer. They demonstrated how their products could fit into the bustling Western lifestyle while sipping gas and saving money. Honda is still doing that today on a much larger scale. The company maintains 12 manufacturing facilities and 14 research and development sites in the U.S. all which employ more than 30,000 people. Though not as old as its domestic competition, Honda has been a staple in the American automotive landscape for decades and there’s no signs of them slowing down.
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