50 years of Honda in the UK, and things have never looked so good, and it just gets better and better.

It was the year the Beatles performed the first stadium concert in the history of music, while cartoon heroes Tom and Jerry and the puppet-tastic Thunderbirds first aired on TV.  Cigarette advertising was banned on British TV, the Sound of Music premiered and Churchill was buried.  

On top of that DJ Jazzy Jeff, Alan Cumming, Brooke Shields and Honda’s very own Karen Parry were born.

1965 also saw the year Honda first started trading in the UK.  It also saw the first Grand Prix win for Honda in the legendary RA272, thanks to Ritchie Ginther at the Mexico Grand Prix.

In the last five decades, Honda has achieved milestone after milestone.  Now one of the top 20 biggest brands in the world, Honda employs over 182,000 employees worldwide and has 40 manufacturing facilities making everything from a 25cc leaf blower to a $4m business jet.

Last year, global sales hit 27.3million units, made up of 17 million motorcycles, six million power products and 4.3million cars.  The European arm employs 8,000 people and last year sold almost 1.4million products.

This year also sees 30 years of Honda of the UK Manufacturing (HUM). A 370 acre site in Swindon employing 3,200 people, HUM has benefitted from a self-funded total investment of £2.2bn over the years and will become the global production hub for the five door Civic.

The motorcycles division is number one in the UK market with almost 20% market share.  With a product range spanning 65 models, last year, Honda sold 19,000 bikes in the UK.  The power products range has 225 models and last year sold in excess of 50,000 units.  Honda is the number one ATV manufacturer in the UK and the third largest outboard manufacturer.

From a motorsport perspective in the UK, we have the most successful BSB team in the UK and the BTCC team just won the drivers and manufacturers championships for 2015.

Philip Crossman, Managing Director at Honda UK, commented: “This year marks our golden anniversary in the UK with fifty years of rich history in trading bikes, power products and cars.  While this year has been significant in refreshing the car range in its entirety and launching several important new bikes, the Japanese way is to take a much longer viewpoint than just 12 months.  

“Our business has changed radically over since it launched in the swinging sixties, adapting and evolving to suit the demands of riders and drivers over the years.  I can well imagine that Honda will be a completely different organisation in 2065 – but still selling quality and trusted cars, bikes and power products.”

Honda launches the new Type R from Swindon, UK, and will export it back to Japan.

Just a few days ago, hundreds of production staff and management from Honda’s European car manufacturing facility in Swindon, UK, joined invited guests to celebrate the first production models of the hotly-anticipated Civic Type R rolling off the line.

Breaking cover at Honda of the UK Manufacturing (HUM) to a high-energy fanfare of lights and music, the first three models arrived in patriotic red, white and blue respectively as they left the line heading to Honda dealerships across Europe.

Addressing those gathered for the event, Soichiro Takizawa, Managing Director at HUM, took the opportunity to thank staff for their continued commitment and hard work, expressing the shared pride felt by all at HUM in seeing the all-new British-built Civic Type R in the metal.

The ceremony topped a very positive few months for HUM, following an announcement in March confirming that it will become the global production hub for Honda’s flagship Civic five door model, extending its reach beyond European shores. Reflecting this achievement in his address to those attending, Mr Takizawa spoke of renewed optimism for the plant – regarding it as a major milestone and testament to the knowledge and experience of staff who have been building Civics at the plant for more than twenty years.

Mr Takizawa commented: “The new Civic Type R is an imperative model for Honda, representing our racing spirit and demonstrating our commitment to innovation and passion. We are extremely proud to be the only manufacturer of the Civic Type R in the world. Our high standards have earned us this privilege and this is testament to the continued commitment of our Associates.”

Billed as a ‘Race car for the road’, the new Honda Civic Type R is the most extreme and high-performing model to ever wear the acclaimed ‘Red H’ badge. With a high-revving all-new two litre VTEC TURBO engine, advanced new suspension systems, stand-out function-led styling and a new +R track mode it is set to bring new standards to Europe’s high-performance front-wheel drive hatchback segment. Peak power output is 306BHP, with the engine red-lining at 7,000rpm, delivering a class-leading top speed of 167mph.

The new Honda Civic Type R will be built exclusively for Europe at HUM. The announcement made in March that HUM will become the global production hub for the Civic five door model will see a further investment of £200million for the plant, bringing total investment to £2.2billion since 1985, and confirming Honda’s long-term commitment to manufacturing in the UK and Europe.