Automobiles and Motorcycles
A car is a motor vehicle with four wheels that runs on the road. Most definitions of cars say that the vehicle is used to carry a number of passengers and that it seats one to eight people. However, there is some disagreement over what is meant by the word “automobile” and what is meant by the word “motorcycle.”
Motorcycles are self propelled machines that have three or four wheels. They can be customized to suit a person’s tastes and needs. Many believe that motorcycles are automobiles, but legal matters get a little nit-picky about the distinction between them.
The first motorcycle in the US was built in Waltham, Massachusetts, by Charles Metz. His horizontal single-cylinder gasoline engine was steered by a drive chain to the rear wheel. The first production motorcycle in Germany was manufactured by Hildebrand & Wolfmuller. After World War II, the automotive industry in the United States grew rapidly. By the 1950s, the largest automakers were Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler.
The automotive industry in the United States grew rapidly during the first half of the twentieth century, with mass production helping auto manufacturers compete. Automobiles were a common mode of transportation in rural areas and cities. Although the United States was the center of the world’s economy, its car scene was dominated by large, expensive cars. Several competitors were fighting for a share of the territory.
The 1960s were a time of progressivism and a new era of possibility. The Jet Age had arrived, and the fabled Jet Age photojournal was published by LIFE magazine. American Honda also launched a major ad campaign for its Super Cub.
American Honda’s sales surpassed a thousand units per month in May 1961. It sold more than 40,000 motorcycles annually by 1962. But the company knew the road ahead would not be easy. The company had to cut costs, and add optional accessories to its products.
By the 1970s, the company had moved to a new office in Torrance, California. At the end of the decade, the company had nearly 750 dealers in the United States. All of the company’s divisions had relocated to the new location.
In addition to the Super Cub, the company also launched the Mini-Trail, which was designed to meet the needs of modified Honda 50s. The company also introduced its Dream and Benly products, and the Holiday in Japan program, which invited top-selling dealers and their spouses to Japan for a week of promotional activities.
In 1980, the United States’ Environmental Protection Agency began regulating the hydrocarbon emissions of motorcycles. It required that the machines emit fewer than five grams of hydrocarbons and nitric oxides per kilometer. The European Union followed with stricter limits on nitric oxides.
The American motorcycle industry had been a small niche in the U.S., selling a total of 50,000 to 60,000 units each year. The local reaction to the presence of American Honda in the American motorcycle market was a sour one. The opinion of some local opinion makers was that the company’s success would be limited. Others thought that the motorcycles were too dark to be sold in the U.S.