More than 30 years ago, Honda Motor Corporation became the first Japanese car manufacturer to build a plant in the United States.
Honda began construction of its motorcycle plant in Marysville, Ohio in 1978 and announced plans to build a $250-million auto plant next door in 1980. On November 1, 1982, the first Accord rolled off the assembly line in Marysville.
Honda’s inital efforts in the United States were seen as the opening opportunity for many other international nameplates to breach the U.S. border, both on a manufacturing and parts supply basis.
Our report said, “Honda, as well as the other Japanese manufacturers, are in a unique position of trying to keep everyone in the world politically happy while not jeopardizing the sale of their product. Currently, Japanese auto manufacturers are caught in limbo, trying to keep suppliers of oil and other raw commodities happy, while still pleasing countries such as the United States who buy their product.”
The political and economic arguments regarding worldwide supplier issues covered in 1980 remain relevant today. iC
