Honda has put a slice of its history on display in America. The company opened the American Honda Collection Hall this week at its US headquarters in California. The 20,000-square-foot facility is home to more than 60 significant Honda and Acura models representing American Honda Motor Co.’s 60-year history in the US.
The facility, attached to the main lobby of American Honda’s headquarters, will serve as more than just a museum. The automaker wants the hall to serve as a cultural and educational hub for the local community. It’ll be open to the public free of charge during Honda’s new “Cars, Bikes, and Coffee” events hosted on the third Saturday of every other month.
Gallery: American Honda Collection Hall
Honda will host the inaugural show on October 21 from 9 am to 12 pm. The first event will have special activities like giveaways, vendors, food trucks, music, unique displays, and the company’s vast collection of cars and other memorabilia.
The hall highlights the cars, motorcycles, power equipment, and engines the company has made for America since the establishment of American Honda in 1959. The collection also includes race cars, concepts, images, and video presentations.
If you visit, you’ll see cars like the 1970 Honda N600 Coupe, the 1986 Acura Legend, the 1991 Acura NSX, the 1997 Honda CR-V, and others. These cars represent major milestones for the automaker, like the CR-V being its first in-house SUV. A 2006 Honda Insight, a 1985 Honda CRX Si, and a 1979 Honda Accord CVCC hatch help fill the facility.
Motorcycles on display include the 1962 Honda 50/Super Cub, the 1975 Honda GL1000 Gold Wing, and the 1992 Honda NR750. Non-vehicular exhibits include two marine outboard engines and a generator, as Honda has built more than just cars and bikes.
The second Cars, Bikes, and Coffee event will happen on Saturday, December 16. The other dates are February 17, April 20, June 15, and August 17. All run from 9 am to 12 pm, and you can learn more about American Honda Collection Hall here.
Honda’s co-founder, Takeo Fujisawa, who was instrumental in bringing the company to America, was recently inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame. Fujisawa served as Soichiro Honda’s right-hand man for nearly 25 years. By the mid-1960s, Honda was the best-selling motorcycle brand in the US.
The company celebrated building its 30-millionth car in America earlier this year. Honda began building vehicles here on November 1, 1982, at its Marysville, Ohio, factory. It has since expanded to eight operating eight facilities in the country, employing nearly 17,000 people. The company claims that over two-thirds of all Honda and Acura models sold in the US were made here.
