Soichiro Honda’s dream to race at the highest level was so vivid that he put it on paper. And then published it for the world to see.
In 1954, he made a bold declaration in The Honda Company Newsletter, vowing that his company would take on the world’s most dangerous and prestigious motorcycle race—the Isle of Man TT. Not for glory, but to test his machines at the most competitive proving ground in motorsport. It was public, fearless, and wildly ambitious. This was the moment Honda’s legacy in racing began.
His declaration became a reality just 5 years later when his team arrived at the Isle of Man in 1959 with four Honda RC142s. They didn’t finish as victors, but all four bikes crossed the finish line as a statement to the world: Honda had arrived. That first race was just the beginning. By 1961, Honda claimed its first Isle of Man TT victory, and only four years later, won its first F1 race in the Honda RA272 at the 1965 Mexico Grand Prix, proving the power of its vision on the world stage.
Since then, that dream has only picked up speed. Whether it’s MotoGP or Formula 1, the mission remains the same: chase what others think is out of reach with machines that rewrite the impossible.
Join us at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, this August during Monterey Car Week, where the world’s rarest machines and tastemakers from automotive culture come together. This year, we honor the spirit that started it all: one man, countless machines, and the relentless dream to race.
Image Source: Honda Motors
