Who is Behind the Acura Brand?

Many people are familiar with the Acura brand and its cars, but who owns Acura? The answer is Honda Motor Company, Ltd., which has been producing Acuras since 1986. Speedcraft Acura proudly offers an expansive selection of new and used Acuras. Let’s take a closer look at how this luxury car maker came to be owned by the Honda Motor Company.

History of the Honda Motor Company

The Honda Motor Company was founded in 1948 in Hamamatsu, Japan by Soichiro Honda. He started out as a mechanic and quickly evolved into an inventor and businessman, creating his own internal combustion engines that he sold to manufacturers of motorcycles. In 1959, after much success in the motorcycle industry, Soichiro began his ambition to build automobiles. His first car was called the T360 truck, a small vehicle designed for mass production that ran on a 356cc engine. This marked the official beginning of what we now know as Honda Motors Company Ltd., one of the world’s largest automakers today.

Acura’s Design and Development

Honda Motors created its luxury division called “Acura” in 1986 with plans to bring upscale cars to North America that could compete with other imported luxury brands like Mercedes-Benz and BMW. The first two models were introduced in March 1986: The Legend sedan and Integra sport coupe/sedan were both produced at Honda’s new plant in Marysville, Ohio—which was also their first plant dedicated solely to auto manufacturing outside Japan—and became instant hits among American drivers seeking luxurious vehicles without big price tags attached. Since then, more than 20 models have been released by Honda under the Acura brand name including sedans, coupes, SUVs, crossovers, minivans, hybrids and concept models.

The story behind who owns Acura is an interesting one that reflects decades of innovation and engineering excellence from Honda Motors Company Ltd. Today we enjoy many different models from this luxury division that offer innovative designs combined with features like driver-assist technology and advanced safety systems for maximum comfort while driving. At Speedcraft Acura we are proud to offer our customers access to these high-end vehicles so they can experience all that this automotive giant has to offer! Visit us today for more information about our selection of new and pre-owned cars!