Honda's former president Nabuhiko Kawamoto has caused US media controversy by labelling his former company 'inferior' and 'headed downhill'.
Honda Motor Company today reported a 7.8 percent rise in operating earnings last year. But the carmaker has predicted a fall in profits this year amid renewed concerns about U.S. car demand.
Honda's new president and chief executive is to be Takeo Fukui, the carmaker's managing and representative director. He will take over in June.
Honda's 900 workers at its Swindon factory will lose around £63 as a result of the carmaker's decision to lay off an entire shift, according to the Amicus union.
Honda in Japan is to introduce a monthly monitoring system for electricity and other sources of energy at all domestic plants and dealerships by March 2004. The company has five car plants and 2,400 dealerships in Japan.
Honda has implicitly warned workers at its Swindon plant that it may pull out of the UK if there is no satisfactory solution of the on-going 2003 pay wrangle.
A novel TV ad using a 'domino' effect to emphasis the precision engineering that goes into each Honda Accord, gets its airing on ITV this Sunday after the Brazilian Grand Prix coverage.
In the latest move to reduce its £42.5m deficit on its final salary pension scheme, Honda UK has announced it is to pump £6.5m into the fund and increase its own annual contributions by over 2 per cent per year – equivalent to £2.5m.
Honda is trying to raise the age of retirement to 62 at its Swindon plant in order to prevent a crisis in its pension fund.
Honda will record a third consecutive record net profit in 2003/2004 – possibly exceeding $3.7bn – its president Hiroyuki Yoshino has predicted.
Honda's Swindon plant is preparing to build its one millionth car tomorrow – and it will be a silver CR-V destined for North America.
Former managing director of Ryland Honda has returned to north west retailing group Smith Knight Fay as brand director of its Toyota franchises – which covers the Culvers dealerships.
The industrial unrest which has threatened production at Nissan in Sunderland and Peugeot's Ryton plant may have moved to Honda.
The Nick Whale Group has added Honda Cars to its franchise portfolio with the acquisition of the Honda Car Centre in Halesowen. And the expanding West Midlands group is set to announce “further developments” in Birmingham City Centre.
Honda America has paid a major compliment to the carmaker's Swindon plant – citing the Wiltshire facility as playing a key role in helping the distributor to its ninth year of record sales.
Honda's Chinese joint venture, Guangzhou Honda Automotive Company, plans to increase sales volumes by 90 per cent in 2003, according to Chinese newspaper reports. The company says it hopes to sell 110,000 cars and minivans this year.
Honda's Swindon Plant will have achieved a record production total of more than 176,000 units by the end of this year – an increase of 55 per cent on last year's total.
The two main Japanese carmakers are bullish about 2003 vehicle sales. Honda today says it expects sales to be up 10 per cent to a record 3.1 million. And yesterday Toyota said 2003 would see 6.5m unit sales – up 5 per cent.
Honda has 3 per cent of UK market share for 2002 firmly in its sites. And with a solid platform of new model launches in 2003, the company says it is set to increase its UK market penetration next year.
Renault's new family hatchback Megane has this week been named European car of the year 2003 by a panel of 58 journalists, narrowly beating the Mazda 6 into second place. Citroen's C3 was third, with the Honda Jazz fourth.
