Before we get into the story, a gold Honda NSX.. I’m in. I want it, badly.
Honda Australia partnered with Melbourne-based specialists Vinyl Wraps and Graphics to produce striking gold bodywork on each of the products. A gold chrome film was laminated with a clear satin film to help disperse reflections, resulting in a unique and refined finish that changes tone with the prevailing light source.
Honda have have applied the gold finish to seven of their greatest vehicles to celebrate their 50th birthday in Australia. The full list of vehicles is:
- NSX hybrid supercar
- Civic Type R high-performance hot hatch
- CBR1000RR Fireblade motorcycle from the Supersport range
- CRF450L next-generation motorcycle from the Enduro range
- CRF50F Kids Fun bike, Honda’s best-selling off road machine
- HRU19 Buffalo Premium lawnmower, proudly designed and assembled here in Australia
- EU22i Generator, the world’s best-selling Super Quiet, leisure generator
- The celebratory golden collection of products will be used throughout the year to inspire, thank and connect with Honda Australia customers.
Honda Australia was established on February 4, 1969, when Honda Motor Company in Japan sent Mr. Hidehiko Shiomi to Melbourne to setup a unified, national representation for Honda in Australia.
“Honda Australia was a Honda subsidiary set up primarily to sell cars, but it has since grown with the global Honda brand to deliver a wide range of products and services that help make people’s lives more enjoyable.”
Honda Australia Managing Director & CEO, Mr. Hiroyuki Shimizu.
Few manufacturers on the planet have the breadth of products in their portfolio as Honda. Cars, motorcycles, generators, lawn mowers and marine engines, Honda’s diverse range of products have been enjoyed by millions of Australians over the last 50 years.
“We thought about how we could celebrate our birthday and our unique diversity in a bold and fun way. I mean, who has ever seen a golden mower or generator before?
To Honda, performance means more than speed – each product is designed to perform at a level that exceeds the expectations of the customer. We’re looking forward to showcasing these amazing golden products around the country throughout 2019, so stay tuned for more information on that front.”
Honda Australia Managing Director & CEO, Mr. Hiroyuki Shimizu.
The photos in this post were taken by photographer Jayden Ostwald, set against Australian backdrops.
“Achieving 50 years of longevity and continuity in business is a significant milestone, but none of this would be possible without our people. Our team at Honda Australia and our dealer network across the country are exceptional at what they do and I thank them for their contribution. Most importantly though are our customers.
Honda would be nothing without our customers – both long-term customers and new customers all contribute to making this brand what it is today. I am very proud to be a second-generation Managing Director of Honda Australia and incredibly grateful to all our customers for their ongoing loyalty, trust and belief in the Honda name.”
Honda Australia Managing Director & CEO, Mr. Hiroyuki Shimizu.
“Honda products have been instrumental in shaping the landscape of modern Australia over the last 50 years – take the CT110, more commonly known as the Australia Post, ‘postie bike’, which has helped deliver the mail to Australians all across the country for generations.
I am proud to have been a part of the journey so far and it’s fantastic for us to celebrate this together, we all look forward to the future and the next 50 years of Honda in Australia.”
Honda Motorcycle and Power Equipment Managing Director, Mr. Robert Toscano,
“Given the thickness of the vinyl wrap and the intricate profiles of the bodywork, this was a complex project across a diverse range of products, but we are thrilled with the results.
We worked closely with the Honda Australia team on the design, with the gold theme highlighted with some satin black accents, such as on the badging and wheels of the NSX. And it’s not every day you get to work on a golden generator, everyone who’s seen it wants one.”
Matt Czerny, Managing Director of Vinyl Wraps and Graphics.
The cars that helped define Honda Australia’s first 50 years
Civic: Effectively the car that started it all for Honda Australia, Civic arrived in 1973 as a value-for-money small hatchback and has since matured through 10 generations.
Accord: When Accord arrived in Australia in May 1977, it was as a three-door hatchback rather than the large sedan with which we are now so familiar. It was an instant hit, winning that year’s Wheels Car of the Year award, the first Japanese car to do so.
Prelude 4WS: The 1987 arrival of the third-generation Prelude sports coupe saw Honda introduce the world’s first steer-angle dependent four-wheel steering system. It delivered better handling response at open road speeds, while also improving low speed manoeuvrability for city driving and parking. The car won the 1987 Wheels Car of the Yearaward.
NSX: When it made its global debut in 1989, Honda’s ground-breaking mid-engine high-performance machine forever changed the supercar segment. It was the world’s first mass-produced car to feature an all-aluminium body and exemplified Honda’s high standards of quality, durability and day-to-day usability, without compromising performance – something rarely found in supercars of the day. Formula One World Champion Ayrton Senna even provided input during its final development stages.
CR-V: Honda’s first SUV arrived in Australia in 1997 as a compact, five-seat vehicle with on-demand all-wheel-drive. Now in its fifth generation, the CR-V has developed and grown to meet the demands of modern families and now is even available as a seven-seater.
HR-V: Smaller than CR-V, the HR-V made its world debut at the 1998 Sydney Motor Show, presenting as a funky, three-door SUV that set a new benchmark in clean engine technology. The styling and features were ahead of its time – it was one of the first petrol-powered vehicles to achieve a Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) exhaust emission standard, as it produced 80 per cent less emissions than Australian regulations at the time. The HR-V badge returned in 2015 as a new and very different vehicle – dimensionally similar to the original CR-V – which has been incredibly popular with customers.
S2000: Honda’s classic small sports car, featuring a stunningly smooth and wonderfully powerful 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engine, arrived in 1999. The S2000’s high-revving engine developed 176kW – more power per litre than any other naturally aspirated production car in the world. In true classic sports car tradition, the engine was mounted longitudinally behind the front axle line and drove the rear wheels for a perfect 50:50 weight distribution, delivering superior handling.
Jazz: Honda’s versatile small car arrived in 2002 as a breath of fresh air in the small car market. It featured a new styling language, interior roominess that belied its external dimensions and clever storage features, including the now famous ‘Magic Seats’.
Civic Type R (current): Honda’s latest entry into the affordable performance car market, Civic Type R was engineered from the ground up to deliver the most rewarding driving experience in the hot hatch segment. With a 2.0-litre turbocharged VTEC engine tuned to deliver flexible and exhilarating performance, it made history in Australia by becoming the first car to win both Performance Car of the Year and Bang For Your Bucks awards from Motor magazine in the same year.
For further information on Honda’s 50th birthday please visit: honda.com.au/50
