Chevy trucks helped Honda get a foothold here
This year, American Honda is celebrating its 60th anniversary. The festivities involve something unusual: the restoration of a 1961 Chevrolet Apache.
When the brand first launched in 1959 here in the states, one of Honda's first steps was purchasing a fleet of ten Chevy pickups. Sales staff used these support haulers to deliver motorcycles to dealers around the Southern California region.
Those bikes, and trucks, helped the brand get established and by 1965, Honda was the best-selling motorcycle brand in America, amounting for nearly 72% of the market, the company says.
To commemorate that sales legacy, Honda found an appropriate Apache and restored it to match the originals from decades ago. The Chevy was painted white and given hand-painted graphics. In the bed are loaded two 1965 Honda motorcycles: a Honda 50 and a CB160.
The completed vehicle will tour the country this year, including an appearance at the 2019 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.
It'll ultimately end up on display at the American Honda Collection Hall in Torrance, California.
• Contact Matt at auto@dailyherald.com or COPOthebook.com.