Has the Mighty Honda Fallen?
01-26-2004, 01:27 AM
#1
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Cambridge
Posts: 1,465
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Has the Mighty Honda Fallen?
This was posted by dlq4 on the Vintage Owners forum. At least the article writer does like the s2000.
But is he correct in saying the racing side is going astray?
"Has the Mighty Honda Fallen?
The following article appears in the latest issue of my favorite "tell it like it is" website - Autoextremist.com
An operative from Honda PR (who shall remain nameless) took great umbrage (via an email sent to us last Friday) with our portrayal of Honda's 2003 sales figures (their car sales are down) in last week's "On the Table" column, in which we referred to a cover story in Automotive News on the same subject. He even suggested that we take a Journalism 101 class and that we should "check our facts" about Honda's glowing sales numbers and that we should "take a moment and set the record straight" for our readers.
While we were mulling over just how we'd inform our readers of this communication, John O'Dell, a Staff Writer for the Los Angeles Times, wrote a story this past Monday with the headline "Civic Slump Puts a Dent in Honda's Armor." O'Dell opened his story with the following: "Superman isn't supposed to catch colds, gamblers aren't supposed to beat the house in Las Vegas and Honda's car sales aren't supposed to slump. But for the last two years, largely because of the softening popularity of its aging Civic compact sedan, Honda Motor Co.'s passenger car sales in the U.S. have dropped, falling 8.8% since hitting an all-time high in 2001. Last year, sales of the company's Honda and Acura brand passenger cars were off a combined 3.2%, after falling 6.8% in 2002." He then went on to point out that overall Honda sales were actually up 8.2% in 2003, thanks to the Pilot and the MDX, which is what the Honda PR operative was squawking about, but the fact remains that Honda car sales are faltering, and they're even giving dealers between $400 and $800 to help move the sluggish-selling Civic through March. O'Dell went on to quote ace industry analyst Art Spinella, president of CNW Marketing Research in Bandon, Ore., as saying, "It is getting tougher out there and we fully expect Honda to lose some market share in 2004...everyone's gunning for them."
We thought the "Journalism 101" reference was cute, albeit amazingly unoriginal, but the only record that needs to be set straight here is the fact that Honda and their PR operatives are incapable of facing the music with their sales numbers. This is due, in large part, to the fact that Honda (and Toyota for that matter) has been getting a free ride from the automotive media for years - with the closet Honda zealots among them having perpetuated the idea that the two leading Japanese manufacturers are infallible - with Honda in particular wallowing in high praise seemingly with each new issue of every car publication known to humans (except for us, thankfully - ed.). So it's no wonder that the well-meaning Honda PR operative would quake in his Dockers (and official Honda-branded polo shirt) with the thought that some media outlets, including us, are no longer willing to take the Honda view of the world, hook, line and sinker as has traditionally been the case. The fact of the matter is that Honda used to be a cool car company, jam-packed with distinctive, march-to-a-different-drummer-type products that bristled with ingenuity and creativity. But lately, Honda has demonstrated that it's no different from any other car company, import or domestic - especially after their dismal performance during the Detroit Auto Show media preview days, when they debuted the new Pilot SUT concept, which was shockingly the most tedious concept masquerading as a "breakthrough" product that was introduced at the show. To say that the Pilot SUT was very "un-Honda-like" would be the understatement of this young year. Of course, true to form, Honda executives then proceeded to bore the assembled media with their usual "Aww, shucks, we're just a humble little car company" routine - an act that grew stale at least five years ago. But the tone of their speeches did accomplish one thing, however, as it served to remind everyone yet again how Honda has such a precious view of themselves and just how far removed their view of their current place in the automotive world is from the new reality that's facing them. A reality where the world remarkably no longer revolves around Honda - which makes the missive fired at us by the Honda PR operative even more ludicrous.
That being said, Honda does have some bright spots in their lineup (the S2000 being our clear favorite), but they have their share of dogs, too - starting with the decidedly lackluster Civic and the woefully uncompetitive Civic Si. The real problem for Honda and Honda PR is that all of a sudden the automotive media (and surprisingly, the non-automotive media too) doesn't seem to be so eager to genuflect and leave offerings in front of the Honda altar. And Honda executives, along with their PR minions, literally don't have a clue about how to function in a world constructed like that. In this market, the difference between a star and an also-ran is razor-thin - and Honda finds itself dangling dangerously close to the rest of the pack for the first time. There are several car companies challenging Honda's reputation for engineering creativity and ingenuity, and now Honda is faced with having to remind everyone of their raison d'etre. But wait a minute - isn't it officially named the Honda Motor Company? And hasn't Honda had their asses handed to them in F1, with their motor clearly under performing against its rivals (Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Ford/Jaguar and Renault) for the last five seasons? And haven't they gotten their butts kicked in the Indy Racing League by Toyota and the Cosworth-engineered Chevrolet? Yes and yes. Honda has basically lost its mojo, and they're floundering and flailing around trying to regain their footing. But it's a different automotive world out there now, one not as willing to accept Honda at face value. And when you look deeper at what's going on, Honda seems to be veering awkwardly toward becoming (oh, nooo!) just another car company.
We suggested to their PR operative in our response that Honda PR would be better off focusing on transforming Honda's "holier that thou" image into something more relevant in today's hotly competitive market - instead of worrying about "setting the record straight" with Autoextremist.com. And frankly, when it comes to PR - they pretty much suck at it, so we won't hold our collective breath waiting for them to get their shit together. In short, Honda has been resting on its laurels for far too long. Instead of creating dominating racing engines and breakthrough products, it's all about Ass-imo robots and "me-too" SUTs. How the mighty have fallen.
--------
How's that boys and girls for a different slant on Honda? I don't know about the marketplace but I do know they have sure been struggling in open wheeled racing over the past few years."
But is he correct in saying the racing side is going astray?
"Has the Mighty Honda Fallen?
The following article appears in the latest issue of my favorite "tell it like it is" website - Autoextremist.com
An operative from Honda PR (who shall remain nameless) took great umbrage (via an email sent to us last Friday) with our portrayal of Honda's 2003 sales figures (their car sales are down) in last week's "On the Table" column, in which we referred to a cover story in Automotive News on the same subject. He even suggested that we take a Journalism 101 class and that we should "check our facts" about Honda's glowing sales numbers and that we should "take a moment and set the record straight" for our readers.
While we were mulling over just how we'd inform our readers of this communication, John O'Dell, a Staff Writer for the Los Angeles Times, wrote a story this past Monday with the headline "Civic Slump Puts a Dent in Honda's Armor." O'Dell opened his story with the following: "Superman isn't supposed to catch colds, gamblers aren't supposed to beat the house in Las Vegas and Honda's car sales aren't supposed to slump. But for the last two years, largely because of the softening popularity of its aging Civic compact sedan, Honda Motor Co.'s passenger car sales in the U.S. have dropped, falling 8.8% since hitting an all-time high in 2001. Last year, sales of the company's Honda and Acura brand passenger cars were off a combined 3.2%, after falling 6.8% in 2002." He then went on to point out that overall Honda sales were actually up 8.2% in 2003, thanks to the Pilot and the MDX, which is what the Honda PR operative was squawking about, but the fact remains that Honda car sales are faltering, and they're even giving dealers between $400 and $800 to help move the sluggish-selling Civic through March. O'Dell went on to quote ace industry analyst Art Spinella, president of CNW Marketing Research in Bandon, Ore., as saying, "It is getting tougher out there and we fully expect Honda to lose some market share in 2004...everyone's gunning for them."
We thought the "Journalism 101" reference was cute, albeit amazingly unoriginal, but the only record that needs to be set straight here is the fact that Honda and their PR operatives are incapable of facing the music with their sales numbers. This is due, in large part, to the fact that Honda (and Toyota for that matter) has been getting a free ride from the automotive media for years - with the closet Honda zealots among them having perpetuated the idea that the two leading Japanese manufacturers are infallible - with Honda in particular wallowing in high praise seemingly with each new issue of every car publication known to humans (except for us, thankfully - ed.). So it's no wonder that the well-meaning Honda PR operative would quake in his Dockers (and official Honda-branded polo shirt) with the thought that some media outlets, including us, are no longer willing to take the Honda view of the world, hook, line and sinker as has traditionally been the case. The fact of the matter is that Honda used to be a cool car company, jam-packed with distinctive, march-to-a-different-drummer-type products that bristled with ingenuity and creativity. But lately, Honda has demonstrated that it's no different from any other car company, import or domestic - especially after their dismal performance during the Detroit Auto Show media preview days, when they debuted the new Pilot SUT concept, which was shockingly the most tedious concept masquerading as a "breakthrough" product that was introduced at the show. To say that the Pilot SUT was very "un-Honda-like" would be the understatement of this young year. Of course, true to form, Honda executives then proceeded to bore the assembled media with their usual "Aww, shucks, we're just a humble little car company" routine - an act that grew stale at least five years ago. But the tone of their speeches did accomplish one thing, however, as it served to remind everyone yet again how Honda has such a precious view of themselves and just how far removed their view of their current place in the automotive world is from the new reality that's facing them. A reality where the world remarkably no longer revolves around Honda - which makes the missive fired at us by the Honda PR operative even more ludicrous.
That being said, Honda does have some bright spots in their lineup (the S2000 being our clear favorite), but they have their share of dogs, too - starting with the decidedly lackluster Civic and the woefully uncompetitive Civic Si. The real problem for Honda and Honda PR is that all of a sudden the automotive media (and surprisingly, the non-automotive media too) doesn't seem to be so eager to genuflect and leave offerings in front of the Honda altar. And Honda executives, along with their PR minions, literally don't have a clue about how to function in a world constructed like that. In this market, the difference between a star and an also-ran is razor-thin - and Honda finds itself dangling dangerously close to the rest of the pack for the first time. There are several car companies challenging Honda's reputation for engineering creativity and ingenuity, and now Honda is faced with having to remind everyone of their raison d'etre. But wait a minute - isn't it officially named the Honda Motor Company? And hasn't Honda had their asses handed to them in F1, with their motor clearly under performing against its rivals (Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Ford/Jaguar and Renault) for the last five seasons? And haven't they gotten their butts kicked in the Indy Racing League by Toyota and the Cosworth-engineered Chevrolet? Yes and yes. Honda has basically lost its mojo, and they're floundering and flailing around trying to regain their footing. But it's a different automotive world out there now, one not as willing to accept Honda at face value. And when you look deeper at what's going on, Honda seems to be veering awkwardly toward becoming (oh, nooo!) just another car company.
We suggested to their PR operative in our response that Honda PR would be better off focusing on transforming Honda's "holier that thou" image into something more relevant in today's hotly competitive market - instead of worrying about "setting the record straight" with Autoextremist.com. And frankly, when it comes to PR - they pretty much suck at it, so we won't hold our collective breath waiting for them to get their shit together. In short, Honda has been resting on its laurels for far too long. Instead of creating dominating racing engines and breakthrough products, it's all about Ass-imo robots and "me-too" SUTs. How the mighty have fallen.
--------
How's that boys and girls for a different slant on Honda? I don't know about the marketplace but I do know they have sure been struggling in open wheeled racing over the past few years."
01-26-2004, 02:37 AM
#4
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: New Forest
Posts: 1,593
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Interesting article. He's right in saying that that they're not top of the league in motorsports at the mo. These things run in cycles. You invest heavily, you do well, you cut back, you start to lose ...
Never really thought of Hondas as particularly innovative - the engines, yes - generally though they follow the usual, and effective, Japanese method of cloning good ideas from elsewhere.
Never seen them as a holier than thou type of company, but I get the impression that they are a bit more that way inclined in the US.
Never really thought of Hondas as particularly innovative - the engines, yes - generally though they follow the usual, and effective, Japanese method of cloning good ideas from elsewhere.
Never seen them as a holier than thou type of company, but I get the impression that they are a bit more that way inclined in the US.
01-26-2004, 04:08 AM
#7
Registered User
I don't think Honda set themselves out just to be a car company...
I had the privelege to be a guest for a day at one of their Japanese factories, and they clearly spelt out that they were not a car company as such...they of course have a "4 wheel" division of Honda which is the biggest part but the S2000 and NSX are considered to be in the "fun" division and don't really belong in the 4 wheel part.
Honda acknowledges they are a 2million unit company...and to be competitive on global scale you need 4 million units. Hence they are investing in other ideas and concepts in parallel for more lifestyle products...robots etc,
I had the privelege to be a guest for a day at one of their Japanese factories, and they clearly spelt out that they were not a car company as such...they of course have a "4 wheel" division of Honda which is the biggest part but the S2000 and NSX are considered to be in the "fun" division and don't really belong in the 4 wheel part.
Honda acknowledges they are a 2million unit company...and to be competitive on global scale you need 4 million units. Hence they are investing in other ideas and concepts in parallel for more lifestyle products...robots etc,
Trending Topics
01-26-2004, 10:24 AM
#8
Not innovative?
Well, they did re-invent VTEC, 4WS and double wishbone suspension in the late 80's.
Their cars were a bit left of field traditionally, although they are closer to mainstream at present.
To be fair, their share of the Japanese market has been falling (cars too international, for Japanese tastes).
It could be the cars are too international for the Septics, too.
They should make them more Japanese bonkers perhaps. Bring back the stylish Integra family, the non-Eurobland Ballade, the Prelude, The Life Dunk (I just like the stupid name!), the Ascot Innova, etc.
And launch Asimo, the robot!
Well, they did re-invent VTEC, 4WS and double wishbone suspension in the late 80's.
Their cars were a bit left of field traditionally, although they are closer to mainstream at present.
To be fair, their share of the Japanese market has been falling (cars too international, for Japanese tastes).
It could be the cars are too international for the Septics, too.
They should make them more Japanese bonkers perhaps. Bring back the stylish Integra family, the non-Eurobland Ballade, the Prelude, The Life Dunk (I just like the stupid name!), the Ascot Innova, etc.
And launch Asimo, the robot!
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
A 2
New York - Upstate New York S2000 Owners
19
11-06-2009 10:00 AM