Soichiro Honda, the renowned founder of Honda, had a co-founder who played a crucial role in the company’s growth. Takeo Fujisawa joined Honda shortly after its establishment and became Soichiro’s right-hand man, contributing to the company’s significant achievements over their nearly 25 years of partnership.

Fujisawa, who was recently honored by being inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame, first met Soichiro in August 1949. This was a year after Soichiro had founded his company and immediately after the launch of Honda’s Dream D-Type motorcycle. By October of that same year, Fujisawa had joined the company and took charge of the business side, overseeing sales, finance, and marketing activities, while Soichiro focused on product design, technology, and manufacturing operations.