The History and Evolution of the Honda Super Cub

Generally speaking, products in competitive markets won’t have too much of an impact on their markets as a whole. After all, they are one of a number of competitors that offer similar upsides to similar consumers, which tends to reduce their influence. However, there are exceptions to this particular rule, with an excellent example being the Honda Super Cub.

In short, the Honda Super Cub is a motorcycle that saw its initial release in 1958. To be exact, it is an underbone motorcycle, meaning that it consists of a steel structure that has been overlaid with non-structural body panels made out of either plastic or some other material. This is opposed to other motorcycle designs in which both the body and the structure are made out of steel, thus offering a very different set of advantages and disadvantages for interested individuals. Regardless, underbone motorcycles such as the Honda Super Cub tend to be most popular in the Asian market, but it is important to note that they are popular in a wide range of other regions such as Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East as well.

As for the Honda Super Cub in particular, well, suffice to say that it is very, very popular. For proof, look no further than the fact that it has managed to sell more than 100 million units, which is enough to make it the single most produced motor vehicle to have come into existence so far. Furthermore, the Honda Super Cub is connected to one of the most famous marketing campaigns to have ever been conducted, which is still familiar to a lot of people by the phrase, “You meet the nicest people on a Honda.” Something that had a critical impact on not just the Honda Super Cub but also motorcycling as a whole, so much so that the marketing campaign is still studied in the present by people seeking to glean insight from it.

How Has the Honda Super Cub Changed Over Time?

Of course, there is no such thing as a product that can remain popular over the course of decades and decades without seeing a fair number of changes. Sometimes, changes happen to make products better-suited for new markets. Other times, changes happen to make products more competitive in their current markets. Whatever the exact cause behind them, the Honda Super Cub has certainly seen its fair share of continuing evolution over time.

For instance, the first variation on the Honda Super Cub popped up in April of 1960 under the label C102, which was similar to its predecessor for the most part but boasted a number of new features such as electric start and kick starting. However, it was the C50 in 1966 that went on to become one of the most famous versions of the Honda Super Cub to be ever released, seeing as how it remained in production into the mid 1980s because of various improvements that enabled it to appeal to a wide range of market segments over that period of time. With that said, while the C50 proved to be very popular, Honda wasn’t exactly content to rest on its laurels, which is why it proceeded to release more versions such as the C70. For the most part, these new versions looked similar to their predecessors, but they had important changes that made for important consequences. One excellent example can be found in what was called the Honda Dream, which was a version with a 100 cc engine that was meant for the Southeast Asian market but managed to sell enough that it was brought over to other locales as well.

Besides the standard Honda Super Cub line, it should be mentioned that there have been other lines as well. One example was the Honda Sports Cub that was released in 1960, while another example was the Honda Trail, which is an early example of what would now be called a dual-sport motorcycle. Unfortunately, neither of these two lines met with the same success as their standard counterparts, which is why they faded out in the 1960s.

Nowadays, the Honda Super Cub remains a popular choice of ride in a wide range of markets. As a result, Honda is still releasing new versions with new features to keep it popular for new generations of riders. However, Honda Super Cubs remain Honda Super Cubs, as shown by how the 60th Anniversary Edition bears a color scheme as well as a catch phrase that should prove very familiar for people who remember the line’s earlier days in the U.S. market.