Honda restored a 1961 Chevrolet Apache pickup to commemorate its humble beginnings

Honda’s U.S.-market distributor celebrates its 60th anniversary this 12 months. To mark the primary arrival of its autos on American shores, Honda turned to an unlikely place: a 1961 Chevrolet Apache 10 pickup truck.

In 1959, American Honda’s established date, the corporate wanted a fast option to set up a footprint within the U.S. Honda determined to buy a fleet of Chevrolet Apache pickups, which it used as supply vehicles for its bike enterprise. Its gross sales employees would ship the bikes to sellers on the market to the general public. The fast rollout labored wonders. By 1965, Honda was the best-selling bike model within the U.S.

Honda-restored 1961 Chevrolet Apache 10 pickup for 60th anniversary

Honda likes to suppose its fleet of Chevy pickups had slightly one thing to do with it, so it went about commissioning a restoration.

The truck is a 1961 Chevrolet Apache identical to those used nearly 60 years in the past. Honda sourced the truck, carried out a lightweight mechanical restoration, and repainted the pickup its manufacturing facility white shade. From there, Honda dug by archived photographs and even introduced in retired Honda employees to assist recreate the outside. The logos and pink paintwork have been achieved totally by hand to match the Apaches from yesteryear. Actually, Honda offered a photograph from its archives to point out how the restored truck mimics one of many originals.

Honda-restored 1961 Chevrolet Apache 10 pickup for 60th anniversary

The Apache, particularly, is a half-ton chassis with a 283 cubic inch V-Eight and a Three-speed handbook transmission. Whole energy is 160 horsepower. However, Honda did not cease there to recreate the magic. Within the mattress sit two classic Honda bikes: a 50 and CB160. The 2 fashions are an identical to the bikes Honda salesman carried within the Chevy pickups a long time in the past. Each bikes really put the Japanese firm on the map within the U.S. for his or her easy-to-ride traits.

With the restoration full, Honda stated it should take the Apache to some native basic automobile occasions in Southern California and different occasions within the U.S. It can even be current on the 2019 SEMA Present later this 12 months earlier than it heads to the American Honda Assortment in Torrance, California.