10 INSPIRATIONAL FACTS ABOUT SOICHIRO 'THUNDER' HONDA

1 By average he was a poor student who played truant studying only to the tenth grade before dropping out to pursue his love, automobiles.

2 He built the Honda Empire from scratch from an initial investment of $3200 which was borrowed.

3 Mr. Honda did not become a millionaire until he was 48 ( talk about perseverance)

4 He lived not far away from Akio Morita, the founder of Sony and while Akio was born into wealth, Soichiro was the son of a poor blacksmith who repaied bicycles by the side.

5 His parents were so poor that five of his siblings died of malnutrition.

6 Even when told by the Japanese authorities that they didn't need another automobile, he simply turned a deaf ear and built the Honda Empire.

7 He suffered a setback in 1938 when his factory was crippled by a bomb and eventually destroyed by an earthquake.

8 As a part of his war against convention, he did not hire graduates.

9 After surviving a car crash that almost claimed his life, he learned to fly his own helicopter at the age of 60 ( not tired or willing to retire)

10 His staff nicknamed him 'Thunder' because of his outbursts