Whenever we talk about great motorcycles or tuner cars, the Honda brand certainly is up there with one of the best. Founded in 1948 by Soichiro Honda and Takeo Fujisawa, the Honda Motor Company was first made known to produce motorcycles, and just 10 years later, became the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer. To put those things in perspective, Honda has produced over 400 million bikes as of 2019.

It was in 1962 Honda started to produce their automobiles, the beginning of a long and successful journey that's guided by the power of dreams. The Japanese manufacturer clearly made an impact in the automotive world through their breakthrough engine technologies, as well as iconic models over the years that influenced the evolution of automobiles ranging from the early gasoline-powered small cars, to hybrid-powered and electric cars of today. Here are the most important cars that helped form Honda's rich heritage.

10 T360

Today, we know that Honda offers the Ridgeline in the pickup truck segment. But here's a fun fact — Honda's first production automobile is actually a pickup truck called the T360.

Unlike the current Ridgeline, the T360 sits in the kei truck segment, and was powered by a tiny 356cc DOHC inline-four engine that produced only 30 hp, but was able to rev up to 8,500 rpm, a common trait that would, later on, be found in high-performance Honda engines.

RELATED: A Brief History Of The Kei Car

9 S500

Four months after the T360 kei truck, Honda built their first passenger car called the S500, and had an engine built from Honda's expertise of motorcycles.

Similar to the T360, the S500's 531cc DOHC inline-four engine was a high-revving unit capable of reaching 9,500 rpm. Later on, Honda added the S600 and S800 models which had more power with the same body, unlocking its potential further, and put the Japanese manufacturer on the automotive map for building small but exciting cars.

RELATED: The S500: A Detailed Look Back At Honda's First Passenger Car

8 Civic

Honda first marketed the Civic in 1973 as a car that "will get you where you're going". And true enough, the first-generation car did just that, offering solid reliability at a low price.

Eleven generations later, and the Civic still holds true to what it was originally built for, a reliable vehicle that would get you from point A to point B without a hitch, except now, it would take you to where you're going fairly quickly and with a bit of flair — just look at the latest Si and Type R models of the Civic, and you'll see what we mean.

RELATED: The Evolution Of The Honda Civic In Pictures

7 Integra XSi

Honda made the Integra as a sportier version of the Civic, sharing its drivetrain components and suspension design, but had a different chassis. It made its debut in Japan in 1985, and went on sale in North America a year later under the luxury Acura brand.

The second-generation Integra is best known for being the first car to have Honda's game-changing engine technology called VTEC, or the Variable Valve Timing With Lift Electronic Control on its B16A motor, and produced the highest horsepower per liter during its time.

6 Accord

Over the past 40 years, the Honda Accord has been America's best-selling car, with more than 12.7 million examples sold since it first made its debut in 1976.

From being a small three-door hatchback to becoming a mid-size sedan, the Accord has earned the trust of American car buyers for delivering exceptional reliability and fuel efficiency, together with class-leading refinement and great driving dynamics.

5 NSX

What started out as an experiment to build a Japanese supercar to take on the likes of Ferrari turned out to be a recipe for perfection. Designed by Pininfarina, the NSX had the world's first mass-produced all-aluminum chassis, Honda's VTEC engine technology, and the development guidance of F1 legend Ayrton Senna. Honda's masterpiece singlehandedly changed the world of sports cars.

The second-generation model picked up where its predecessor left off and featured the SH-AWD system that combined the power of its gasoline and electric-powered motors to form an all-wheel-drive system. While that layout is now prominently featured in today's supercars, the Honda NSX did it first.

4 S2000

The Honda S2000 was the modern iteration of the 1960s Honda S800, as a back-to-basics front-engine, rear-wheel-drive roadster that's fun to drive, and with a high-revving motor.

Built to commemorate Honda Motor Company's 50th founding anniversary, the S2000 possessed the highest specific power output for any mass-production, naturally-aspirated car, with 124 hp per liter in its F20C engine that revved up to 9,000 rpm.

3 CR-V

Today's automotive market is largely dominated by car-based SUVs, as they possess the functional ground clearance with the riding comfort of a sedan. Once again, Honda was miles ahead of the competition, as they already had the CR-V since 1995.

Five generations later, the CR-V remains a popular choice in the compact SUV segment, boasting generous passenger and cargo space with a high level of refinement in its cabin and how it drives.

2 Honda E

Honda looks back to the past to shape its future, as the E, the Japanese manufacturer's latest electric car, had a design reminiscent of the first-generation Honda Civic.

The retro styling is paired with functionality, as the funky three-door hatchback is set to lead the way in Honda's goal of offering an all-electric lineup in the near future.

1 Insight

The Honda Insight will go down in history as the first-ever gasoline-electric hybrid to be sold in America. Back in 1999, it was also the world's most fuel-efficient mass-produced car, with a combined fuel economy rating of 53 mpg.

Three generations later, the Insight has come a long way from being a low-drag three-door model to being a sedan that could take the fight to the best hybrids in the market today and is now built on the same platform as Honda's Civic.