Showa is a brand of high-performance automotive,

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike; uni (if one-wheeled); trike (if three-wheeled); quad (if four-wheeled)) is a lightweight private 1-to-2 passenger personal motor vehicle Steering, steered by a Motorcycle handlebar, handlebar from a saddle-style ...

and outboard suspension systems of Hitachi Astemo, based in Gyoda, Saitama in Japan. Showa Corporation Head Office

The company was founded in 1938 as Showa Aircraft Precision Works. In Japan's drive to develop its military capability in preparation for World War II, Showa supplied

aircraft An aircraft ( aircraft) is a vehicle that is able to flight, fly by gaining support from the Atmosphere of Earth, air. It counters the force of gravity by using either Buoyancy, static lift or the Lift (force), dynamic lift of an airfoil, or, i ...

suspension and landing systems to various aircraft manufacturers. Banned from developing or manufacturing aircraft systems after the war, Showa entered the car components industry, using its aircraft knowledge to develop specialist suspension products for motorcycles made by the new company

Honda commonly known as just Honda, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate automotive manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Founded in October 1946 by Soichiro Honda, Honda has bee ...

. The relationship between Showa and Honda developed over the years, with

Honda Racing Corporation Honda Racing Corporation (HRC), also known as Honda Racing, is a motorsport subsidiary of the Honda, Honda Motor Company formed in 1982. From its founding, the company was initially solely responsible for Honda's motorcycle racing activities, b ...

accounting for more than 50% of Showa's business. In 1950 Showa acquired

Rikuo Motorcycle was one of the first motorcycle manufacturing companies in Japan. In the early 1930s Rikuo operated under the license and name of Harley-Davidson, using their tooling, and later under the name Rikuo until 1958. Harley-Davidson themselves did no ...

, which made licensed versions of Harley Davidson motorcycles in the 1930s and 1940s. Rikuo brand lasted until 1962. Showa has since become OEM supplier to Harley Davidson. Showa has overseas facilities in Brazil, Canada, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States and Vietnam. Showa was an official

IndyCar Series The IndyCar Series, officially known as the NTT IndyCar Series for sponsorship reasons, is the highest class of American open-wheel car racing in the United States, which has been conducted under the auspices of various sanctioning bodies sinc ...

dampers, springs and shock absorber supplier from 2007 to 2011 alongside Penske Racing Shocks which only supplying shocks for

Team Penske Team Penske (formerly Penske Racing) is an American professional auto racing organization, competing in the IndyCar Series, NASCAR Cup Series, IMSA SportsCar Championship and FIA World Endurance Championship. Debuting at the 1966 24 Hours of Day ...

. Showa remained

shock absorber supplier since 2012 but only for

-powered teams. In October 2019, Showa began to be merged into Hitachi Automotive Systems as their supplier of steering and suspension components, along with Keihin and Nissin Kogyo, also partners of both Honda and Hitachi. The merger was completed in January 2021, with the resulting parts supplier known as Hitachi Astemo (Japanese). The Showa brand continues to be used within this structure.

References

External links

Official site
Auto parts suppliers of Japan Companies formerly listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Companies based in Saitama Prefecture Manufacturing companies established in 1938 Japanese brands Motorcycle parts manufacturers Japanese companies established in 1938 2021 mergers and acquisitions Hitachi subsidiaries {{motorvehicle-company-stub

See also

References

External links