Honda Collection Hall 'opened' for International Museum Day

Yesterday, May 18, was International Museum Day, and Honda rolled out the red carpet for everyone to come and take a tour of the virtual version of the Honda Collection Hall, its actual museum located in Tochigi, Japan.

The unique 360-degree virtual tour of the Honda Collection Hall, said to house the most comprehensive collection of historical Honda cars anywhere in the world, was launched in the first week of April when the COVID-19 pandemic forced shutdowns worldwide. As for the physical museum itself, it’s been around since 1998, and was built to commemorate Honda’s 50^th anniversary.

Honda’s virtual tour allows visitors to check out exhibits of more than 350 historical models that include automobiles, motorcycles, power equipment, and racing cars. Without leaving the comforts of your home, you can roam around the three floors of the museum and get up close and personal with the vehicles that made Honda a force to reckon with in the automotive industry.

The first floor introduces visitors to the company’s founders, Soichiro Honda and Takeo Fujisawa, and how their efforts helped the Honda brand expand from car assembly to building motorcycles and other pursuits.

The second floor is where you’ll find cars, a roomful of Honda motorcycles, and various engines, along with the first ever car manufactured by Honda, a 1963 S500 which gained a bit of notoriety during its time when Honda decided to use the shade of red on it. Red-colored cars were prohibited in Japan back then, because the hue was reserved for fire trucks.

The third floor is dedicated to Honda’s racing pedigree, and here you’ll see the sports cars and motorbikes that Honda has used in various racing circuits over the years. Here’s where you’ll see the McLaren-Honda F1 car driven by racing great Ayrton Senna, the legendary RC166 and NSR500 world champion cars piloted by Mike Hailwood and Mick Doohan, respectively.

Other treats to be enjoyed in Honda’s 360-degree virtual museum include Honda’s first hydrogen fuel cell car, the ever-adorable ASIMO robot, and a reading room where visitors can view videos, pictures, and even books.

Can’t wait to see what the Honda 360-degree virtual museum has to offer? Then get started on your journey here.

Photos from Honda.com

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