The Marysville Auto Plant has become the first Honda plant outside Japan to manufacture* 10 million vehicles with the production this morning of a Honda Accord Sedan. Honda began local auto production in November 1982 at the Marysville plant with an Accord Sedan, and has continued producing that model along with various others.

Identified with a magnetic sign on its hood, associates followed progress of the vehicle in production until it came off the assembly line as a completed product. The milestone Accord was immediately moved into the plant's West Cafeteria for display alongside the first generation of the Accord produced at the plant.

"Production of this 10 millionth automobile is the result of the shared commitment to our customers, demonstrated over the past 28 years by all of the associates who have worked at the Marysville Auto Plant through the years," said Hidenobu Iwata, president and CEO of Honda of America Mfg., and leader of Honda's production operations in North America. "With the support of many other Honda business units, domestic suppliers and our other business partners, Honda associates have demonstrated many times their ability to overcome great challenges and to improve Honda's competitive characteristics."

In its 28th year of production, the Marysville plant has undergone continuous innovation, making it one of the most flexible and efficient plants in North America, while achieving top quality performance. The plant ranked fourth in North America in the 2010 Initial Quality Survey conducted by J.D. Power and Associates. In addition to the Accord Sedan and Coupe, the plant currently produces the Acura TL and Acura RDX models.

"I am very proud of the MAP team, and I know firsthand that each associate cares deeply about the product that goes out the door," said Plant Manager Sam Harpest. "This is a direct reflection of the dedication shared by all Honda associates who have supported production at this plant."

Nearly all Accords sold in North America are manufactured at the Marysville plant, with more than 8.5 million units produced at the plant on a cumulative basis. The TL, RDX and Accord Coupe are exclusively produced at the Marysville plant, and some V-6 Accord Sedans are manufactured at Honda's auto plant in Alabama. Consistent with Honda's commitment to manufacture products close to the customer, more than 84 percent of all Honda and Acura vehicles sold in the U.S. in 2009 were produced in North America.

Honda partners with nearly 600 North American suppliers, including 530 in the U.S. and 160 in Ohio, in the production of passenger cars and light trucks. Those purchases totaled $13.3 billion in North America last year, with $5.5 billion in parts coming from Ohio suppliers.

In Ohio, Honda operates another auto plant in East Liberty, a major transmission plant in Russells Point and the Anna Engine Plant in Anna, Ohio. Honda's largest auto engine plant in the world, the Anna plant will celebrate its 25th anniversary of engine production on Thursday.

In addition to manufacturing, Honda has established substantial R&D and engineering operations in Ohio, along with a regional parts distribution center and other operations that support Honda manufacturing and sales in North America. Among all its operations, the company directly employs 13,500 Ohioans and tens of thousands more through its suppliers and other business partners.

Honda began business in America in 1959 and today employs more than 26,000 associates. The company operates 14 manufacturing facilities in North America, producing a wide range of Honda and Acura automobiles, engines and automatic transmissions, all-terrain vehicles, and power equipment such as lawn mowers and mini-tillers.

The MDX luxury SUV continued its sales success as Acura's best selling vehicle for June with sales of 3,847, an increase of 63.6 percent. Acura total monthly sales were 10,839 (a 30.9 percent increase) while year-to-date sales* reached 61,117, a 20.4 percent increase over 2009 sales.

"The MDX luxury SUV has always been a strong seller for Acura," said Jeff Conrad, vice president of Acura sales. "The redesign for 2010 is a hit with MDX customers and continues its sales momentum."

The newly redesigned RDX crossover SUV continues to be popular thanks to its just-right sizing and strong turbo power as monthly sales were boosted by 52.6 percent - with 1,352 units sold in June. Acura total truck sales for June were 5,464 which represent a strong 68.8 percent increase.

Acura car sales were led by the TL performance luxury sedan with 2,702 units sold, down 10.5 percent.
The TSX sports sedan followed closely with 2,510 units sold, an increase of 32.8 percent increase. Acura total car sales for June were 5,375 which represent a 6.6 percent increase.

May sales of Acura light trucks delivered an impressive 70.0 percent increase compared to 2009. Led by the MDX luxury SUV with 4,064 units sold (a 65.5 percent increase), overall Acura sales were 11,766 for May - a 24.3 percent improvement. Year-to-date* sales for Acura were 50,278, an 18.4 percent increase compared to 2009.

"The MDX luxury SUV has long been a popular choice for buyers," said Jeff Conrad, vice president of Acura sales. "Significant changes for 2010 have made the MDX even more popular, making it Acura's sales leader."

The RDX crossover SUV sold 1,513 units, an increase of 50.7 percent. The TSX sports sedan generated a 13.9 percent sales increase with 2,808 units sold. The TL performance luxury sedan sold 2,925 units, down 13.3 percent.

Honda Motor said Thursday it is installing brake override safety systems in all of its same-name and Acura-brand vehicles in the future to improve car safety in the wake of recent recalls.

The technology, which cuts engine power to prevent potential runaway car accidents, will be applied "on 100 percent of Honda and Acura passenger vehicles" produced for North America by the end of 2011, Honda said.

The first wave of cars with the installed system will come to market in August, Japan's second-largest automaker added, with plans to roll out the technology worldwide at a later date.

"We are planning to install the system to vehicles sold in the rest of the world as well, but the timeframe in other regions is not decided yet," said spokesman Hideto Maehara.

In the past year Honda has announced recalls for around 1.5 million vehicles globally over a variety of issues, including more than 400,000 in the United States in March over "soft" brakes.

Honda's rival and world's biggest automaker Toyota has also pledged to fit all new models with the safety system after recalling around 10 million vehicles due to issues involving unintended acceleration.

A brake override system cuts power to the engine in cases when the brake and accelerator are being depressed at the same time and should allow drivers to bring the vehicle to a stop.

Acura sales for April were 10,719 (a 21.6 percent increase) while year-to-date** sales were 38,512 - up 16.7 percent compared to 2009 based on Daily Selling Rate*. Acura's line of luxury SUVs continued to post impressive sales with a monthly gain of nearly 60 percent. The best-selling Acura for April was the MDX luxury SUV with 3,714 units sold, a 58.9 percent increase. The RDX crossover SUV sold 1,168 units, posting a sales gain of 57.8 percent.

"The fresh new styling of the MDX and RDX is proving popular with customers," said Jeff Conrad, vice president of Acura sales. "Combining a smart blend of looks, performance and utility, Acura's luxury SUVs continue to succeed within a competitive category."
Acura car sales were led by the TL performance luxury sedan with 2,842 units sold, down 8.5 percent. The TSX sports sedan tallied 2,607 units sold, an increase of 7.3 percent.

American Honda Motor Co., Inc., posted April sales of 113,697, an increase of 12.5 percent compared to April 2009 results of 101,029, the company announced today. American Honda year-to-date sales of 370,109 represent an increase of 12.6 percent based on the daily selling rate*.

Honda Division posted April sales of 102,978, an increase of 11.7 percent versus April 2009. Honda light-truck sales increased 38.1 percent for the month to 42,034. The CR-V crossover utility vehicle, up 36.8 percent; Odyssey minivan, up 11.8 percent; and Pilot sport utility vehicle, up 41.9 percent, accounted for the highest light-truck monthly sales with totals of 16,661, 10,628 and 9,322 units, respectively.

Acura Division April sales increased 21.6 percent to 10,719. The MDX luxury sport utility vehicle led the division with sales of 3,714, an increase of 58.9 percent.

*The daily selling rate (DSR) is calculated with 26 days for both April 2010 and 2009. Year-to-date, the DSR is calculated with 100 days for 2010, versus 101 days for 2009. All percentages reflect DSR.

Acura today announced a recall of approximately 167,000 Acura TSX vehicles to replace a power steering hose. Affected TSX vehicles are 2004-2008 models sold in the United States with the 2.4L inline 4-cylinder engine. The repair involves installing a new power steering hose, o-ring gasket and fluid-- all done at no cost to the vehicle owner.

The recall is being conducted due to the potential for premature deterioration of the exterior surface of the hose as a result of prolonged exposure to high under-hood temperatures. In the event of excessive deterioration, a crack in the hose could develop, which could allow power steering fluid to leak or spray on a hot exhaust component potentially generating smoke or a fire. Acura has only received notice of one incident resulting in a fire.

Owners of affected vehicles will be informed by mail starting at the end of May. In addition, TSX owners can go to owners.acura.com/recalls or may call (800) 382-2238 for more information.

The New York Acura Association, a group of three leading New York dealers, is bridging the once seemingly unbridgeable gap in advertising between digital ad content and the physical products they represent. It's a leap that advertisers have for years dreamed of making. In this case, a bar code technology called QR (for quick response) which, befittingly, was developed by Japanese researchers to index car parts, is positioning the group of Acura dealers to turn both the automotive and advertising industries on their heads.

The New York Acura Association, a partnership between top U.S. Acura dealers Paragon Acura (www.paragonacura.com), Rallye Acura (www.rallyeacura.com), and Acura of Westchester (www.acuraofwestchester.com), announced that it worked with Level5 Advertising (http://l5digital.com/), an auto-focused ad agency, to debut this technology two years ahead of the market. The debut QR Code appeared in the Business section of the New York Times on Wednesday, April 14.

By placing an unobtrusive (and in some cases nearly invisible) bit of QR code on a print ad, the Acura dealers will essentially enable print readers to become digital users. Readers can install a QR app on their smartphones (for instance, any phone that runs Google's Android operating system), scan the code, and be spirited away to the relevant online content associated with the code. For example, a gleaming car ad in the Sunday paper or a favorite magazine can now be an instant segue to the car maker's website, a video-ad, or even the car's own Facebook page.

"It makes sense for Acura to be on the cutting edge of technology with our marketing and advertising. Our clients expect it," said Brian Benstock, VP and General Manager of Paragon Acura. "Introducing QR Code in our print advertising is a win for both the New York Acura Association and the New York Times."

For years, advertisers have dreamed of finding a way to connect the physical and digital worlds of advertising. The innovative move offers both the ad industry and the auto industry, which depends on attractive print ads to showcase its newest models, a vehicle to navigate the transition from print to pixel, which the world is undergoing at the moment.

That it's a group of Acura dealers who are focusing on cutting edge technology won't come as a surprise to either car enthusiasts or automotive industry analysts. In addition to recently winning important safety accolades—such as the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) 5-star crash safety ratings for all Acura models—the brand is also distinguished for its technological prowess and willingness to stitch new ideas into its cars.

Given this, the New York Acura Association's bold decision to take what could have been an obscure coding system and turn it into a major technical boon for automakers, advertisers and car buyers alike will probably strike anyone who's driven or owned an Acura as little more than a standard feature.

Acura today announced the brand is now the official automobile of the World TeamTennis (WTT) Pro League. Acura will be present at all 73 WTT matches scheduled for this summer, which is also the 35th season of the coed League co-founded by Billie Jean King. WTT is played in ten venues across the country and starts July 5th running through July 25th.

"World TeamTennis is a fast paced, creative approach to the traditional game of tennis," said Steve Center, vice president of advertising and public relations for Acura. "At Acura, we applaud this type of innovative thinking and feel it's a perfect match with the brand."

"Both Acura and World TeamTennis share a commitment to excellence and innovation," said Ilana Kloss, WTT CEO/Commissioner. "Acura’s modern approach to luxury is a great fit with WTT’s modern take on tennis."

Acura's agreement with World TeamTennis includes provisions for print and TV advertising, Acura signage and vehicle displays. Acura's partnership with WTT continues the brand's commitment of sponsoring organizations that set new standards in excellence and advance the human spirit.

To kick-off the sponsorship, Billie Jean King will be at the New York International Auto Show in the Acura booth on April 1st, at 2:00 pm EST. Billie Jean will be available for media interviews and photography at the Acura booth for a limited time.

About World TeamTennis (WTT):
World TeamTennis (WTT) showcases both the best in professional and recreational team tennis with the innovative coed team format co-founded by Billie Jean King in the 1970s.

The WTT Pro League, which celebrates its 35th season in July 2010, is a showcase for three generations of tennis standouts, including legends, current tour players and future champions. Since the League's debut in 1974, virtually every major champion of the Open era has played World TeamTennis.

For more information, visit www.WTT.com.

About Acura
Acura offers a full line of technologically advanced performance luxury vehicles through a network of 270 dealers within the United States. The 2010 Acura lineup features six distinctive models including the RL luxury performance sedan, the TL performance luxury sedan, the TSX sports sedan, the turbocharged RDX luxury crossover SUV, the award-winning MDX luxury sport utility vehicle and the all-new ZDX four-door sports coupe.

Acura announced today the addition of a TSX sport wagon to its 2011 vehicle lineup. Arriving at Acura dealerships in the Fall of 2010, the TSX sport wagon will be based on the popular TSX sports sedan, which features balanced performance, advanced technology and bold styling. Additional information on the 2011 TSX sport wagon will be announced at a later date.