Who Owns Acura?
Acura is owned by Honda Motor Company, Ltd., a Japanese multinational automobile and motorcycle manufacturer publicly traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange under the ticker 7267 and on the New York Stock Exchange as an ADR under HMC. Honda established Acura in 1986 as its dedicated luxury automobile division for the North American market. Acura is not a separate company; it is a brand within Honda's global vehicle lineup. Honda is headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Parent Company
Honda Motor Company
Founded
1986
Status
Publicly Traded
Headquarters
Torrance, California, USA (Acura Division)
Who Owns Acura?
- Parent Company: Honda Motor Company
- Ownership Type: Wholly owned
- Company Type: Publicly Traded
- Stock Ticker: TSE: 7267
| Brand | Parent Company | Ownership Type |
|---|---|---|
| Acura | Honda Motor Company | Wholly owned |
History of Acura
- Founded: 1986
- Founders: Honda Motor Company
Honda created Acura in response to a specific market opportunity: the U.S. luxury automobile market in the early 1980s was dominated by European brands, particularly Mercedes-Benz and BMW, along with domestic American luxury vehicles. Honda's research indicated that American consumers associated luxury with European engineering but were open to alternatives if quality and reliability could be demonstrated.
Acura launched on March 27, 1986, with two models: the Integra and the Legend. The Legend was a rear-wheel-drive-influenced executive sedan developed with British firm Austin Rover, which co-developed a related platform. The Integra was a sporty compact. Both vehicles were sold through a dedicated Acura dealer network separate from Honda's main dealerships, a strategy designed to establish Acura as a genuinely distinct brand rather than a badge-engineered Honda product.
The approach was commercially successful. Acura quickly established itself as a viable luxury alternative, and the Legend in particular gained recognition for its quality, refinement, and value relative to comparable European luxury cars. By the late 1980s, Toyota and Nissan had followed Honda's lead by launching their own luxury brands, Lexus and Infiniti respectively, in 1989.
In the early 1990s, Acura introduced the NSX, a mid-engine sports car developed with input from Formula 1 driver Ayrton Senna. The NSX was notable for being an all-aluminum chassis sports car with a VTEC V6 engine, demonstrating Honda's engineering capabilities at the high end of the performance market. The original NSX remained in production until 2005. A second-generation NSX was introduced in 2016 as a hybrid sports car.
Through the 2000s and 2010s, Acura shifted its lineup toward SUVs and crossovers in response to changing North American consumer preferences. The MDX, introduced in 2001, became Acura's best-selling vehicle and one of the best-selling luxury SUVs in the United States. The RDX was introduced in 2006 as a smaller crossover.
In 2021, Honda announced Acura's entry into motorsport, with Acura becoming the title sponsor and brand identity for Honda's North American racing programs, including IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and IndyCar. Honda Performance Development, Honda's motorsport engineering subsidiary, develops Acura-branded racing engines.
In 2024, Acura announced that all new Acura models launched from that year forward would be electrified, with the brand targeting a fully electric lineup by 2030. The ZDX, Acura's first battery-electric vehicle, launched in late 2023 as a 2024 model.
About Honda Motor Company
What does Honda own?
Honda Motor Company owns the Honda and Acura automotive brands, the Honda motorcycle brand (the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer), and Honda Power Products (generators, lawn equipment, marine engines). The company also operates Honda Aircraft Company, which produces the HondaJet light business jet. Honda holds 50% stakes in two major Chinese automotive joint ventures: Dongfeng Honda and Guangqi Honda.
Is Honda publicly traded?
Yes, Honda Motor Company is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange under ticker 7267. The company's American Depositary Receipts also trade on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker HMC. Honda has a broad institutional and retail shareholder base with no single controlling shareholder.
Who founded Honda?
Honda Motor Company was founded by Soichiro Honda and Takeo Fujisawa. Soichiro Honda established Honda Technical Research Institute in 1946 in Hamamatsu, Japan, and Honda Motor Company was formally incorporated in September 1948. Soichiro Honda focused on engineering and product development, while Takeo Fujisawa managed business operations and finance. Both founders retired simultaneously in 1973.
Where is Honda headquartered?
Honda Motor Company is headquartered in Minato City, Tokyo, Japan. The company was originally founded in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, and moved its headquarters to Tokyo as it grew. Honda operates manufacturing facilities in Japan, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, China, India, Thailand, Indonesia, Brazil, and other countries.
How many vehicles does Honda sell annually?
For fiscal year 2025 (ended March 31, 2025), Honda sold approximately 3.7 million light vehicles globally under the Honda and Acura brands, and approximately 20.6 million motorcycles. The United States, China, and Japan are Honda's three largest automotive markets. Honda is the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer by annual sales volume.
- Founded: 1948
- Headquarters: Minato City, Tokyo, Japan
- Company Type: Publicly Traded
- Stock: TSE: 7267
- Revenue: approximately ¥21.7 trillion (FY2025, ended March 31, 2025)
- Employees: Approximately 197,000
Where Is Acura Made / Based?
- Headquarters: Torrance, California, USA (Acura Division)
- Manufacturing / Operations: Marysville, Ohio, USA, East Liberty, Ohio, USA, Lincoln, Alabama, USA, Japan
Acura Sustainability & Ethics
Honda publishes an annual sustainability report and has committed to a carbon neutrality target across its products and corporate activities by 2050. Honda's specific 2030 target is for battery-electric and fuel cell electric vehicles to account for 40 percent of its global vehicle sales. Acura, as Honda's luxury brand, is positioned to lead Honda's EV transition in North America with the ZDX and subsequent planned electric models.
Honda's manufacturing plants in Ohio and Alabama operate under environmental management systems. Honda has disclosed that its Ohio manufacturing operations use 100 percent renewable electricity sourced through power purchase agreements.
Acura's ZDX, launched in 2023/2024, is built on a platform developed with General Motors' Ultium electric vehicle architecture, marking the first time Honda has used a platform co-developed with another automaker for a production vehicle. This partnership reflects the significant capital investment required for EV platform development.
Honda does not hold B Corp certification. The company reports under the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards and has set science-based emissions reduction targets.
Awards & Recognition
The Acura MDX received the North American Utility Vehicle of the Year award in 2022 from the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year jury. The award is voted on by automotive journalists across the United States and Canada and is one of the most recognized automotive awards in North America.
The Acura Integra received the North American Car of the Year award in 2023, recognizing the revived nameplate's engineering and value proposition in the compact sports sedan segment.
The Acura TLX Type S was recognized by Car and Driver magazine on its annual 10Best Vehicles list in 2022. Acura has received multiple Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ awards across its lineup in recent model years.
Acura Recalls & Controversies
Takata Airbag Recalls (2014-2019): Acura vehicles were among those affected by the largest automotive safety recall in U.S. history, involving defective Takata airbag inflators that could rupture and send metal fragments toward vehicle occupants. Multiple Acura models across multiple model years were recalled. Honda and other automakers worked with Takata's successor company to produce replacement inflators. The Takata recall affected tens of millions of vehicles globally across numerous manufacturers and resulted in Takata's bankruptcy in 2017.
Honda-Nissan Merger Discussions (2024-2025): In late 2024, Honda and Nissan announced discussions about a potential strategic merger. While not a controversy in the traditional sense, the potential merger created uncertainty about Acura's future brand positioning within any combined group. As of May 2025, no merger had been completed.
ZDX Range and Charging Complaints: Following the launch of the 2024 Acura ZDX, some consumer reviews and automotive media reported concerns about real-world range falling below EPA-estimated figures and charging speed inconsistencies. These are documented in owner forums and media coverage. Honda has not issued a formal recall related to ZDX range performance as of May 2025.
No Current Open Safety Recalls: Acura vehicles are not subject to any significant open safety recalls as of May 2025, following the resolution of prior Takata airbag inflator replacements in most markets.
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Acura Ownership: Pros & Cons
Advantages
- +Honda's global engineering resources, manufacturing expertise, and financial scale provide Acura with product development capabilities that independent luxury brands cannot match
- +Honda's reputation for reliability and quality transfers to Acura, giving the brand a credibility advantage over newer entrants like Genesis in consumer trust surveys
- +North American manufacturing for most Acura models reduces tariff exposure and supports competitive pricing relative to European luxury brands assembled overseas
- +Honda's motorsport involvement through Acura branding in IMSA and IndyCar provides authentic performance credentials that reinforce the brand's sporting identity
Considerations
- -Acura's geographic concentration in North America and China limits its global brand recognition relative to BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Lexus, which sell in significantly more countries
- -The perception that Acura vehicles are rebadged Hondas has persisted among some consumers, despite significant differentiation in powertrains, chassis tuning, and interior materials
- -Acura's sedan lineup (TLX, Integra) competes in a shrinking market segment as consumers continue to shift toward SUVs and crossovers
- -The ZDX's use of the General Motors Ultium platform raised questions from some enthusiasts about Honda's EV engineering independence
Frequently Asked Questions About Acura
Sources & Further Reading
Where to Buy
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Acura on AmazonCompetitors to Acura
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Renault Nissan Mitsubishi Alliance | Japan | 1989 | Premium | Global | Unisex |
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Competitive Analysis
Market Positioning: Acura competes with 1 brands in the same categories, ranging from mass market to luxury positioning.
Geographic Distribution: Competitors are headquartered across multiple regions, indicating global competition in this market segment.
Brand Heritage: Competitor brands range from established heritage brands to newer market entrants, with founding years spanning several decades.
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