Honda Sets All-time February Record for Global Auto Production

Tokyo, Japan, March 28, 2005; Honda Motor Co., Ltd. today announced production, Japanese domestic sales, and export results for the month of February 2005. With domestic production up significantly and the Asia and North America regions setting all-time February production records, Honda established a new record for worldwide production for the month.

Domestic production in February increased 9.4% compared to the same month a year ago due primarily to increased production of popular new export models. It is the fourth consecutive month that domestic production exceeded the total from the same month a year ago. Overseas production increased 11.2% compared to the same month a year ago, exceeding the total from the previous year for the 13th consecutive month.

Continuous growth in China contributed to a major production increase in Asia ???Eup 22.1% compared to the same month a year ago. Production in North America increased 10.3% compared to the same month last year due to increased output from the second line at the Alabama plant which became operational in April 2004. Honda achieved all-time records for production in Asia and North America as well as overseas production and worldwide production for the month of February.

Domestic sales for the month of February decreased 14.9% compared to the same month a year ago. The decline was due primarily to stabilizing demand for the all-new Life and the all-new Odyssey which were introduced in late 2003. The Honda Fit was Honda’s best-selling car for the month and the industry’s fourth best-selling model for the month on sales of 11,447 units. The Life and Odyssey, with sales of 9,534 and 6,309 units, respectively, were Honda’s second and third best-selling models.

Total exports in February increased 21.3% compared to the same month a year ago, exceeding the previous year’s record for the sixth consecutive month. Strong sales in North America of the all-new Acura RL (known as Legend in Japan) and the new Accord Hybrid, and continued strong sales of Jazz (known as Fit in Japan) in Europe contributed to the overall increase in exports.