It’s 1964 and “Little Honda”, written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love of the The Beach Boys, is recorded.
It was released on their 1964 album All Summer Long, and also featured on their EP, Four by The Beach Boys. It was covered by The Hondells, whose recording peaked at number 9 on the U.S. singles chart, and later by Jan & Dean, Yo La Tengo, the Queers and the Demonics. The song pays tribute to the small Honda and its ease of operation, specifically the Honda Super Cub.
The Honda Super Cub, with it’s four-stroke single-cylinder engine ranging in displacement from 49 to 109 cc has been in continuous manufacture since 1958. With production of the little bugger surpassing 60 million, the Super Cub is the most produced motor vehicle in history.
“Little Honda” peaked at number 65 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the Beach Boys but became an international favorite, rising to number 1 in Sweden and number 8 in Norway in early 1965.
In the US charts the Beach Boys’ recording was particularly popular in Los Angeles, Washington DC and Minneapolis where it climbed to number 2 in each city.
The Super Cub’s 1960’s US advertising campaign, “You meet the nicest people on a Honda”, had a lasting impact on Honda’s image and on American attitudes about motorcycling, and is considered a classic case study in marketing.
