Honda celebrates 50 years in Australia with a fleet of gold machines

"Golden Anniversary" taken literally.

Honda established its Australian subsidiary on February 4, 1969. That means it's been 50 years since its founding, and to celebrate milestone Honda Australia has created a fleet of golden vehicles representing the best of the brand.

Familiar Honda performance machines like the NSX and Civic Type R have been given the gold treatment, but Honda also has a vast portfolio of non-automotive offerings. There's also a golden CBR1000RR Fireblade motorcycle, a CRF450L enduro, and CRF50F kids' bike. Beyond cars and bikes, though, Honda also makes power equipment, like the HRU19 Buffalo lawnmower and EU22i generator.

Unfortunately -- or perhaps, fortunately -- these gleaming gold creations are not for sale. They are one-offs finished in vinyl wraps by a Melbourne-based shop called Vinyl Wraps and Graphics. The process consisted of a gold chrome film as the first layer, topped with a clear satin laminate to help disperse reflections.

"Achieving 50 years of longevity and continuity in business is a significant milestone, but none of this would be possible without our people,” said Hiroyuki Shimizu, head of Honda Australia. "Most importantly... Honda would be nothing without our customers - both long-term customers and new customers all contribute to making this brand what it is today... I am incredibly grateful to all our customers for their ongoing loyalty, trust and belief in the Honda name.”