Leclerc_10 MM CR-V

Whether it’s a first-drive feature from the sun-soaked California coast, a quick news story about an off-road pickup that may (or may not) be coming to your local dealership or a review of a hot new sports sedan, somewhere Lee Bailie is writing about cars and car culture, something he’s been doing for almost a decade. A car guy to the core, he went on his first automotive plant tour at age seven.

Honda of Canada Manufacturing (HCM) built its 10 millionth car this week, marking a significant milestone in its history which began in 1986 when Honda became the first Japanese manufacturer to build cars in Canada.

The 10 millionth car, a 2023 Honda CR-V Touring Hybrid finished in Radiant Red Metallic, rolled off the line at HCM’s number two assembly plant in Alliston, Ontario, joining a lineage of cars built there that include the Honda Ridgeline, Honda Odyssey, Acura EL, and Acura ZDX.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-176395" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/4th-gen-Civic_1st-gen-Ridgeline_1st-gen-MDX_2nd-gen-Odyssey-scaled.jpg" alt="Honda Alliston" width="2560" height="1440" />

To mark the occasion, Honda Canada assembled an impressive array of vehicles built at the plant, including a 1987 Accord, which was the first Honda built at HCM, a 1999 Odyssey, the first of its kind built for the global market, and a 2001 Acura MDX, a first gen model that was also ticketed for global production.

Also on hand, and which attracted a lot of attention, was a 1967 Honda S600 convertible, which was the first passenger car imported by Honda Canada which began operating in 1969.

“This achievement is a testament to the hard work, commitment, and dedication of generations of HCM associates, I want to thank and congratulate them on this historic milestone,” Jean Marc Leclerc, President, and CEO Honda Canada said in a statement.

“Since 1986, HCM has been a class leader in Canadian automotive manufacturing and production and one of Honda’s most important facilities on a global scale. It’s been a pillar of the local economy and community for decades and will be for generations to come.”

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-176400" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/CR-V-paint-inspection-scaled.jpg" alt="Honda Alliston" width="2560" height="1440" />

HCM currently builds the Honda Civic sedan and Si in plant one, and the CR-V and CR-V Hybrid in plant two. A third plant builds 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engines. The facility has held several noteworthy distinctions during its 37 years, including being named the global lead plant for the 10<sup>th</sup> gen Civic in 2015, and capturing the same designation in 2022 for the 6<sup>th</sup> gen CR-V.

The Civic has been built at HCM since 1988, CR-V production began in 2012, and the engine plant has been in operation since 2008. Of note, the 2023 CR-V Hybrid marks the first electrified vehicle the plant has assembled.

HCM’s three plants sit on 890 acres (360 hectares) in Alliston, Ontario, which is located about 90 kilometres north of Toronto. The plants occupy about 4 million square feet of space, and employs more than 4,200 associates.

Current annual production sits at more than 400,000 vehicles and 190,000 engines. Combined, about 100,000 Civics and CR-Vs built at HCM are sold in Canada each year.

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Honda builds 10 millionth car in Canada