Honda’s little 50cc Super Cub motorcycle has become the world’s first motor vehicle to achieve a global production milestone of 50 million units, the automaker claimed on Wednesday.

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According to Reuters, Honda said production totalled 50,178,947 units to the end of 2005, 47 years after its launch in Japan in 1958.


After Japan, the motorcycle was exported to the United States the following year and, during 1961 in Taiwan, became the first Honda to be assembled overseas from imported parts.


Reuters said Honda currently builds the Super Cub at an annual rate of over 6 million units in Japan and 12 other countries for sale in more than 160 countries.


The standard model now sells for JPY168,000 in Japan, compared with JPY55,000 at launch.

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