An unsung legend of Honda leadership, Kume stood up to founder Soichiro Honda when necessary, and insisted the NSX get the company's VTEC technology.
You know the names and faces of famous race car drivers and brand ambassadors that have helped shape the Honda brand over the years, and you'd recognize the automaker's founder, Soichiro Honda, as you've seen his image hundreds, if not thousands of times.
His efforts would go well beyond the fringe specialty race programs that he began with as he took a leadership role during Honda's exhaustive dive into its CVCC engine development in search of a cleaner burning alternative. He also famously stood up to a firm Soichiro Honda on more than one occasion.
When people think of Honda's golden era, they think of Soichiro Honda, but there should be an asterisk in place with Kume's name. Company and industry altering events happened under his presidency, which spanned the years of 1983-90, including a massive uptick in vehicle production that would more than double the brand's previous output, followed by the creation of its luxury extension, Acura. Honda reentered F1 competition, where it found unrivaled success.
Why he chose to start the car isn't apparent and depending on who you talked to in attendance that day, you'll get a different viewpoint. Kume went on to mash the throttle and not with a short"blip," but rather a full-blown, wide-open throttle assault.
Was it Kume drawing a line in the sand with Honda's competition all those years ago, or merely getting a feel for the incredible NSX in its"almost completed" form? At more than one Honda organized event, I've heard this story from a few different perspectives, and I always enjoy it.
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