Editing Soichiro Honda (section)

==Last years==
Even at his advanced age, Soichiro and his wife Sachi both held private pilot's licenses. He also enjoyed [[skiing]], [[golf]], [[Auto racing|racing cars]], [[hang gliding]] and [[Hot air ballooning|ballooning]] at 77, and he was a highly accomplished artist. He and Takeo Fujisawa made a pact never to force their own sons to join the company. His son, [[Hirotoshi Honda]], was the founder and former CEO of [[Mugen Motorsports]], a tuner for Honda vehicles who also created original racing vehicles.<ref name=Sendoff>{{cite web|title=A Send-off Befitting the Father of the Company|url=http://www.world.honda.com/history/challenge/1991oreinokai/text/01.html|work=Honda History|publisher=Honda Motor Co., Ltd.|access-date=13 August 2013|quote=When Soichiro Honda stepped down as president of Honda Motor (September 1973), he was praised by many for his proud and resolute manner.|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100418134638/http://world.honda.com/history/challenge/1991oreinokai/text/01.html|archive-date=18 April 2010}}</ref> 

[[ASME]] established the Soichiro Honda Medal in recognition of Mr. Honda's achievements in 1982; this medal recognizes outstanding achievement or significant engineering contributions in the field of personal transportation. In 1989, he was inducted into the [[Automotive Hall of Fame]] near [[Detroit]]. 

Soichiro Honda died on August 5, 1991, days before the [[1991 Hungarian Grand Prix|Hungarian Grand Prix]], of [[liver failure]]. He was 84. [[Ayrton Senna]], winner of the Grand Prix, dedicated the victory to Honda. He was posthumously appointed to the senior third rank in the order of precedence and appointed a Grand Cordon of the [[Order of the Rising Sun]].<ref name=Sendoff/><ref>{{cite web|last=Hart|first=Marion|title=Soichiro Honda Biography|url=https://www.asme.org/engineering-topics/articles/automotive/soichiro-honda|publisher=ASME Intl.|access-date=13 August 2013|date=June 2012|quote=He was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 1989, taking his place beside Henry Ford, Walter Chrysler, Alfred Sloane of General Motors and Karl Benz.}}</ref>