Honda Collection more than a motor museum

The picturesque Twin Ring Motegi racing circuit in Japan is home to the Honda Collection, an extensive array of bikes and cars that owe their existence to Soichiro Honda and the eponymous company he founded.

Housed in a modern, multi-storey building the collection features passenger cars, race cars, light commercial vehicles, bikes of all kinds and a fascinating selection of robotic devices, culminating in the latest version of ASIMO.

In the foyer on the ground floor is a 1924 racing car the young Honda had a hand building. Running on orange artillery wheels and powered by a V8 engine out of a Curtis bi-plane, the car piqued the teenager's interest in vehicles early on. Honda's racing heritage continues to the present day, with the company entering Formula One again this year. But while Honda's activities in F1 get a very thorough examination at the museum – including cars bearing the names of Ginther, Surtees and Button – there are plenty of GT and touring cars on display. The curator and staff at the facility are quite even-handed too. Vehicles displayed include an N15 Sunny (Pulsar in Aussie-speak) that was a direct competitor to Honda in touring cars, plus a couple of F1 vehicles from Cooper Climax and Brabham that had no direct relationship to Honda other than rivalry on the track, in the case of the latter.

That fair play extends to the motorbike section as well, with Kawasaki, Yamaha and Suzuki bikes also appearing alongside Honda's own.

The robots have come along way since 1989, when Honda began work on a two-legged device that would assist mobility. Progressively, more joints were added, and the mechanical hips and legs – topped by a big box of electronic brain – soon scored arms and hands as well. During the 1990s the robots grew in size and weight, reaching 2.1 metres in height and weighing around 120kg. Today's ASIMO ('Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility') is about 130cm tall and weighs 54kg – smaller and lighter than a typical teenager – and boasts an enormous range of movement.

The Honda Collection is one of a number of facilities families will enjoy at the circuit. Further information is available at the Twin Ring Motegi website.