History Of Subaru

With its quirky ideals, historic rallying reputation and unique products, Subaru has managed to earn its place in the heart of many motoring enthusiasts over the years.

One of several mainstream Japanese manufacturers currently operating in its home country, as well as overseas, Subaru are nonetheless one of the smallest, particularly alongside giants Toyota and Honda.

First appearing on four wheels in 1954, Subaru’s parent company – Fuji Heavy Industries – were already well experienced in the engineering industry, having initially been founded in 1917 when they cut their teeth in aviation.

Doing the full 360

The Subaru name was born with their first attempt at building a car, the P1, which was a prototype saloon that didn’t make it on sale due to funding and production difficulties. Nonetheless, Subaru persevered and, after beginning to sell scooters under that name, finally launched their first car, the 360, in 1958.

A quirky car that was designed to Japan’s strict rules on size, the 360 (named because of its 360cc engine capacity) was somewhere between a Volkswagen Beetle and Fiat 500, complete with its own cheeky face and curvy body.

The Subaru 360

It had a long production run too, being built up until 1971. However, by that point, sales had dried up thanks to popular US magazine Consumer Reports, which cited the 360 in 1968 to be unacceptably dangerous due to its lack of power and safety features. Sales dived and it took some time for Subaru to recover.

But, recover they did...

The 1000, their first mass produced front-wheel drive car, went on sale in 1966, followed by the R2 small car in 1968 and the Leone in 1971. The Leone was a particularly significant model for Subaru as its production run lasted three-generations and over 23 years. Sold initially as a coupe, then as a saloon and an estate, it was a car that helped Subaru to achieve brand loyalty in the crucial US market. Confidence in diversity began to follow too when Subaru launched their first sports car, the wedge-shaped Alcyone, in 1985 to bolster the range.

The Subaru R2

A legacy is born as Subaru start to Imprez...

Perhaps the most significant launch in Subaru’s history though was that of the Legacy saloon and estate. Up to that point, Subaru’s quirky nature had gained them a footing in the motoring ladder with people in Japan and the US especially, but with the market shifting to more upmarket offerings – namely the newly-launched Lexus and Infiniti brands – Subaru began to take a different approach.

The Legacy was conventional but well-equipped, powerful and reliable, although the fact it was four-wheel drive was still a nod to Subaru’s traditions. The fact the car is currently in its fifth generation is testament to its success and notoriety. However, there is one Subaru above all others that has forever earned them a spot in the history books: the Impreza.

Subaru Impreza

Effectively the replacement for the Leone, the Impreza first arrived in 1993 and impressed with its curvy design, bullet-proof reliability and build quality. It was its success on the motorsport scene that really proved to be the halo effect Subaru needed in order to establish a global presence.

Thanks to the late great Colin McRae, the Impreza conquered the 1995 World Rally Championship after a season-long battle with team-mate Carlos Sainz. With its distinctive blue and gold livery – which remains unchanged to this day - the Impreza earned itself a place in motoring history.

Unsurprisingly, the notion of ‘winning on Sunday and selling on Monday’ was very much evident for the Impreza, particularly in the UK where McRae was perceived as a legend. A variety of different special editions were designed to capitalise on this, building on the iconic WRX model’s adept handling and flexible turbo engine. Although the ‘lesser’ variants did not sell so well, the bold image of the faster variants has made it into a ‘must have’ amongst driving enthusiasts.

Venturing further

With the Impreza leading the way, Subaru’s meagre range grew steadily through the mid-90s and towards the end of the millennium with the introduction of the distinctive but slow-selling SVX coupe, the well-received Forester 4x4 in 1997, as well as the Japan-only Pleo minicar and Traviq mini-MPV (which was a re-badged Vauxhall Zafira).

With only a few changes to the UK range since then – the arrival of the Tribeca SUV and the replacement of the Legacy - Subaru are now beginning to undergo a significant change of direction, as shown by the new Impreza and Forester. Adopting a soberer image and placing less emphasis on their sporty reputation, the new outlook has not been received too favourably.

Subaru Tribeca 2006

Nonetheless, there are plans to increase the range around the world. Most significant is the launch of Subaru’s new diesel engine, which will be the first in the world to be developed with a Boxer layout, which is in-keeping with Subaru’s reputation. Beyond this, Subaru are actively pursuing the next generation of hybrid technology with Toyota, who recently bought a significant stake in FHI and are now thought to be developing models with them behind the scenes.

New models in the pipeline include a new MPV – based on the Exiga concept car - as well as a sports coupe and the possible UK launch of the R1 city car that has been on sale in Japan since 2005.