Marque Guide...
Subaru. From the 1500 to the all conquering rally inspired Impreza.
The organisation that would go on to evolve into Fuji Heavy Industries, Subaru’s original parent company, was formed in 1915 as an aircraft research laboratory headed by Chikuhei Nakajima. In 1932 this establishment was reformed as the Nakajima Aircraft Company, a manufacturer that would go on to become an important producer of aircraft for Japan’s war effort. The country’s industrial base was left in tatters after the Second World War and a post-war reorganisation in 1946 resulted in the remains of the Nakajima Aircraft Co. being re- established as Fuji Sagyo Co. Ltd.
Although Fuji Sagyo’s first vehicle was a scooter called the Fuji Rabbit and produced out of redundant aircraft parts, new financial legislation passed by the Japanese government in 1950 required Fuji Sagyo to be split up into individual divisions. Between 1953 and 1955 five of these divisions, Fuji Kogyo, Fuji Jidosha, Omiya Fuji Kogyo, Utsunomiya Sharyo and Tokyo Fuji Sangyo came together with a newly formed corporation to form Fuji Heavy Industries.
The mix of expertise in the new company included the ability to design and build scooters, engines, chassis and coachwork, so a natural progression for Fuji Heavy Industries was to become involved in producing motorcars at what would become the Subaru plant in Gunma to help satisfy the country’s post- war demand.
Despite a few ‘grey imported’ early Subarus finding their way into the UK over the years, one of the first official models sold in this country was a version of the Leone badged as the 1600 and 1800. Powered by Subaru’s innovative flat-four ‘boxer’ style engine, these cars set the scene for an interesting line up of models that went on to spawn the rally inspired 300+bhp Impreza WRX SI.
This feature concentrates on mainstream Subaru badged cars produced up to the start of the new Millennium and doesn’t include any vans and light commercials produced by the company that may have arrived on these shores as a ‘grey import’.
The first Subaru badged passenger car was the 1954 introduced 1500 but only a handful of these interesting cars were ever built – see panel opposite top for details.
360 – 1958-71
Next model to wear Subaru’s star cluster badge on its grille was the 1958 introduced air- cooled 360. Dubbed the ‘Ladybug’ in Japan due its prominent headlamps and a sharply slopped bonnet, the 360 was built to the country’s Kei microcar regulations that strictly restricted vehicle size and engine capacity.
Power for the diminutive 360 came from a 16hp two-stroke 356cc twin- cylinder engine mounted transversely across the rear of the car and was matched to a three-speed gearbox. Later improvements including upgrading the 360’s twincylinder engine to 25hp, while some versions were available with a four-speed gearbox and the option of a three-speed ‘Autoclutch’ electromagnetictype transmission.
Several versions of the 360 were built. These included an estate badged as the Custom, a roll top convertible and the two-seat Subaru Young S. From 1960 a 422cc engine option was offered and Subaru also produced the 360 as a small flat fronted truck badged as the 1961 launched Sambar.
Before 360 production finally came to an end in 1971, Subaru had introduced the range topping Young SS. This version was very similar to the S, except power now came from a twin- carburettor fuelled engine rated at 36hp.
1000 – 1966-69
The 1000 was a landmark car for Subaru for two reasons, as it was the company’s first front-wheel drive vehicle and power came from a recently developed flat-four horizontally opposed ‘boxer’-style 1.5 litre engine. Inboard front drum brakes (discs on later models) and a fully independent torsion bar suspension set-up helped reduce this mid-sized car’s unsprung weight and provided a comfortable, sure-footed ride.
The 1000 was produced as either a two- or four- door saloon and an estate. Although Subaru unveiled the more powerful twin- carb equipped 1000SS in 1968, the 1000 was eventually superseded by the similarly sized but slightly more powerful 1100 and 1300. From 1970 the 1100 was sold as the FF-1 Star in the US and other markets (the 1.3 litre powered FF-1300G from 1971), with FF denoting front engine, frontwheel drive.
R-2 – 1969-72
Introduced in 1969, the Subaru R-2 was an attempt to update and restyle the Kei sized 360. Early examples were powered by a rear mounted air- cooled 356cc twin and to satisfy emission issues models built after October 1971 were fitted with a 358cc water- cooled two-stroke engine.
As well as offering a stripped out version of the R-2 so it could be classified as a van, Subaru also produced a performance version badged as the R-2SS along with the DX and a ‘luxury’ model
designated the R-2 GL. A revised R-2 was released in 1971 and the much improved Kei sized Subaru Rex superseded the R-2 range the following year. The Rex range
was marketed in a number of important export markets under a host of different names, such as Ace, Viky, Mini Jumbo, 500/ 600/ 700, Fiori, M60/ M70/ M80 and Sherpa.
Leone – 1971-94
Subaru took the covers off the first generation Leone in June 1971 and quickly followed it up with the introduction of the all-wheel drive Leon Estate in late 1972.
The Leone was the UK’s first officially imported Subaru where it was known as the 1600/1800 and although most variants were offered, this country only got the estate version with all-wheel drive.
Nissan had heavily influenced the original Leone’s styling after Subaru had formed an alliance with its major competitor back in 1968. Power for the Leone came from a choice of either a 1.2 or 1.4 litre flat-four engine and from 1976 rising emission regulations led to the company dropping the 1.2 litre unit and replaced it with a more powerful1.6 litre flat-four.
Although the all-wheel drive Leone saloon had been released the previous year, Subaru introduced a revamped and much smoother looking Leone in 1977. It was all change again two years later when Subaru launched the heavily revised second generation Leone range.
Four-wheel drive Leones produced from this date came with a dual-range four-speed transmission together with manual ride height adjustment and in 1981 Subaru introduced a version combining four-wheel drive and automatic transmission.
Subaru introduced its third generation Leone in 1984 with a 1.8 litre flat four now joining the line up and in 1987 the turbocharged RX made its appearance.
From 1990 the Leone was marketed as the Loyale in North America and the L-Series in official European markets.
XT Coupé – 1985-90
The XT’s futuristic styling certainly set this two- door coupé apart from the crowd and its space age interior included many features that would have been more at home in an aircraft cockpit. Early models came with either frontwheel drive or ‘on demand’ part time four-wheel drive controlled by a button located on the car’s joystick-styled gear selector.
Power for the XT came from a 134bhp; 1781cc horizontally opposed flat-four matched to a five-speed gearbox or an optional four-speed auto. Later models were equipped with full-time all wheel drive (two-wheel drive on non-turbo models) and a power boost increased engine performance to 136bhp. The XT included a host of unconventional features that included an optional digital instrument cluster, adjustable height air suspension and a turbo charger, although turbo lag was reported to dull the XT’s performance.
Legacy – 1989-present
This very capable mid-sized all-rounder was another flat-four ‘boxer’ powered Subaru and the Legacy’s excellent dual-range four-wheel drive set-up provided the car with sure footed capabilities when tackling muddy cross country roads. The Legacy came with a choice of either a newly
released 1820 or 1994cc power unit and body styles at launch included four- and five- door saloons plus a load lugging five- door estate.
Range topping estates, which were rare in the UK, came with self-levelling rear suspension as standard, while the option list for lower specified models included four- channel ABS anti-lock brakes and manually adjustable air suspension to increase the car’s ride height when travelling over rough ground. A second generation Legacy went on sale in Japan in 1993 and the new model now offered performance and interior space that according to some period road testers ‘equalled acknowledged premium marques’.
From 1991 Subaru offered the 197bhp 2.0 litre Legacy for sale in the UK and this engine formed the basis of the one used by Subaru rally cars developed by Prodrive to compete in the World Rally Championship. Now in its sixth generation in some markets, the Subaru Legacy trampled on hallowed Mondeo/Cavalier turf in the UK and as consequence only sold in modest numbers.
Vivio – 1992-99
The moderately priced Vivio wasn’t a big seller in the UK, no doubt because it was up against a raft of well established similar sized products from Ford, Rover, Renault, Peugeot and VW. This sub-seven grand supermini was offered in the UK as a three- or five- door hatchback and power came from a 658cc fourcylinder engine. However the pint-sized Vivio, which could trace its ancestry back to the Subaru R-2, was reported to be noisy, slow and not particularly economical for its size.
Forester – 1997-present
The version of the Forester SUV featured here is the one Subaru produced up to 2002 and offered in the UK with a 1994cc flat four. Based on the Impreza’s platform and running gear, the all-wheel drive Forester was a well-thought out vehicle and became an immediate hit with anyone who wanted a capable medium-sized, go-anywhere SUV that was easier to drive than its far larger rivals.
Introduced at the 1995 Tokyo Motor Show as the Streega concept, the Forester was designed and built in the style of a large estate car but with a slightly higher roofline. This format provided a decent amount of interior space for five adults and a full complement of luggage.
A turbo charged version was available and equipment levels on the Forester were generous, with even base ‘L’ models boasting a decent amount of equipment that included air-conditioning, all-round electric windows and cruise control as standard. A heavily revised Forester arrived on the scene in 2002 and Subaru are currently producing the fifth generation of this popular compact SUV.
Conclusion
By 2016 Subaru had produced 15 million all-wheel drive vehicles and the same year a brand new ‘global platform’ was unveiled that would form the basic architecture for all the company’s future models, including electrically powered ones. That year also saw Subaru celebrate the 50th anniversary of its ‘boxer’ engine; a racewinning unit that has helped these cult vehicles stand out from the crowd.