Subaru's country of origin is Japan, and that says it all. The automobile industry in the state is developed in such a way that a low-quality vehicle will not come out of any car manufacturing plant.
Speaking specifically about Subaru, it is a brand with a rich history. A pioneering company, on account of which the discovery of several technologies that have become the most important in the field of mechanical engineering. Let's talk about how it developed for what Russian car owners love it so much.
"Subaru": the country of origin and the history of the creation of the brand
Founded in Japan, the brand is owned by Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI), engaged in the production of cars and trucks, as well as engines and components. FHI was founded in 1917 by Chikuhei Nakajima as the Nakajima Aircraft Aviation Research Laboratory in Gunma Prefecture. And it is in this place that the main production forces of Subaru are now located. In addition, Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. still takes part in the aircraft industry, is engaged in the production of industrial equipment.
The first president of FHI was Kenji Kita. This is a man who is madly in love with cars. He treated everything connected with their production with special zeal. Kenji Kit's ardent love was the P-1, released by the company in 1954.
Subaru logo and name designation
Since the country of origin of Subaru is Japan, and the inhabitants of the Land of the Rising Sun treat the stars with special trepidation, the Subaru logo uses these symbols as an image. When the division of the corporation into several departments began, it became necessary to create a name and logo. First, a competition was arranged by Mr. Kita. But he did not like any of the proposed options, and he himself believed that “ japanese car should have a Japanese name”, I had to solve this issue myself. And Kenji Keith did it. Subaru is the Japanese name for the cluster of stars, which translates as "gathering together" or "showing the way." Actually, thanks to this, I didn’t have to come up with a logo - the picture took shape by itself.
The first cars of the company
Just P-1, released in 1954, is the first Subaru car in Japan. A year later, the model received Subaru name 1500. It was a passenger type vehicle. The R-1 model showed excellent driving performance and perfect handling. Subsequently, Subaru 360 and 1000 were created on its basis.
The Subaru 360 is a "ladybug" as it was called because of its size. First in Japan affordable car for the transport of passengers. By releasing it, Subaru made a technological breakthrough, since before the 360 there was no car in Japan that could be mass-produced and made available to the people.
On the basis of the "bug" in 1961, Subaru (manufacturing country - Japan) developed the Sambar Truck. This model differs in the increased level of comfort, meeting all requirements of convenience both for passengers, and for the driver. Visually, it was a mini-truck with a lower floor and a free interior, when compared with analogues of other brands.
After Sambar Truck, Sambar Light Van was released in the same year. Unlike the previous version, this model was suitable not only for commercial use - it was a great family car.
It is also important to mention Subaru model 1000, which came out in 1966. Today, its concept largely distinguishes Subaru from other manufacturers. This model was the first to use the system front wheel drive(FWD) with horizontally opposed engine. Thanks to this technology, the car is much more responsive on the road, as FWD has a direct effect on handling.
Subaru lineup today
One can call the true pride of the company such Subaru models as Forester, Legacy and Impreza. The Legacy era begins in 1989. This model is the first to combine standard equipment and a boxer engine, thanks to which it could compete even with Alfa Romeo.
The release of the Impreza started in 1992. The model was produced four-door, body types - sedan and station wagon with the features of a sports car. The Impreza had excellent technical characteristics and was equipped with a turbocharged engine. But he made his debut a little later, in 1997. His concept was called Best of both, which means "the best of the two." Forester is a combination of strict design and SUV (sport utility vehicle).
In addition to the Impreza, Legacy and Forester, Subaru produced another car that is no less popular in Russia - the BRZ. This model was developed jointly with Toyota, it combines a boxer engine with rear wheel drive. And it is worth noting that such an unusual association, created by the minds of the largest Japanese automakers, is incredibly impressive. But Subaru doesn't stop there. Who knows, maybe soon a high-tech brand will give the world an even more perfect car.
Subaru is the brand under which Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI) manufactures passenger cars and trucks, engines and accessories. The automaker is known for the wide use of the boxer engine, which is installed on almost all models of the brand. The brand was named after the Pleiades star cluster in the Taurus constellation.
Fuji Heavy Industries started as an Aircraft Research Laboratory under the name of Nakajima Aircraft. It was founded by Chikuhei Nakajima in 1917. Now in its place in Gunma prefecture are the main production facilities of Subaru. In the 1930s, the company was already a major aircraft manufacturer in Japan, and during World War II, one of the main suppliers to the Japanese army. At the end of the war, the company was renamed Fuji Sangyo Co, Ltd. and reorganized: now the production of aircraft was over.
The post-war Japan market was in need of inexpensive vehicles, and Fuji Sangyo Co began to develop in this direction. In 1946, Japan's first Rabbit scooter appears with a 2-horsepower engine and spare parts from aircraft.
In 1950, Fuji Sangyo is divided into 12 small corporations. Some of them gradually ceased to exist, while others, on the contrary, developed successfully. Soon, six companies are merged into the Fuji Heavy Industries concern, which exists to this day. They made jet planes, chainsaws, Rabbit scooters and diesel buses.
In the early 50s, Fuji Heavy Industries CEO Kenji Kita wanted to create new company for the production of automobiles and soon led the design of the first prototype called P-1. The following year it appeared as the Subaru 1500. The car received independent suspension front wheels, using an arcuate cross beam and a coil spring. Behind was a suspension with a three-leaf spring. It was equipped with a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine from Peugeot, developing 55 hp. at 4400 rpm. It was the only rear-wheel drive, front-engined Subaru until the introduction of the BRZ in 2012. In total, 20 copies of the model were assembled, six of which were given to taxi companies.
Subaru 1500 (1954)
Despite the existence of the Subaru 1500, the first Subaru car is considered to be the Subaru 360, released in 1958. It became incredibly popular, and due to its resemblance to a beetle, it was nicknamed "Ladybug". Over the 12-year history of release, 392,000 units of the model were sold.
Subaru 360 was developed according to the creation plan " people's car supported by the Japanese government. According to the document, the company had to build a four-seater car costing up to 150,000 yen ($417), developing up to 100 km / h.
The model received a monocoque body, a fiberglass roof panel and hinged rear doors. Initially, it was equipped with a 356 cc transverse rear-mounted inline 2-cylinder engine with 16 hp. The motor was aggregated with a three-stage mechanical box gears and allowed the car to accelerate to 96 km / h. In 1961, the engine power was increased to 18 hp, and by the end of the production, the Subaru 360 engine produced 25 hp.
The machine was produced in several versions. A station wagon, a convertible and two sports modifications were released. Now this model is of interest to collectors.
Subaru 360 (1958-1971)
In 1961, the Subaru Sambar appears, using an independent suspension on all four wheels, a system rear wheel drive and a rear engine from a Subaru 360. To use the car for camping, bunk beds were placed in the cabin. This is a variation of the 360 that was able to carry small loads and was often used for commercial purposes.
On May 14, 1966, the legendary Subaru 1000 entered the market, the first front-wheel drive car of the brand, as well as the first production version with a boxer engine. Ever since the early 60s, the company has been looking for ways to launch the Subaru 1500 prototype. Engineers created a car, codenamed A-5, which was equipped with a 1500 cc four-cylinder engine. see and front-wheel drive system. However, FHI lacked the resources to put it into production.
The development of a comfortable car with a front engine continued. The company wanted to increase interior space by implementing front-wheel drive, thereby eliminating the centrally mounted drive shaft associated with rear wheels. In addition, the brand intended to use independent suspension on all four wheels. In 1963, Subaru launched a project called the A-4 with a smaller 923cc engine, which later became the people's favorite Subaru 1000. To ensure a quiet ride, reduce vibration and maintain compact dimensions, a water cooling system was used.
Initially, the car was equipped with a 55-horsepower engine. In 1968, a modification of the 1000 SS was released, the engine of which developed 67 hp. at 6600 rpm. His maximum speed increased from 135 to 150 km/h.
Subaru 1000 (1966-1969)
In 1969, the successor to the 360, the Subaru R-2, was released. Compact, stylish, perfectly balanced car with a roomy interior has become a real bestseller and one of the best representatives Japanese kei cars. It appeared about a year before the Honda Life, Daihatsu Fellow Max and Suzuki Fronte. The car was introduced on February 8, 1969. A month later, the company received 25,000 orders for this model.
Initially, it was equipped with an air-cooled two-cylinder engine. In the early 1970s, the Japanese government passed an emission reduction law that prompted Subaru and other automakers to upgrade their used power units. October 7, 1971 introduced a model with two-stroke engine with water cooling.
In 1971, Subaru introduced its top model, which remained the flagship until the introduction of the Legacy in 1989. The Leone succeeded the Subaru 1000 and was the forerunner of the Impreza. It was the first light production car with four-wheel drive. His debut came before the Winter Olympics in Sapporo to demonstrate his impressive endurance in adverse weather conditions.
Initially, the Subaru Leone was equipped with a 1.2- or 1.4-liter inline-four carbureted engine 1100 cu. see Later, the smaller motor was removed from the line.
Subaru Leone (1971-1994)
On July 15, 1972, the Subaru R-2 replacement, the Rex, was introduced. It was largely based on the 360. In particular, it used an air-cooled two-stroke engine. First, a model with a two-door sedan body entered the market, later a four-door sedan and a three-door minivan appeared. The model was distinguished by predictability on the road, good handling, economy and comfort. Under the hood was a 358 cc, two-cylinder, water-cooled engine that produced 31 hp. at 8000 rpm. In 1976, the Japanese authorities introduced new rules for kei cars, so Subaru equipped the Rex big engine: its volume was 490 cubic meters. cm.
In October 1983, the company presents the unique Domingo minibus. With a compact size, it accommodated seven passengers and allowed you to change the "situation" in the cabin with the help of reclining and rotating seats.
The following year, the Subaru Justy appears, which in 1987 was the first to receive the Subaru ECVT CVT. In 1985, the Subaru Alcyone appeared with the smallest drag coefficient in the world at that time among production cars: 0.29. Such an impressive result was achieved thanks to a well-thought-out appearance with pronounced wedge-shaped shapes.
1989 is the year of the epoch-making Legacy. The model allowed the car company to enter the segment of two-liter cars and compete on equal terms with Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. Top specs rivaled the Alfa Romeo 159, Audi A4 and BMW 3 Series. It is the only vehicle in its class to offer as standard four-wheel drive and boxer engine. The model has long remained the flagship of the Subaru line and conquered the world thanks to its excellent handling, maneuverability and comfort.
Subaru Legacy (1989)
In the 1990s, Subaru expanded its the lineup several successful cars. One of them is compact. Crossover Forester, built on the Impreza platform. Thanks to its excellent off-road qualities, reliability and endurance, it has become one of the favorite cars in the whole world, including in Russia.
The appearance of the brand in our country took place long before the opening of the official representative office. After all, Subaru cars feel great in harsh climatic conditions and are able to develop high speed on bad roads, while maintaining controllability at the proper level. This is what determined the warm attitude of Russian buyers to the models of the brand. Sales were so stable that the Japanese automaker was even going to build a car production plant in the Kaliningrad region. However, in 2013 this decision was canceled, focusing on the development of a dealer network inland.
In 2012, the brand introduced one of the most impressive cars to date, developed in conjunction with Toyota. It was a Subaru BRZ with a boxer engine and rear wheel drive.
Subaru continues to evolve and produce high quality vehicles embodying cutting edge technology. One of the directions of the company's work is to reduce the amount of waste in production, as well as the development of hybrid and electric transmissions.
Subaru is the automotive brand of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. Automobiles are far from FHI's only area of activity; in addition to them, FHI is engaged in aviation technology, railway transport, shipbuilding, etc. The history of the concern, thanks to which the Subaru brand was born, began in 1917.
A young engineer and aviation enthusiast, Chikuhei Nakajima, opened The Aircraft Research Laboratory in Nakagame City this year. Aviation at that time in Japan did not exist as such, but thanks to the First World War, which demonstrated its capabilities, Nakajima's laboratory was opened, in particular. In 1931, the lab became an aircraft manufacturing company called Nakajima Aircraft Co., Ltd, and during World War II, Nakajima aircraft were in high demand until 1945. In defeated Japan, the American occupation authorities applied antitrust and prohibition laws to Nakajima Aircraft, the company was renamed Fuji Sangye Ltd. gasoline engines- had to apply developments and talents in these areas. Automotive production as such did not yet exist; its herald can be considered the scooter Rabbit ("rabbit"), released in 1946, in the creation of which aircraft spare parts left over from the war were used.
In 1950, Fuji Sangyo broke up into 12 independent events, some of which ceased to exist after a while. But already in 1953, the five strongest of the spin-off companies got back together and merged into Fuji Heavy Industries. Later, a sixth joined them. The corporation, headquartered in Hiroshima, moved into the production of jet aircraft, chainsaws, Rabbit scooters and diesel buses, and gradually achieved more and more success. In 1954, a prototype passenger car was created - P-1 (Subaru 1500), in which for the first time in the Japanese automotive industry a monocoque body structure was implemented. With all their excellent driving performance and comfort, the car did not go into production due to financial difficulties associated with its release and sales. But later he played a significant role in the development of models and.
By the way, the name Subaru was born thanks to the president of FHI - Kenji Kita. When P-1 was created, Kita launched a competition for the best name for it. He believed that a Japanese car should have a Japanese name. But none of the proposed names ever won the competition, and in the end, Kita came up with the name himself - it turned out to be the word Subaru. In Japanese, it means "to unite, gather together" and is also the name of the constellation Pleiades (part of the constellation Taurus). Without a telescope in the Pleiades, you can see six stars (in fact, there are more than 200 of them), and it was through the merger of six companies that Fuji Heavy Industries was formed.
The real automobile debut of Subaru took place only in 1958. In war-ravaged Japan, when there were not enough raw materials and fuel for mechanical engineering, the government, in order to stimulate its own industry, passed a law according to which they were practically not taxed cars up to 360 cm long and with a gasoline consumption of less than 3.4 liters per 100 km. FHI was the first company to produce a car that met these requirements - the Subaru 360. It was only 3 m long, equipped with a 358 cc 2-cylinder two-stroke engine with 16 hp. In addition, it had a modern design using plastic and aluminum and an independent rear suspension. The engine was located at the back. The car turned out to be very successful, in many ways overtook its competitors and allowed the FHI concern to gain a foothold in automotive market, despite the fact that at first its sales were rather low - in the first year of production, only 604 copies were sold. But already in the next year, 1959, 5111 such cars were produced, and two years later - more than 22 thousand. Subaru has become the leading manufacturer of this class of car in Japan, and the 360 has acquired new body types - station wagon and soft top coupe.
In 1961, a division was founded, the direction of which was delivery vans and pickups. Inspired by the success of the Subaru 360, in 1965 the company decided to enter the market with more big cars and released the Subaru 1000. It was the first Japanese production car with front-wheel drive, with a 997 cc 4-cylinder boxer engine with 55 hp. (with this model, the history of boxer Subaru engines), with an avant-garde look at that time, which became the standard for many imitations. Looking at the increasing sales in the domestic market, the group's management decided to make an attempt to export their cars to Europe and the USA. Founded in Philadelphia Subaru of America, Inc. For the American market, the 360 was chosen, but the attempt to export it ended in failure. But on Japanese market the car did not cease to be popular, as well as the R-2 model that replaced it in 1969. And to replace the Subaru 1000, a modernized version of it appeared at the same time - the Subaru FF, with an increased engine capacity.
But soon (in 1971) Subaru FF was replaced by a model - the world's first all-wheel drive passenger car, which aroused great interest among both specialists and ordinary buyers. Thanks to this car, Subaru has occupied a niche of all-wheel drive vehicles free from more powerful competitors. And in 1972, the R-2 was replaced by the Rex with a 356 cc 2-cylinder water-cooled engine. In 1974, shown abroad, Leone began to experience a real boom in sales - within two years, 100,000 cars were sold, of which 30,000 were in the USA. In 1975, exports amounted to 26.9%. In 1977, exports to the USA of the model began. Subaru's car production, meanwhile, gradually went uphill - in 1979 it amounted to 150,000 cars, and in 1980 - 202,000.
1982 - Subaru starts producing turbocharged engines. In 1983, a model was introduced - a minibus with all-wheel drive. The 5 millionth Subaru left the factory. 1984 - the appearance of the Justy model, on which the electronically controlled ECVT variator was installed for the first time in the world. The production of Subaru 4WD vehicles reached 1 million. About 250,000 cars were produced annually, of which slightly more than half were exported. And in 1985, Subaru released a luxury sport car- Alcyone (XT), which had a 145 hp 6-cylinder boxer engine. and many cutting-edge features and functions. In 1987, a joint venture with Isuzu Motors, Subaru-Isuzu Automotive Inc., was opened in the United States. In the same year, a "follower" of Leone appeared, designed to replace him in the lineup - Legacy, whose history continues to this day. The Legacy was shown at the Chicago International Auto Show. He, like the Leone, was equipped with all-wheel drive; but, unlike the Leone, here the manufacturers abandoned the switchable rear-wheel drive and switched completely to 4WD. In 1989 in Arizona, on the track of the Legacy Proving Ground, he set 2 world and 13 national records. He walked 100,000 km from average speed 223.345 km / h and covered this distance in 19 days of continuous driving along the track with stops only for refueling, changing consumables and, of course, pilots. Then Legacy Station Wagon as standard (for Japanese domestic market, with motor 2.0 twin turbo) set a speed record for serial station wagons - 249.981 km / h - on a highway in the vicinity of Salt Lake City. In addition, Subaru-Isuzu Automotive began production in the US, and a gran turismo, an all-wheel-drive sports coupe with a design so avant-garde that it has not yet become obsolete, was exhibited at the Tokyo Motor Show.
Since 1990 in Subaru history a new period began - cooperation with the British company Prodrive. The concern decided to participate in motorsport, and Prodrive began to prepare Subaru cars for the competition. Already in the same year, Legacy won the Safari Rally in Group “N”. Thus began the brilliant path of Subaru in the rally and ring championships, where the cars of this brand won more than once. And in the "civilian" industry, Subaru in 1990 released a purely urban small class car - Vivio. It was equipped with a 658 cc engine and the already well-known variator. There was also a "sports" modification of this little car, which accelerated to 100 km / h in just 5.4 seconds thanks to a 102 hp bi-turbo engine. (with the same volume). On a rally car built on the basis of such a Vivio, pilot Colin McRae successfully performed at the Safari Rally.
1992 - another new product appears on the market - Impreza, which has become legendary car thanks to its constant participation in the rally and equipped with a whole range of engines - from 1.6 liters to 2-liter turbocharged. Impreza has become a real benchmark for other automakers to follow. In 1993, a new Legacy generation; in the same year, a car of this model for the first time won one of the WRC stages - a rally in New Zealand. In 1994, a trial batch of the Outback model appeared in the USA - a new class car, a passenger sports station wagon with SUV capabilities. At the same time, Subaru followed a trend common to all automakers, creating an electric car in 1995 - the Subaru Sambar EV, and in 1996 the Outback went into series. In the same year, a bumper recycling system was developed and launched. 1997 - the year of the appearance of another model from Subaru - Forester, which brought a lot of difficulties to the classifiers. This car was very difficult to attribute to any of the categories already known at that time; it was a cross between a station wagon and an SUV. Moreover, other automakers began to refer to and imitate him; so Subaru created the "reference car". The Forester was equipped with a 2 liter boxer engine and a 5 speed gearbox. In 1998, Vivio was replaced by the Pleo model, and the third generation Legacy appeared. The Legacy Station Wagon set a new wagon world speed record and, along with the Pleo, became Japan's New Car of the Year. 1999 was the year of alliances - business agreements were signed with General Motors and Suzuki Motor Corporation.
In 2000, the Impreza was named Car of the Year in Japan. At the 2002 Detroit Auto Show, the Baja pickup was shown, based on the Outback. Today, Subaru manufactures its vehicles in 9 factories, 5 of which are in Japan, and sells them in 100 countries around the world. About half a million Subaru cars are produced each year; this may seem like a small figure to some, but do not forget that Fuji Heavy Industries is also involved in other industries in addition to cars. Distinctive features Subaru can confidently name such branded developments, which are now used all over the world, as four-wheel drive (which still remains a Subaru trademark), boxer engines and monocoque body structure. And, of course, the high quality and originality of cars that demonstrate excellent performance both in everyday use and in motorsport.
Story car brand Subaru began in 1917 when a young engineer, Chikuhi Nakajima, decided to set up his own research laboratory in Nakagama. Fifteen years later, this laboratory was transformed into the Nakajima Aircraft Company, whose aircraft proved to be extremely popular during the Second World War.
The defeated Japan of the post-war years was subjected to the antitrust laws of the US occupation authorities, as a result of which Nakajima Aircraft was renamed Fuji Sangye Limited, and its activities changed dramatically: the company began to deal with motor boats, buses, wagons and gasoline engines. Launched in 1946, the Rabbit motor scooter heralded the beginning of a period of automobile production in the history of the company.
In 1954, Subaru developed a prototype car R-1 (Subaru 1500). It was then that the monocoque body structure was first implemented in the Japanese automotive industry. Despite the high level of comfort and excellent driving performance Subaru, this model was not released due to financial problems with its release and sales, although it became the basis for the creation of Subaru 360 and Subaru 1000 cars.
Japan in the late 50s was exhausted by the war; there was not enough fuel and raw materials for the development of its automobile industry. Then the government of the country adopted a law on the abolition of taxation of cars up to 360 cm long and with fuel consumption less than 3.4 liters for every 100 kilometers. In response to a change in legislation, the Japanese automaker released the Subaru 360 in 1958, which fully complied with the established requirements. The novelty was a success in the market and even overtook its rivals in many ways. Thanks to her, the FHI concern took a strong position, and its sales began to grow.
Inspired by the success of the Subaru 360, the company released new model with larger dimensions. We are talking about the Subaru 1000, dated 1965, the first Japanese production car with front-wheel drive and a boxer "four" with a capacity of 55 Horse power. It was with him that the history of the famous Subaru boxer engines began. Excellent specifications Subaru and avant-garde design were the reasons for rather big sales. Then the leadership of the Japanese concern decided to start exporting cars to the United States and European countries.
In the early 70s, the Subaru lineup was supplemented by the world's first all-wheel drive passenger car Subaru Leone, thanks to which the company occupied a niche free from more powerful competitors. Abroad, this model caused a real boom in sales.
The Subaru Leone was followed by the Subaru Legacy, presented at the Chicago International Auto Show in 1987. It, like its predecessor, was equipped with all-wheel drive, but this time the manufacturers completely switched to 4WD, abandoning the switchable rear-wheel drive.
The beginning of Subaru's brilliant path in rally and circuit championships happened in 1990, when the company began to cooperate with the British company Prodrive. The British helped prepare Subaru cars for racing competitions.
In the mid-90s, Subaru followed the general trend and released its Subaru Sambar EV electric car.
In 1997, from under the conveyor of the company came out Subaru Forester- a cross between an SUV and a station wagon.
Today, the FHI concern is engaged not only in the production of cars, but also in other industries.
Subaru lineup
Subaru's lineup includes small-medium and middle class, all-wheel drive SUVs and Subaru BRZ sports coupes. Distinctive features of Subaru products include such proprietary developments as all-wheel drive, boxer engines, and a monocoque body structure. originality appearance, excellent running Subaru specifications make Subaru cars in demand on the Russian market.
Subaru cost
The cost of Subaru depends on the model and its modifications. For example, most inexpensive car of this brand can be called a small class Subaru XV in the basic configuration for half a million rubles. The price of a Subaru can exceed two million when it comes to a sedan or hatchback