Subaru Day – 70 Jahre Subaru

In 1917, Nakajima Aircraft was founded – the forerunner of the future Subaru brand. This company produced, among other things, military aircraft and was dissolved after the Second World War. So the question: Didn’t we celebrate Subaru’s 100th anniversary a few years ago?

In fact, there was a civilian successor to Nakajima Aircraft. It was called Fuji Sanyo. In 1953, a total of five companies merged to form the new Fuji Heavy Industries group, including the automobile company.

Subaru – In the Sign of the Pleiades

The real birth of Subaru was in 1953 and thus the slogan of the event. Six stars in the logo – the parent company and five branches. The stars also belong to the Pleiades constellation, which is known as Subaru in Japan – Subaru means “connecting” and was a perfect fit for the company’s association at the time.

The model of the first series was the Subaru 360, powered by a 16 hp two-cylinder gasoline engine, which was released for the first time in 1958. As a smart kei car, the 360 ​​made a significant contribution to the development of mobility in Japan.

All-wheel drive is also important for Subaru. Subaru moved this from off-road vehicles to the passenger car category and is still the world’s largest four-wheel drive manufacturer. The first AWD Subaru was the Leone 1400 AWD in the early 1970s. It was replaced by the 1800 Station Wagon in the early 1980s.

Sports were and are not ignored at Subaru. This was already shown in 1998 with the Impreza Turbo and today with the current BRZ and the now obsolete WRX STI.

And how is it going? Well, the BRZ was so popular that the 2023 lineup is now completely sold out. But there is no reason to worry. Subaru Germany has not tried too hard and has ordered a preference for 2024, so that the sports coupé will also be released here in 2024.

Speaking of next year: Two new models will be presented in January 2024. The new Impreza and the new Crosstrek as successors to the XV.

In total, Subaru plans to bring eight new models to market by 2028 – all fully electric.

We were able to test drive these historic cars

Subaru Outback 2008 – Boxer drives well

The Subaru Outback 2008 with its 150 hp four-cylinder diesel with a displacement of two liters is something special. Even 15 years ago, there was no lack of equipment: our test car came with a panoramic glass roof, bi-xenon headlights (with a well-integrated cleaning system), electric leather seats, automatic climate control and navigation system. In terms of driving, it cannot be described as outdated to this day. The boxer diesel is not only smooth and powerful, but also unique in terms of design and it’s a real shame that such drives are not built anymore. Five to six liters of average consumption is a big challenge and the good handling of the boxer goes hand in hand with modern six-cylinder diesel engines.

Torque can also be described as adequate for the Outback and the gearbox is set to be smooth, as is typical of the brand. The chassis is more dedicated to comfort and the steering is certainly not a show of incredible precision compared to today’s solutions. However, for the recreational type of driver, these are irrelevant criteria. If you wanted, you could get a boxer diesel like the 3.0 liter six cylinder! Very stylish look: doors without a frame around.

Subaru Libero – This is what the ride used to be

The Subaru Libero is a thing in itself. A combination of a kei car and a mini-van, built in the 1980s and 1990s. Our test subject was the third generation of this model, which was built between 1993 and 1998. This produced a manageable 52 hp from an engine of 1.2 liter three-cylinder petrol. The engine is mounted transversely at the rear of the car.

There’s something special about driving a car like this these days. Passers-by give a happy thumbs up or look shocked in disbelief. In any case, small, which was previously considered a miracle of small space, is polarizing. And he still does it today. The mini-van proudly offers three rows of seats as well as a double-glazed roof, the back of which can even be opened electrically (!) – and all this at a height of only 3.42 meters!

Power steering and good brakes are missing from the Libero and long highway trips may be reconsidered these days. But this car is unique and perfect for a special weekend trip and reminiscing at the same time. And if you want to go off the beaten path: No problem, just press the little 4WD button on the gear lever and the Libero is on the move in Subaru-compliant all-wheel drive! The Libero was no longer imported in Germany from 1998 due to low demand.

Subaru SVX – ahead of its time

The Subaru SVX was built between 1991 and 1997 and is the epitome of a luxury sports coupé of its time. The elongated coupe still looks big and handsome in person today, and is reminiscent of Italian sports cars. It is not surprising, because the designer is none other than Giorgio Giurgiaro, who, among many other models, also created the legendary BMW M1 and DeLorean as well as various models of Bugatti, Alfa and Maserati. However, SVX received a certain degree of freedom.

Double glazed doors seem to extend the roof into a dome type, which was considered new at the time. There were also many luxuries in the interior: full leather interior, automatic climate control, radio with CD and heated seats were just some of the features.

The driver was no slouch either: the 3.3-liter six-cylinder boxer engine was surprisingly powerful. 230 hp and 309 Newton meters, which was incredible at the time, was a real challenge. Of course it is paired with symmetrical all-wheel drive. This meant that the coupé achieved a top speed of 249 km/h at the time. In this country, however, the SVX was foreign: only 854 examples were registered by German customers.

Our conclusion

At this event, Subaru impressively presented the brand’s diversity and technical know-how. Although it did not present all 70 years in the form of cars, looking back at least 30 years shows the range of the Japanese car brand. With a lot of innovation and not the salon quality of the all-wheel drive in conventional cars, which is associated with Subaru, the automaker has managed to inspire a strong and stable fan base from the very beginning.

Therefore, this insight into the history of Subaru was an interesting journey into the past that was not only fun, but also had various aha effects. In addition, such awareness makes you want more – also when it comes to the future. So we are happy to stay on the ball and will continue to closely monitor the beloved brand with six stars on the brand logo.

Text/Photos: NewCarz

Camera: Canon EOS 6D

Our editor-in-chief has been creating driving reports since 2015 and places all cars carefully – with attention to detail. Nothing escapes him. He maintains his goal without compromise. In addition to SUVs and station wagons, Roberto’s specialty is alternative driving concepts. But his heart also likes to beat to the beat of the V8.