Subaru History
1958Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI) launches the Subaru 360 as a "people's car" with a monocoque body structure and four-wheel independent suspension. 604 are built that year.
 |
1964Subaru 360 gains first and second places in the T1 class of the second annual Japan Grand Prix. An automatic clutch is introduced for the 360 and work begins on a larger passenger car, the FF - 1 1000. FHI builds the 500,000th Rabbit motor scooter, Subaru 4-wheeler production rises to 60,377 units.
Subaru releases two-door sedan and station wagon versions of the 1000 and celebrates the 500,000th 360 series coming off the assembly line. Subaru production amounts to 173,080 units.
1968Subaru introduces a 1.1-litre engine for the 1000 and takes first place in its class at the 10th annual Japan Alpine Rally. Output for the year rises to 179,747 units. Sam Ford obtains permission to sell Subarus in South Australia.
1972Subaru releases the 4WD Wagon in Japan, the 1st family passenger car with drive to all wheels. The Leone 4-door sedan is introduced as well.
1975Subaru's 4WD sedan makes its debut as the accumulated production of Subaru cars and light trucks reaches 2 million units. Subaru Australia launches its 1st 4WD car, a 1.4 - litre station wagon.
Subaru's 1600 series becomes the 1st production car to pass Japan's stringent emission standards slated for 1978. Subaru succesfully enters international rallying when a 4WD completes the London-Sydney marathon.
1979The 3 millionth Subaru rolls off the assembly line. The all new Leone 1.6-litre DL Leone sedan and 4WD station wagon are released in November with completely new styling, extra space and major mechanical improvements. Nearly 25,000 Subarus are now in Australia.
The Subaru 1.6-litre 4WD wins its class in Japan's 28th Safari Rally and Subaru production hits a new high of 425,633 units. 4WD models now account for 91% of Subaru sales in Australia.
The 1.8-litre Subaru Brumby utility is released in Australia with a new body and roomier interior. The Subaru auto Touring Wagon wins the pretigious Overlander magazine 4WD of the Year award.
Subaru wins the Group A class in the Safari Rally for second year running. The Subaru 4-cylinder wagon becomes Australia's largest seller in its class, ahead of Camira, Sigma, Bluebird and Corona.
1985A sports variant of the 4WD Brumby ute is introduced in Australia with a surfboard rack and other accessories for the younger generation. An RX wins the Australian Rally Championship on its first attempt.
1988Production of 4WD Subarus reaches 2 million. Subaru finishes the year with 54% sales improvement, achieving sales of 5855 vehicles. This makes Subaru Austrlia the nation's 3rd most successful importer.
The 2.2-litre Liberty Wagon and Sedan arrive in October with front wheel drive and AWD options. It is sold with an unheard of 3 year.70,000km warranty, better than every car in its class.
Subaru displays a remarkable two stroke V4 engine at the Tokyo Motor Show. In July, Subaru Australia reports that it is on target to sell 14,000 cars during the year - this is the highest achieved by any Subaru importer in the world. The upmarket Heriage Sedan, based on the Liberty, is introduced to Australian buyers for the first time.
The Subaru Liberty wins the Wheels Magazine annual Quality Rating award for vehicle build, finish and function. Subaru is provisional winner of the Australia Rally Championship for the 3rd time in 7 years. The 10,000th Liberty is sold downunder and the high-performance RS Turbo version is launched.
Aggregate production of Subarus exceeds 10 million, of which 3 million have All-Wheel Drive. Revamped Liberty and all-new Impreza ranges are introduced in Japan. Liberty becomes Australia's top-selling import for the month of May with a 59 per cent sales increase compared to May 1991. A record 514,318 vehicles are built.
A new version of Liberty/Legacy is introduced in Japan and wins its first World Rally Championship round, the Rally of New Zealand. Another breaks the world speed record for an unmodified production station wagon on the Bonneville Speedway in Utah, USA. Impreza WRX makes its Australian debut. Liberty RS Turbo is named the International Rally Car of the Year by influential UK-based Autosport magazine. The Impreza is displayed at Melbourne Motor Show, prior to its official Australian release.
The Turbocharged Impreza WRX is released in Australia. Possum Bourne (Liberty/Legacy) wins drivers' title at the first Asia Pacific Rally Championship and Subaru gains Manufacturers' Title. Impreza AWD Sportswagon is the first vehicle ever built by FHI specially for Australia. Liberty named Best Medium Car of the Year by Australia's largest motorists organization, the NRMA and wins the Wheels Magazine Car of the Year Award.
Liberty awarded the Wheels Car of the Year Award for 1994. Liberty/Legacy Outback introduced in Japan. Subaru captures the Manufacturers' and Drivers' World Rally Championship titles.
All-terrain, 2.5-litre Liberty Outback released here. 406,826 Subarus built in a year. Aggregate production of Subaru 4WDs reaches 4 million, the 1 millionth ECVT is built. Subaru leads the Manufacturers Title in the World Rally Championship, Australian Rally Championship and Asia-Pacific Rally Championship.
Subaru Australia throws down the gauntlet to competitors with upgraded specifications and equipment for the Impreza and Liberty ranges. The Forester All-Terrain Wagon makes a brilliant debut and becomes one of the most acclaimed vehicle launches yet seen. Subaru records sales growth of 48 per cent for the first half of the year. All-Wheel Drive sales are up by 72 per cent compared with 1996. Subaru wins the Manufacturers' Title in the World Rally Championship and the drivers' and manufacturers' titles in the Australian Rally Championship.
- Subaru celebrates 40 years since its first production car, the 360, came off the assembly line and it's 25th year in Australia as a national franchise. The generously equipped, special edition All-wheel drive Liberty GX is unveiled.