| It may come as a surprise to learn that Subaru and | | | | tail-wheels from military aircraft! It is also interesting to |
| parent company Fuji Heavy Industries, can trace its | | | | note that the Rabbit made it to the market a full six |
| roots back to the obscurely named "Aircraft Research | | | | months prior to the very first Vespa scooter. |
| Laboratory" founded by Chikuhei Nakijima in 1917. | | | | Changes to prevailing corporate law in 1950 forced Fuji |
| Previous to this, while enrolled at the Japanese naval | | | | Sangyo to separate into a further twelve autonomous |
| academy, and at age 19, Nakijima became captivated | | | | companies. In 1953 Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI) was |
| by the notion of human flight, and the romance | | | | formed as an aircraft manufacturing, maintenance and |
| associated with taking to the skies on hearing of the | | | | sales company through the combined investment of |
| Wright brother's first successful powered flight. This | | | | five of the original companies formed from the |
| quickly led to Nakijima working on the production of | | | | break-up of Fuji Sangyo. Two years later these five |
| aircraft for the Japanese navy. Ultimately less than | | | | investors merged with the newly created FHI, beginning |
| satisfied with simply building aircraft, Nakijima became | | | | the modern era of FHI's business activities as we |
| more and more absorbed in the development aspects | | | | know today. |
| of aircraft, culminating in leaving the Naval academy to | | | | Early in 1954 the prototype of FHI's very first |
| found the aforementioned Aircraft Research | | | | passenger car was produced, known creatively as the |
| Laboratory. | | | | P-1. Then president of FHI Kenji Kita, made it a priority |
| Very quickly this new company was renamed as the | | | | to come up with a dedicated name for the fledgling |
| Nakijima Aircraft Co. Ltd., rapidly becoming one of | | | | car making division of FHI, by conducting an |
| Japan's leading aircraft design and manufacturing | | | | inter-company poll. |
| companies in the ensuing years leading up to, and | | | | Ultimately unsatisfied with the suggestions made, Kita |
| including the period during World War II. Following the | | | | chose instead to use a name dear to his own heart, |
| defeat of Japan in 1945, and the total collapse of the | | | | and that of the Japanese people. For both the Chinese |
| domestic aircraft industry, Nakijima Aircraft was | | | | and Japanese, the cluster of six visible stars known as |
| renamed Fuji Sangyo Co. Ltd., and began the task of | | | | Pleiades in the west, is known by the name Subaru. |
| adapting design and production techniques learned | | | | For the Japanese, literally translated, Subaru means "to |
| from aircraft production into the manufacture of motor | | | | gather together or to govern" and is sometimes |
| scooters and bus body building. | | | | translated as meaning "unity". It is interesting to note |
| Reacting to the demand for cheap personal transport, | | | | that FHI was created out of the merger of six |
| in June 1946 Fuji Sangyo, after studying for six months | | | | different companies, demonstrating what an evocative |
| a Powell Streamliner scooter (as used by American | | | | name Subaru is for the Japanese. |
| service personnel of the time) produced their own | | | | The P-1 became the Subaru 1500, which ultimately |
| interpretation of this existing design. Called the Fuji | | | | failed to be a sales success for FHI for a variety of |
| Rabbit, it proved to be an instant success with the | | | | reasons, but in 1958 Subaru hit on the right mini-car |
| local population who appreciated its step-through | | | | formula for the masses with the Subaru 360. The 360 |
| design, low centre of gravity and satisfactory | | | | was a small four-seat car and went on to sell |
| performance. Propulsion was by a 1.5kW 135cc | | | | successfully for eleven years. |
| air-cooled engine and made use of surplus wartime | | | | The rest, is as they say, history! |