From a wartime aircraft maker to the pioneer of boxer-engine all-wheel-drive cars
QUICK FACTS
Est. 1953 — best known for cars with signature all-wheel-drive boxer engines.
HISTORY
Subaru traces its roots to Nakajima Aircraft Company, one of Japan's major aircraft manufacturers before and during World War II. After Japan's defeat led to Nakajima's breakup under Allied occupation, several successor companies merged in 1953 to form Fuji Heavy Industries, which was renamed Subaru Corporation in 2017.
Fuji Heavy Industries entered the automobile business and adopted the Subaru name and its six-star logo, taken from the Pleiades star cluster ('Subaru' in Japanese), for its 1954 Subaru 1500 model. It introduced its first horizontally opposed 'boxer' engine in the Subaru 1000 of 1966, and later paired it with symmetrical all-wheel drive, creating the drivetrain combination that remains Subaru's defining feature today.
PRODUCTS
Rally-bred performance sedan built on the boxer/AWD platform
Rugged wagon that helped define the crossover SUV category
Horizontally opposed engine used across Subaru's lineup since 1966
TIMELINE
This page is compiled from publicly available company history and is provided for general reference only. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, please consult the brand's official website.