Subaru
Japan (1953 - present)
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Subaru Leone
“Subaru” is the Japanese name of the star cluster known as Pleiades in English. It also means something like “unite”, “join together” or even “to govern”. Thus, Subaru was the first Japanese car brand to actually be named after a Japanese word.
In 1954, the company introduced its first automobile, the Subaru 1500. In time, Subaru became particularly known for its regular employment of boxer engines in its vehicles.
In 1968, after the Japanese government ordered for the national automotive industries to be merged, Nissan
NissanJapan, 1932 > present159 models
6957 photos
12 videos
bought a 20% stake of Subaru’s shares. Nissan sold its 20% stake to American car group General Motors
GMUnited States of America, 1998 > present8 models
240 photos
in 1999. Then, in 2005, another big Japanese carmaker, Toyota
ToyotaJapan, 1937 > present155 models
4570 photos
10 videos
, acquired 8.7% of General Motors’ shares in FHI/Subaru. Eventually, GM also returned the rest of its shares.
Today Toyota owns 16.5% of the shares in Subaru’s parent company, FHI, establishing a partnership between both brands.
topSubaru’s graphic identity, the starry logo, is based on the star cluster the goes by the name of Pleiades, which in Japanese is called “subaru”. While the largest star in the Subaru emblem represents its parent company, Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI), the other five smaller stars symbolize the five companies that the FHI group currently holds together.
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Impreza WRX STI
Subaru has been successfully competing in a few rally competitions with race-purpose customized versions of the Impreza
Subaru ImprezaJapan, 1992 > 20075 series
257 versions
268 photos
4 videos
WRX and WRX STi.
The Subaru World Rally Team has scored the World Rally Championship drivers’ title with the rally drivers Colin McRae, Richard Burns and Petter Solberg – in 1995, 2001 and 2003, respectively. The team also snatched the manufacturers’ titles for 3 consecutive years between 1995 and 1997.
In January 2008, a Subaru Impreza WRX STi debuted in the Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) and drove to victory in the Group N class. Four months later, the Subaru NBR Challenge Team entered the Subaru NBR Impreza in the NBR 24-hour race, finishing in 5th in the SP6 class, despite a 57th place overall. In the same month Subaru presented in Greece its most recent World Rally car, the Subaru Impreza WRC 2008.
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