On July 7, 1953, as a result of the merger of six companies, Fuji Heavy Industries, the parent company of Subaru, was founded. Actually, Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd was engaged in the production of aircraft, the other five companies produced and sold scooters, buses, engines and railway cars. The president of the newly formed corporation, Kenji Kita, decided to produce cars. A competition was announced for the name of the future brand, but Kita was not satisfied with any of the proposals. And then he approved his own name — Subaru. In Japanese it is the name for the constellation of Pleiade, in which six large stars are clearly visible. These stars, according to Kenji Kita, were supposed to symbolize the six companies that entered the Fuji Heavy Industries. The prototype of the first P-1 car, presented in February 1954, was created based on Peugeot 404 popular at that time. The next year it got the name Subaru 1500. However, it did not go into mass production, only 20 copies were built. And Subaru 360 microcar, the production of which began in 1958, became the first mass vehicle of the company.
Cover: Drom.ru
