It takes years to develop such technology that is precise and reliable, secure, and easy to use. Subaru did the same ever since it launched the first car on the market, which was not at all praised for its look but had the best engine performance in the market. Over time, they developed the design of their cars also, but they never compromised with the features. Have you heard about Subaru cars? Is Subaru a Japanese company? Is Subaru a good car? Do you know who owns Subaru? You will get to learn all of these as you continue reading the article.
1. When and Where did Subaru begin?
Where is Subaru based? Long before Subaru began manufacturing cars, it was an aircraft company. Subaru was founded by Chukuhei Nakajima in 1917, as Nakajima Aircraft Company. After World War II, the company began manufacturing various metal products, and all of them were based on their aircraft technology. After the war, the company was renamed Fuji Sangyo Company Limited. Some of its subsidiaries dissolved but with the remaining 5 heavy industry companies, Fuji Heavy Industries Limited was established in 1953, in Japan. (See Who Invented the Jake Brake?)
2. What is the Meaning of the Emblem of Subaru?
The emblem of Subaru consists of 6 stars of which 1 is the biggest and the other 5 are small. It is the representation of how Subaru was formed. It says 5 small companies merged to form a new big company. The name Subaru means unite in Japanese. It is also a term identifying the star cluster named Pleiades, a cluster of 6 stars that is a part of the Taurus constellation.
3. What was the First Vehicle of Subaru?
Even before Subaru was established, the Fuji Sangyo Company Limited manufactured a motor scooter in 1946, from the leftover parts of wartime machines and vehicles. It was named Fuji Rabbit. The first car manufactured by Subaru after the merger was the Subaru 1500. (See What is Blue Title Meaning in Cars?)
4. Where is Subaru Based?
The multinational automobile manufacturing company is based in Japan. They have their main manufacturing units in Ota City in Gunma prefecture, Japan. It lies towards the north of Tokyo, Japan. This Japanese company has a manufacturing plant in Lafayette, Indiana, in the United States also. That manufactures cars for North America and manufactures units in Europe too.
5. Is Subaru a Japanese Company?
Yes, it is a Japanese international automobile manufacturing company. But the popularity of their cars is not restricted to Japan only because the United States has the most demand for Subaru cars. Other than this, the official headquarters of Subaru Corporation is in Japan. Other official locations of Subaru in Japan are in Shibuya, Tokyo, and Ebisu, as per the information provided by the Japanese Car Trade.
6. Who Owns Subaru?
Initially, Subaru was owned by its parent company, Fuji Heavy Industries Limited. Later on, Toyota Motor Company owns a stake in Fuji Heavy Industries Limited. Subaru Corporation has a subsidiary in Lafayette, Indiana which is Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc. (SIA), their manufacturing unit in Indiana. With this, now you must have understood who owns Subaru. (See Who Owns the Chicago Bears?)
7. Is Subaru Owned by Toyota?
Yes. So, how is Subaru owned by Toyota? Toyota Motor Corp. became a principal stakeholder in Subaru Corporation in 2005 after GM sold its stake in the Subaru Corporation. In 2019, Toyota announced that they are increasing its stake in the Subaru Corporation. They increased their share from 16.83% to 20% of the company. Toyota is the largest single shareholder of the Subaru Corporation. Toyota provides Subaru with supplies of steel and other raw materials produced through the Toyota supplier network. It was a part of the deal when Toyota became the shareholder. (See also Where are Subarus Made?)
8. Is Subaru a Good Car?
Apart from wondering who owns Subaru, note that Subaru holds a position in the list of the topmost-selling cars in the world. It is because of the great features and security it provides for the customer. They are known to make affordable all-wheel-drive vehicles and always perform best in the tests. In the reliability surveys, Subaru cars are among the top 10. Their cars have the following features:
- Roomy interiors for passengers and drivers
- Spacious luggage area
- Great visibility
- Intuitive controls
- Economical fuel consumption
- Great mileage
- Smooth and secure turns
- Boxer engines (horizontally placed with a lower center of gravity)
9. Where are Subaru Cars Made?
Now you know who owns Subaru, but where are the cars made? Subaru manufactures 80% of its cars in Japan. They slowly shifted the manufacturing process to the manufacturing plant in Indiana to deal with the growing demands in the United States. However, various models are assembled but not manufactured in Indiana. Some parts of Subaru cars are manufactured by the same factories that manufacture the parts for other Japanese automakers like Honda, Toyota, and Nissan. To know more about it, go through the article Where is Subaru Made?
10. What are Subaru Cars?
These all-wheel-drive cars with AWD technology are making records in the international automobile market. Here is the list of Subaru cars from different categories:
- Sports Cars: Subaru BRZ, Subaru WRX Subaru Impreza WRX/Sti
- Small Cars: Subaru Impreza
- Sedan: Subaru Legacy
- SUV: Subaru Ascent, Crosstrek, Forester, Crosstrek Hybrid, Outback, Solterra
- Old Models: Subaru XV Crosstrek and Tribeca (SUV), Impreza WRX and Sti (Sports)
11. Did Toyota Change Subaru Cars?
In 2005, Shoichiro Toyoda, CEO of Toyota Motor Corp. said to Yasuyuki Yoshinaga, CEO of Subaru, do not be like Toyota, if you lose your character, you will lose your competitive advantage. Toyota respected the culture and supported the original technology of Subaru.
Presently, Toyota had no such plans to make Subaru a completely owned subsidiary. But some of the models from both Japanese companies clash in design and performance, for example, Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86. Other models are unchanged because Toyota does not want to alter an already successful automobile chain. Therefore, even the 2021 models are unchanged.
Well, the answer to who owns Subaru is Fuji Heavy Industries Limited because Toyota is just a stakeholder. And based on the ratings and performance, you got the answer to whether is Subaru a good car as well. (Also read Who Owns Snapchat?)