Beginning. The Subaru company is part of the Fuji Heavy Industries Group. The car manufacturer's logo—comprised of six stars—alludes to the Pleiades star cluster and also the six companies established by FHI. The first Subaru car left the assembly line in 1954. The P-1 model (and later, the Subaru 1500) ensured good driving comfort and stability.
Development. The year 1971 marked a breakthrough in Subaru's history. The Leone model with 4-wheel drive was launched then. This means that the drive is transmitted through all the wheels or through both axles, to be more precise. Two-axle cars differs from 4x4 drive systems in that they can have dynamic drive power division on the individual axles, together with a total transmission of the power to one specific axle. 4x4 systems, on the other hand, have a constant power distribution on all four wheels.
Present. In 1992, the Subaru Impreza model appeared, which revolutionised the rally car market. The Subaru Forester model appeared in 1997 and it changed the perception of off-road cars. It looks like a traditional station wagon but it does very well on difficult terrain owing to its excellent traction properties. During the New York Auto Show in 2009, the latest Subaru collection was presented. The Legacy model was presented at the time, which proved to be very controversial due to its style. While designing the car, greater emphasis was placed on functionality and elegance. By 2008, the company had manufactured 10 million vehicles with a four-wheel drive system.
Contribution to the automotive industry. Subaru is known for using boxer engines in the majority of its vehicles with a capacity of over 1.5 litres. The company is also famous for drive transmission onto all four wheels. The brand is also associated with turbocharged engines, which were used in the Impreza WRX, amongst others. Subaru is also an environment-focused company. The company claims that the Lafayette assembly shop in the United States is the first of its kind where no waste is produced. Many of the Subaru parts are made of aluminium (including the engine, gearbox and suspension), which can be easily recycled.
Trivia.Despite its small share in the market, Subaru cars are valued for their reliability (also by ADAC). Subaru boast the car with the lowest air resistance (0.29 CD) — the Leone model manufactured from 1985. Popular models include: Subaru Forester, Subaru Impreza, Subaru Legacy, Subaru Outback.
Tyres. Subaru equips its cars with 14- to 19-inch tyre sizes. A few sample sizes: 175/65 R14, 205/70 R15, 215/65 R16, 205/50 R16, 215/45 R17, 225/45 R18, 245/45 R19. The Subaru brand cooperates with numerous tyre manufacturers supplying original equipment tyres. Subaru models can be encountered with Michelin, Pirelli, Bridgestone, Goodyear and Continental tyres.