Subaru 360
Subaru 360 | |
---|---|
Overview | |
Manufacturer | Subaru |
Also called | Subaru 450 [1] |
Production | 1958–1971 |
Designer | Shinroku Momose |
Body and chassis | |
Class | Microcar |
Layout | RR layout |
Related | Subaru Sambar |
Powertrain | |
Engine |
|
Dimensions | |
Wheelbase | 70.9 in (1,801 mm) |
Length | 117.7 in (2,990 mm) |
Width | 51.2 in (1,300 mm) |
Height | 54.3 in (1,379 mm) |
Curb weight | 900 lb (410 kg) |
Chronology | |
Predecessor | Subaru 1500 |
Successor | Subaru R-2 |
The Subaru 360 was the first automobile mass-produced by Fuji Heavy Industries' Subaru division. A number of innovative features were used to design a very small and inexpensive car to address government plans to produce a small "people's car" with an engine no larger than 360 cc when most in Japan could not afford a car. The body size and the engine capacity were designed to match within Japan's kei car regulation. Nicknamed the "ladybug" in Japan, it was one of Japan's most popular cars, and among the smallest cars in the world to attract a significant following. It was a significant step up from microcars such as the Iso Rivolta Isetta as the first kei car that had four wheels and room for 4 passengers. 392,000 units were produced in Japan from March 3, 1958 to 1971. Production ended for the 360 and was replaced by the Subaru R-2.
The car's name was derived from the size of the 356 cc engine. In 1961 the 360 saw a competitor called the Mitsubishi 360, the Daihatsu Fellow in 1966, and the Suzuki Fronte in 1967.
Design
Two-stroke engines are lighter, simpler, easier to cold start, and produce more power for less weight because they produce power every two piston strokes, rather than every four. As with the two-stroke Saab 93s and other small two-stroke gas engines, oil was needed to be pre-mixed with gas, with the fuel tank lid serving as a measuring cup. In 1964, the "Subarumatic" lubrication system did this mixing from an under-hood reservoir.[2]
While this was one of the more notable cars which adopted an arrangement similar to the Volkswagen Beetle, the car is much smaller, less powerful, and was not nearly as well accepted in the world marketplace. The body was of monocoque construction, where the body serves as the frame, and used a lightweight fiberglass roof panel. Since the post war period, more automobiles would switch until unibody construction is now the norm for passenger cars and even many light trucks. Many of the ideas came from engineers from the former Nakajima Aircraft Company, which became Fuji Heavy Industries. The "suicide doors" are hinged at the rear, which Consumer Reports remarked could and did result in a partially locked door falling back in the wind in their testing.
Performance
Equipped with a 3-speed manual transmission, it had a top speed of 60 miles per hour.[3] It weighed under 1000 pounds, which exempted it from normal US safety rules. Fuel economy claims were as high as 66 mpg, but in Consumer Reports tests, acceleration was modest, with a 0-60 time of about 37 seconds, and they reported to expect 25–35 miles per gallon.[4] When introduced in 1958, the 360's engine turned out 16 hp (12 kW). By the end of production, power had increased to 25 hp (19 kW) with a 36 hp (27 kW) twin-carbureted engine as an option.
Variants
Export
A used car dealer in Ballarat, Victoria (Frank O'Brien) brought approximately 73 Subaru 360 vehicles into Australia in 1961. This was a mix of Maia sedans and Sambar vans and trucks. Unfortunately they suffered from overheating problems and although a solution was eventually found, it came too late, as the associated losses were too great for the dealership to cope with and further importations ceased.
Approximately 10,000 were exported to the US, with an original price of $1,297. The 360 was exported to the United States by Malcolm Bricklin before he later manufactured his own cars. The Subaru 360 received notoriety in 1969, when Consumer Reports magazine branded the automobile "Not Acceptable" because of safety concerns and lack of power. Because the car weighed under 1000 pounds, it was exempt from normal safety standards, but it was reported that it fared badly in a test crash against a large American car with the bumper ending up in the passenger compartment of the Subaru.[5]
Sales soon collapsed, as there were various rumors of Subaru 360s being tossed overboard or being shredded to pieces. It was also reported that many 360s sat on dealers' lots for two or three years without ever being purchased. Despite this, Subaru gained popularity in the United States with its later models, and remains profitable there today.
The Subaru 360 was replaced by the less popular but more advanced R-2 which was quickly superseded by the long-lived Subaru Rex model.
Legacy
In the 2000s, the 360 remains a popular subject for collectors, and model cars among other mini-cars such as the 2CV and Morris Mini. Although it was primarily popular in Japan, it was not entirely forgotten even in markets such as the US. It was one of the smallest cars to attract a significant following from the 1960s to early 1970s, though it was never significant in North America, and also appears in Japanese anime series such as Pokémon and GetBackers, as well as racing video games such as Gran Turismo and Auto Modellista.
Future
For many years, Subaru searched for ways to capture the car's heritage in a new model. A string of city car concepts in the 1990s were tied to the 360 in various ways. The Subaru Jusmin from the 1991 Tokyo Motor Show was painted in a yellowish color reminiscent of the 360. Later concept cars such as the 1997 Elten and 1999 Elten Custom proposed a modern remake of the 360. However, it was not until the Subaru R1's release in January 2005, that a production Subaru blatantly cited influence from the 360. The R1 concept, known as the R1e, wore a 360 Young S-like yellow paint scheme along with a small front grille
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 New Subaru, The Autocar, 4 November 1960, page 821
- ↑ Hemmings.com. "Hemmings The tale of how Subaru came to America with the 360, and how it all nearly ended". Hemmings.com. Retrieved 2012-05-24.
- ↑ Lane Motor Museum Subaru 360
- ↑ Joe. "Subaru History". Cars101.com. Retrieved 2012-05-24.
- ↑ "Consumer Reports April 1969" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-05-24.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Subaru 360. |
Subaru, a division of Fuji Heavy Industries, vehicle timeline 1954–1989 — next » | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Type | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | |||||||
Kei car | 360 | R-2 | Rex | Rex | Rex | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kei truck/Microvan | Sambar | Sambar | Sambar | Sambar, Domingo/Libero | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Subcompact | 450/Maia | Justy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Compact | 1000/FF-1 Star/G | Leone | Leone | Leone/Loyale | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1500 P1 | Legacy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sports coupé | Alcyone/XT | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Coupé utility | BRAT | BRAT/Brumby | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||