(Continued from last week/ Excerpt from “History of Subaru”)

During these three years, the Subaru 360 responded to consumer demands through incorporating more of a passenger car feel while still retaining its original practicality.

At the same time, the engineers of Subaru were stimulated by the emergence of new rivals to reconsider the validity of the Subaru 360 philosophy. In particular, since the appearance of a powerful competitor in the shape of the Mazda Carol led to a decline in sales of the Subaru 360, this generated various criticisms of Subaru both within and outside of the company.

In 1960, the old Ohta plant that had been returned by the occupation forces underwent renewal and became the Gunma Works we know today. Having moved the technical staff here from Isesaki and having established a new research and mass production setup, the Subaru Team was faced with a momentous challenge at this time.

“The number of new cars gathering in the motor pool increased every day, and we even made covers to hide them from outsiders.”

Confronted with such strain, the engineers reviewed the original Subaru 360 philosophy of conducting no model change. However, as they advanced this work over a number of months, they were confronted with a strange fact. As they considered which parts to change and in what manner with a view to changing the model, the more they examined drawings, the more these highlighted the perfection of the Subaru 360 in its present form.

Mr. Shinroku Momose, the Executive Chief Engineer, reached the conclusion that “Subaru needs no model change,” and this was the foundation on which General Manager Mr. Yamamoto announced with confidence that “Subaru does not make model changes” at the national assembly of Subaru retailers association.

It was during this period that the Subaru philosophy of “changeless change” was established and the policy of pursuing substantive utility in light cars was born.

In 1961, greater variation was added to the model lineup with the launch of the Super Deluxe in the sedan series, the Deluxe and Super Deluxe variants equipped with overtop auxiliary transmission compatible with forward six-speed drive, and the Subaru Custom to replace the Commercial model.

In February 1961, the cab-over-type Sambar Truck that was based on the Subaru 360 went on sale, and this was followed by the Sambar Light Van in September, and both these vehicles gained excellent reviews as outstanding models.

(To be continued next week… / Excerpt from “History of Subaru”)



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