Where Is Subaru From and Where Are Subarus Made?
Subaru has been gaining popularity in the North American market in recent years, but the automaker is still not as mainstream as brands like Toyota or Honda.
For that reason, you may not know where Subaru originates from and where it builds its cars. Scroll below to find out more about the history of this brand and its manufacturing base.
Where Is Subaru From?
The company we know today as Subaru was incorporated as Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI) on July 15, 1953, in Tokyo, Japan, and still has its headquarters there today. FHI was the result of five Japanese industrial companies joining together to form one large company. FHI would focus its efforts on the manufacture of transportation-related items like scooters, cars, buses and more.
Shortly after FHI was incorporated, the company launched its automotive sub-brand Subaru, which was named after the Japanese word for the Pleiades star cluster. Its first car was the Subaru 1500, but only 20 were built due to supply issues.
Subaru of America, the Japanese company’s official American subsidiary, was established in 1968. The first Subaru vehicle sold in America was the Subaru 360, a lightweight two-door city car with a rear-mounted air-cooled engine.
SEE ALSO: 2019 Subaru Forester vs Volkswagen Tiguan Comparison
Where Are Subarus Made?
Subaru builds almost all of its cars in Japan, though it also builds a few in America. Here is the rather short list of Subaru manufacturing facilities along with the vehicles built there:
Gunma Plant – Ota-shi, Gunma Prefecture, Japan
- Subaru Impreza
- Subaru WRX
- Subaru Crosstrek
- Subaru Forester
- Subaru BRZ
- Subaru Legacy
- Subaru Outback
- Engines and transmissions
ALSO SEE: Where Is Honda From and Where Are Hondas Made?
Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. – Lafayette, Indiana, USA
- Subaru Ascent
- Subaru Impreza (for North America)
- Subaru Outback (for North America)
- Subaru Legacy (for North America)
As you can see, Subaru only operates two automobile manufacturing facilities — one in Japan and one the U.S. It makes almost all of its cars in Japan and has many suppliers located in its home country as well. This is unlike Honda and Toyota, which have large manufacturing bases in North America.
SEE ALSO: 9 Things You Need to Know About the Subaru WRX STI S209
Discuss this story on our Subaru Ascent Forum
Sam McEachern holds a diploma in journalism from St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, and has been covering the automotive industry for over 5 years. He conducts reviews and writes AutoGuide's news content. He's a die-hard motorsports fan with a passion for performance cars of all sorts.
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Why dont you make a mid size SUV; but a SUV that doesnt look like a station wagon for 8 people, with 6 cylindrers, turbo engine but economic, sport/limited
My car was stolen. I was told if I got in touch with the Subaru Mfg. Company they could tell me where the car is at.Is this true.