What was Subaru's first production automobile?

Subaru’s first production automobile was the Subaru 360. It was a tiny rear-engined kei car launched in Japan in 1958, two years after Fuji Heavy Industries established its Subaru automotive operation.

The 360 was engineered to fit Japan’s postwar kei-car rules, which limited vehicle size and engine capacity to make ownership more affordable. Its air-cooled, two-stroke, two-cylinder engine displaced 356 cc, explaining the “360” name. The lightweight car used a monocoque body and was sold in sedan, wagon, convertible-style, and sporting versions.

Subaru produced the 360 from 1958 to 1971, building roughly 392,000 examples. In Japan it was affectionately nicknamed the “Ladybug,” and it helped make motorized transport accessible to a wider population. The model was eventually replaced by the Subaru R-2.

The Impreza, Justy, and Leone came much later or belonged to different stages of Subaru’s development. They are important Subaru nameplates, but none was the company’s first production automobile.