Which Japanese carmaker began as an aircraft manufacturer? Subaru. Its corporate ancestor was the Aircraft Research Laboratory, founded in 1915 by Chikuhei Nakajima. It became Nakajima Aircraft Company in 1932 and built aircraft for Japan before and during World War II.
After the war, Nakajima Aircraft was dismantled under Japan’s postwar restructuring. Its successor Fuji Sangyo produced the Fuji Rabbit scooter using surplus aircraft components. In 1953, several successor companies combined to form Fuji Heavy Industries, which developed automobiles under the Subaru name.
Subaru’s first car, the Subaru 1500, appeared in 1954, although only 20 were built because of supply problems. The company later became known for the 360, Sambar, and boxer-engined models. The name Subaru refers to the Pleiades star cluster.
A common mix-up is to say Subaru itself built aircraft under that exact name from the beginning. More precisely, Subaru inherited the aerospace lineage of Nakajima Aircraft through Fuji Heavy Industries. Fuji Heavy Industries officially became Subaru Corporation in 2017, while its aerospace division remains part of the business.