Do you know that Subaru played a key role in the bombing of Pearl Harbor? The company that would become Subaru began as The Aircraft Research Laboratory way back in 1915 by Chikuheu Nakajima. After changing it name to Nakajima Aircraft Company in 1932, the company started manufacturing war planes for the Japanese military. The Nakajima Aircraft Company continued in this role throughout World War II.
After Japan’s defeat in World War II was made official by its surrender on September 2, 1945, the Nakajima Aircraft Company was no longer allowed, nor had reason, to continue making military aircraft. Consequently, the company was restructured and divided into a dozen smaller companies. By the mid-1950s, four of these companies merged to form Subaru, which is the Japanese word for the Pleiades star cluster – hence the Subaru insignia.
The first automobile manufactured under the Subaru brand was called the Subaru 1500, but none of its original run of 20 never hit American shores. While the good old American local Chevy dealers were selling Chevrolets since 1911, Subaru car dealers did not hit U.S. shores until 1968. Today, the Subaru inventory carried by new and used Subaru dealers have become increasingly popular among fans of compact foreign automobiles.
While the different models available through Subaru car dealers are renowned for their efficiency and reliability, Subaru also strives for optimum sustainability. In fact, Subaru claims that its older vehicles offer a 97.3% recycling ratio. This means that less than three percent of its end-of-use vehicles ends up in landfills.
When it comes to foreign-made automobiles that offer the best combination of fuel-efficiency, reliability, and affordability, most Americans think of Toyota and Honda. Yet, statistics show that folks who purchase a Subaru tend to become repeat buyers at a higher rate than either of the above companies.