Subaru 360
Manufacturer	Subaru
Production	1958–1971
Predecessor	None
Successor	Subaru R1/Subaru R2
Class	microcar keicar
Wheelbase	70. The automotive industry is the industry involved in the design development manufacture marketing and sale of Motor vehicles In 2007 more than 73 million motor vehicles is the automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries Co The Subaru R1 was introduced by the Japanese carmaker Subaru on January 4, 2005. The Subaru R2 was announced in Japan on December 8 2003. It is Subaru 's re-entry in the Japanese Keicar market Car classification is subjective since many vehicles fall into multiple categories or do not fit well into any A microcar is an extremely small Automobile, popularly referred to as Cyclecars in the 1910s and 1920s and Bubblecars in the 1950s and 1960s many of which Kei car, K-car, or ( pronounced /keːdʑidoːɕa/ is a Japanese category of small Automobiles, including passenger cars In both road and rail Vehicles the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels 9 in (1800 mm)
Length	117. 7 in (2990 mm)
Width	51. 2 in (1300 mm)
Height	54. 3 in (1380 mm)
Curb weight	900 lb (408. Curb weight is the total Weight of a Vehicle with standard equipment all necessary operating Consumables (e 2 kg)

Subaru 360 Convertible as shown in Pokémon

The Subaru 360 was the first automobile mass produced by Fuji Heavy Industries' Subaru division. If you came here to express your personal opinion about Pokémon please go somewhere else or FHI, is a Japanese company which traces its origins to the Nakajima Aircraft Company (est is the automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries Co The 360 was produced from 1958 to 1971.

The 360 featured an air-cooled, 2-stroke 356 cc engine mounted transversely at the rear. The two-stroke Internal combustion engine differs from the more common Four-stroke engine by completing the same four processes (intake compression combustion exhaust While this was one of the more notable cars which adopted an arrangement similar to the Volkswagen Beetle, the car is much smaller, less powerful, and was not nearly as well accepted in the world marketplace. The Volkswagen Beetle, officially known as the type 1 and originally called ‘Käfer’ is an Economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen The engine was designed with a capacity of less than 360 cc so that the Subaru 360 would qualify for Japan's keicar class. Kei car, K-car, or ( pronounced /keːdʑidoːɕa/ is a Japanese category of small Automobiles, including passenger cars The body was of monocoque construction and featured a fiberglass roof panel, which was considered very advanced in 1958. Monocoque, from the French for single ( mono) and shell ( coque) is a construction technique that supports structural load by using an object's external Fiberglass (also called fibreglass and glass fibre see Spelling differences) is material made from extremely fine Fibers of Glass.

When introduced in 1958, the 360's engine turned out 16 hp (12 kW) and Subaru claimed 66 mpg fuel economy; by the end of production, power had increased to 25 hp (19 kW) with a 36 hp (27 kW) twin-carbureted engine as an option. is the automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries Co A carburetor (North American spelling or carburettor ( Commonwealth spelling) is a device that blends air and Fuel for an Internal

Several variants were produced, including a station wagon (called the Custom), a convertible, and two sport models known as the Young S, which had a slightly upgraded engine and transmission (4 gears instead of 3), bucket seats and a tachometer along with a black, white striped roof with a dent along the middle to put one's surfboard. A convertible is a type of automobile in which the vehicle's roof can retract and fold away converting it from an enclosed to an open-air vehicle The Young SS, which had dual carburetors and chrome bores, produced 36 hp (27 kW). From 1961 onwards, a flat-nosed truck and van called the Sambar were also produced using the 360's engine, with arrangements similar to the Volkswagen Transporter in a smaller size. The Subaru Sambar is an automobile built by automaker Subaru for the Japanese market Volkswagen Transporter is a reference to the following range of Volkswagen Motor vehicles T1 Volkswagen Type 2, generation T1 Many small businesses became very successful thanks to the pickup's small size for tight streets, quickness, ease to drive and great fuel economy. In the United States, these were used in parks, such as in Washington State Parks, and as small vehicles used in large manufacturing sites. Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.

The 360 was imported to the United States by Malcolm Bricklin, but the Subaru 360 received notoriety in 1969, when Consumer Reports magazine branded the automobile "Not Acceptable" (because of safety concerns and lack of power), and sales collapsed. Malcolm Bricklin born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an automotive Entrepreneur. Consumer Reports is an American Magazine published monthly by Consumers Union. There were various rumors of Subaru 360s being tossed overboard or being shredded to pieces. It was also reported that many 360s sat on dealers' lots for two or three years without ever being purchased. Despite this, Subaru gained popularity in the United States with its later models, and remains profitable there today.

The Subaru 360 was replaced by the less popular but more advanced R-2 which was quickly superseded by the long-lived Subaru Rex model. The Subaru R-2 was a Kei car manufactured by Subaru from 1969-1972 The Subaru Rex, also known as Ace or SX700 in some countries was a Keicar Automobile produced from 1972 to 1992 for sale in Japan

6th generation Sambar

Legacy

In the 2000s, the 360 remains a popular subject for collectors, and model cars among other mini-cars such as the 2CV and Morris Mini. The Citroën 2CV ( French: deux chevaux vapeur, literally "two steam Horses quot from the Tax horsepower rating was an Economy car The Mini is a small car that was produced by the British Motor Corporation (BMC and its successors from 1959 until 2000 Although it was primarily popular in Japan, it was not entirely forgotten even in markets such as the US. It was one of the smallest cars to attract a significant following from the 1960s to early 1970s, though it was never significant in North America, and still appears in Japanese anime series such as Pokemon and Get Backers. (anime in Japanese, is a Manga series written by Yuya Aoki and illustrated by Rando Ayamine.

Future

For many years, Subaru searched for ways to capture the car's heritage in a new model. A string of city car concepts in the 1990s were tied to the 360 in various ways. The Subaru Jusmin from the 1991 Tokyo Motor Show was painted in a yellowish color reminiscent of the 360. Later concept cars such as the 1997 Elten and 1999 Elten Custom proposed a modern remake of the 360. However, it was not until the Subaru R1's release in January 2005, that a production Subaru blatantly cited influence from the 360. The Subaru R1 was introduced by the Japanese carmaker Subaru on January 4, 2005. The R1 concept, known as the R1e, wore a 360 Young S-like yellow paint scheme along with a small front grille.

External links

• Subaru 360 Driver's Club