Subaru is a Japanese car manufacturer. The name “Subaru” originates from Japanese mythology and the Pleiades star cluster. The use of the star cluster symbol is used in the Subaru badge, with the large star representing the large holding company; Fuji Heavy Industries and the other five stars illustrating the five smaller subsidiaries of the parent company. Subaru, when translated into English, means to unite or gather. Subaru cars commonly use boxer engines in their car models, and now implement all-wheel drive in their vehicles. Another hallmark of Subaru is its selection of turbocharged passenger cars, such as the Impreza and Forester models.

Subaru is a subsidiary of the Japanese company Fuji Heavy Industries, or FHI for short. Fuji Heavy Industries began life as The Aircraft Research Laboratory. The Aeronautical Research Laboratory was restructured in 1933, fifteen years after its initial creation, now becoming the Nakajima Aircraft Company Limited, which manufactured military equipment for the Japanese Army during World War II, specifically aircraft. After World War II, another restructuring of the company took place and again a new name was adopted. During this time, the company began manufacturing the Fugi Rabbit Motor Scotter. The company was broken up due to government intervention, with twelve smaller companies now producing goods. Four of these smaller bodies merged and became Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI), the current company. With the expansion of the automobile market, Fuji Heavy Industries, headed by Kenji Kita, decided on the need for an automobile production division of the group. A new car was quickly planned, with the name “P1”. The unattractive name was changed and the CEO, Mr. Kita, decided on Subaru.

The first Subaru car produced was the Subaru 1500. The new prototype car, codenamed P1, was produced in a monocoque body, with a 1,500 cc four-cylinder engine sourced from the Peugeot 202. Twenty P1s were produced by Fuji Heavy Industries. total. From then to the present (2009), Subaru has produced several successful models, including the; 360, 1000, R2, Domingo, Alcyone, Legacy, Impreza, Forester, and the relatively new Exiga (a large MPV).