Subaru does not build many cars like the Subaru 360: a 2-door Sedan (car) / sedan / 2-door cabrio coach / 3-door station wagon with 356 , built from 1958 to 1971 at the height of the post-war boom. Its designer of record is Shinroku Momose.
How it came about
The Subaru 360 is a rear-engined, two-door city car manufactured and marketed by Subaru from 1958 to 1971. As the company's first mass-produced automobile, production reached 392,000 over its 12-year model run. Noted for its small overall size, 450 kg (1,000 lb) curb weight, monocoque construction, swing axle rear suspension, fiberglass roof panel, and rear-hinged doors, the inexpensive car was designed in response to the Japanese government's light car or Kei car regulations and its proposal for a larger "national car," both intended to help motorize the post WWII Japanese population.
The 360's overall size and engine capacity complied with Japan's Kei car regulations. Nicknamed the "ladybug" in Japan, and ultimately superseded by R-2, the 360 was one of Japan's most popular cars and was available in a single generation in two-door, station wagon ("Custom"), "convertible" (a sedan with a roll-back fabric roof) and sporting variants. The two-door sedans' model code is K111, while the wagon is known as K142. Ten thousand were sold in the United States, imported by Malcolm Bricklin and advertised as "Cheap and Ugly." The nameplate 360 derived from its tax-limited engine displacement: 356 cc.
The hardware
Under the skin sits 356 other versions carried different engines, listed in the specification table below. Kerb weight is 900 lb. The layout matters: the engine hangs behind the rear axle, a layout that gives ferocious traction out of a corner and a reputation to match on the way in. The wheelbase is 70.9 in. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
Family and rivals
Where it sits in Subaru's history is not in doubt: the Subaru R-2 followed it; it was built at Otakita Plant, Ōta, Gunma, Japan. On a showroom list of its day it stood against the Nissan Skyline, the Nissan Patrol, the Mini Mini. Its Subaru stablemates include the Subaru Chiffon and the Subaru Lucra.
The money
There is no federal ownership record for the Subaru 360 — it predates the complaint database or was never sold in the United States — so MotorJury publishes no running-cost figure for it. For a car of this age the price is set by the collector market and the condition of the individual example, not by a formula.
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