Author : Art Gib
In 1968, gas was 34 cents a gallon in America! It was the age of flower power and war protests, and in another year man would set foot on the moon for the very first time In the middle these tumultuous times, a company called Subaru brought the nation a little car from Japan called simply the “360 ” It wasn’t generally considered very attractive, but it was economical and practical
In the next decade, Subaru produced vehicles that were the antithesis of what American companies were making Whereas Michigan was proud of their giant automobiles, Subaru focused on creating cars that were safer, with front-wheel drive operation and on-demand four wheel drive As a result of this focus, the company introduced the Subaru 1000, FF-1, GL Coupe, and a four wheel drive station wagon The Coupe had an especially sporty style, a far cry from the “ugly” 360 By the middle of the 1970′s, Subaru’s sales totaled over 84 million dollars and it was fast becoming a serious competitor in the automobile market
In the late 1970′s, Subaru began selling its BRAT model, which stands for Bi-Drive, Recreational, All-Terrain Transporter It combined the 4×4 feature with the styling and comfort of a sedan, and became very popular In the 1980′s, Madonna revolutionized rock and roll music and Ronald Reagan became President It was also a time when home computers became the norm, and Subaru’s XT Coupe design combined the advanced technology of the era with styling
In the 1990′s, the company pushed the 4×4 envelope a little further with its Justy model Because of the four-wheel drive, it was known to be able to take on rugged terrain But it also set a Class 1 speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats in the Utah desert by average a speed of 117 4 miles per hour
By the new millennium, Americans had become more health conscious than at any other time in US history The popularity of outdoor recreation exploded, as more and more people took up mountain biking, rock climbing, snowboarding, and hiking Subaru capitalized on this trend by marketing their newest models to this new breed of healthy Americans The Outback model was introduced as a sports utility wagon and catered to outdoors-minded families
Fuel economy, practicality, and engineering have been the focus of Subaru since 1968 The aesthetics and looks of its models have changed considerably over the years, but Subaru’s influence on the American car market is here to stay The history of the company mirrors the development and changes in the very fabric of our culture
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