OttOmobile: when passion for Subaru comes to life in modelcars

Subaru is one of those Asian brands that are extremely popular with a large and passionate fan base. At OttOmobile, the collection of Subaru miniatures continues to grow...And this is just the beginning! Before diving into the world of our scale models, let's rediscover the history of the Japanese automotive manufacturer together.

Subaru, the Japanese automotive star.

SUBARU means "unite" in Japanese but this name also refers to a group of six stars that the Greeks called the Pleiades. These stars, located in the constellation of Taurus, are, according to Greek mythology, the daughters of Atlas transformed into stars. It is from this reference that Subaru derives its logo with six stars.

Like BMW, the Japanese brand is a legacy of an aviation company. Indeed, in Japan, the country's leading aerospace manufacturer became, after World War II, the technological conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries. It is this group that gives birth to Subaru in 1953 when it wanted to develop an automotive division. At the time, the Fuji Heavy Industries group took over from the Aircraft Research Laboratory, founded in 1917 in Gunma north of Tokyo. The entity wished to diversify its activities and thus presented, in 1954, their first prototype of a touring car: the P-1. At the same time, FHI launched in 1956 the first jet-powered aircraft mass-produced in Japan, the T-1 Jet Trainer, as well as the first bus with air suspension.

It was in 1958 that the very first series-produced car from the Gunma factories was marketed. The 360 is a keijidōsha, a very small compact city car. The success was so great that a new "Main Plant" factory was inaugurated in 1960. The Subaru 360 sold nearly 400,000 units over its 12-year career.

Despite the success of its small formats, Subaru launched its first compact sedan in 1966, the 1000. It was also the first Japanese touring car with a boxer engine and front-wheel drive: the beginning of a great story at Subaru.

Subaru, the Japanese brand preferred by Americans.

In 1968, Subaru went international with the founding of Subaru of America, Inc. in order to export its models to Uncle Sam's country. Five years later, the Japanese brand arrived in Europe with the Leone, its brand new compact sedan, but especially the first mass-produced all-wheel-drive car in the world.

In 1988, Subaru focused on sportiness with the creation of Subaru Tecnica International (STI). This branch aims to develop the brand's sports models and handle the company's sporting activities.

The end of the 1980s also marked the beginning of the Japanese manufacturer's success in North America thanks to its Legacy model. It was presented in 1989 at the IAA Motor Show in Frankfurt (Germany). In 1993, another flagship model from the manufacturer was launched, the Impreza. Sports versions (WRX STI) followed quickly and built the brand's reputation. In 1995, Subaru launched its first electric model, the Sambar EV. At the same time, the Japanese company had good instincts and entered the emerging SUV and crossover market with the Forester and Outback. At the time, people still spoke of compact 4x4s and station wagons.

Subaru's success in North America was such that General Motors bought 20% of the brand from Fuji Heavy Industries. This also enabled collaboration with GM, Opel and Saab brands. Thus, a Subaru Impreza Wagon was restyled and marketed in North America under the name Saab 9-2 X.

Subaru Legacy, the brand's iconic model.

In 2005, the three-millionth Subaru Legacy rolled off the production lines of the Japanese giant. It was then the best-selling all-wheel-drive in the world! That same year, General Motors sold its shares to Toyota. This new partnership would give birth a few years later to the BRZ sports coupe at Subaru and GR-86 at Toyota.

The 15-millionth boxer engine, a true star of the manufacturer, left the factory in 2015. In 2017, Fuji Heavy Industries became Subaru Corporation for the centennial of the group and to highlight the success of its automotive division.

Did you know that more than one in two Subarus is sold in North America (Canada and USA)? Or that the brand is a partner of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals? Or that the brand has an official fan club in the USA whose name is "love promise"? Yes, the Subaru brand is unique in many respects!

Subaru, a complete history in rallying.

In Europe and Japan, Subaru's popularity was also built through its participation in the World Rally Championship for nearly 20 years!

It all started with participation in the late 1980s in a few rallies in Africa (Kenya Safari for example) and Oceania (New Zealand). Then, in 1990, Subaru entered the WRC (World Rally Championship) and recruited the 1978 World Rally Champion, Finn Markku Alen for the occasion. He scored the brand's first world podium at the 1991 Swedish Rally. The rest of Subaru's WRC history was built with some of the greatest names in the sport during the 1990s: Colin McRae, Carlos Sainz, Richard Burns and a certain Ari Vatanen! The Japanese manufacturer loves former Finnish world champions since after Alen and Vatanen it's Juha Kankkunen who is recruited for the 1999 and 2000 seasons. Then, Tommi Mäkinen finished his international career at Subaru in 2002 and 2003.

Speaking of Tommi Mäkinen, it was also the rivalry with the other Japanese giant, Mitsubishi, that contributed to the brand's popularity in rallying. The "Blues" against the Reds. At the time, the WRC offered breathtaking spectacles with many manufacturers entered, great names that made people dream, and tight battles at every rally. But among these many duels, the Subaru vs Mitsubishi clash is among the most memorable in the sport's history.

Colin McRae and Petter Solberg, iconic stars of Subaru.

Subaru is also strongly associated with its champions. Two immense WRC figures: Colin McRae, alias Colin McCrash, and Petter Solberg, alias "Mr Hollywood". Two drivers with very aggressive style, always attacking, very passionate in their reactions and interviews, and who lived rallying at 300%. Besides, Colin McRae was the first to give Subaru a world title, and even two. In 1995, the Scotsman became World Rally Champion and the Impreza 555 was crowned among the manufacturers. In 2003, Petter Solberg beat a certain Sébastien Loeb on the wire and became the last World Champion for the Japanese brand. Let's not forget the late Richard Burns, World Champion in 2001. In total, Subaru collected six world titles between 1990 and 2008: three driver titles (1995, 2001 and 2003) and three manufacturer titles (1995, 1996 and 1997).

The fabulous story ended on December 16, 2008 when the brand announced its immediate withdrawal from the World Rally Championship. The Subaru World Rally Team and its blue cars with yellow decorations suddenly disappeared from the rallying scene. Prodrive, the English team responsible for every Group A and World Rally Car built between 1990 and 2008, also found itself orphaned like the thousands of fans of the team around the world.

But rallying at Subaru continues in the United States thanks to its American branch. Subaru Motorsports USA was launched in 2006 and the cars are developed by Vermont SportsCar. The commitment is only local, but the success is immediate! The brand wins almost every year the national rally title since 2006. Its star Travis Pastrana is one of the main actors in these many successes, as is David Higgins. It was also with Subaru Motorsports USA that Ken Block's career began! His first Gymkhana was performed with a Subaru Impreza! Subaru Motorsports USA also participates in other national championships (Rallycross for example) and some hillclimbs in the USA and Europe.

Nevertheless, fans are still waiting for a major Subaru comeback in the WRC. Rallying is to Subaru what F1 is to Ferrari or McLaren.

OttOmobile's Subaru miniatures: an unmissable collection.

The very first Subaru scaled down to 1/18th by OttOmobile came out in late 2018, it's the Impreza WRX STI 2008 (OT250). Since then, many other scale models of the Japanese manufacturer have been produced at OttO. The S204, 205, 206 beautifully complete this range of resin miniature cars produced in limited and numbered editions. Rally enthusiasts are not left out with the 1/18th Legacy RS Gr.A, the last WRC Impreza, the 08, or the unprecedented 1/18th S6 WRC! In 2025, OttOmobile displays its love for Subaru by producing the Impreza WRX STI "P.Solberg Edition" with a dedication from the driver under the chassis of each miniature. But also the first Subaru at 1/12th scale, with the Impreza WRC'03, world champion following the Wales Rally GB 2023!

Our special Subaru operation is also an opportunity to welcome the 1/18th BRZ to the shop and to find the rare models still available for purchase on our website.