Japanese vehicles are obviously mainstream in the US today. But you would hardly recognize the first models that dribbled into the American market—from Toyota, Honda, and Nissan—in the 1960s and 1970s. For example, the nicely preserved 1969 Subaru 360 Mini Micro with suicide doors, now listed on eBay Motors, looked utterly alien in the befinned America of late ‘60s.
Subaru 360s were named for the displacement of their air-cooled, two-cylinder, two-stroke (you had to add oil to the gas, as in early Saabs) engines. They looked like the love child of a Fiat 500 and a Citroen 2CV.
How Did Subaru Get Here?
The interior of the 360 was Spartan, but hard wearing.
The legendary auto promoter Malcolm Bricklin—later famous for importing the Yugo and building his own gullwing-door sports car—paid all of $75,000 for the US rights to distribute Subarus, and anted up just $640 for each 360. Honda had its 598-cc 600 on the road in America by then, so the offering wasn’t unprecedented.
But gas was still very cheap in 1969, so there weren’t many takers for the spartan 2+2 360, whose actual displacement was 356-cc, or just 21.7 cubic inches. The rear-hinged doors would have been a novelty, but probably familiar to drivers whose memories stretched back to the 1940s. There’s a back seat, but useful for very compliant kids rather than adult Americans.
The 360 produced 25 horsepower, and weighed only 1,000 pounds, so wasn’t really suited for fast highways dominated by V-8 cars and diesel 18-wheelers. For local commuting, especially in urban settings, it was fine, and the claimed 66 mpg and the $1,297 list price was convincing for some (when a VW Bug was $1,699). A top speed of 69.3 mph was probably wildly optimistic.
The 360 was very modest, but it was a harbinger of big things to come, sporting a four-speed transmission when most American sedans had only three—a semi-automatic was also available—independent suspension front and rear, plus decent build quality.
Some 10,000 360s were imported into the US between 1968 and 1971, though many were unsold at the time. The Subaru 360 Drivers Club keeps the light on for the model, and they enjoy a lively following.
The one listed on eBay was made after Subaru switched to an under-hood “Subarumatic” system that automatically added oil to the gas. “This car runs, looks, and drives outstanding,” says the owner, noting it “has been in the beautiful Pacific Northwest the majority of its life, away from the elements of salt and high heat and snow.”
The 360 looks great, even if a bit dwarfed by the Hummer parked next to it. An advantage of cars this small and light is that shipping costs are low—the owner says he’ll deliver it anywhere in the US for $900.
The parts supply for these cars is quite good, and even the 10-inch wheels and tires are available. There are many enthusiastic owners who garage them next to their state-of-the-art Outbacks and Foresters. Once Subaru had a toehold in the American market, it never looked back.
See Xenon Light Bulbs for Subaru 360 for sale on eBay.
