Another to add to the large list of Japanese automakers, Subaru is the automobile manufacturing division of Fuji Heavy Industries, of of Japan's largest transport groups.
The early days of Fuji Heavy Industries involved the company making aircraft for the Japanese airforce during the first and second world wars. It wasn't until the 1950s when Subaru began making cars. The first car was produced in 1954 and was named Subaru which is the name for the seven sisters star cluster in Japanese. It was given the full title, the Subaru 1500, of which just 20 units were made.
One of Subaru's most popular exports was the turbocharged Impreza, which also has a very successful record in motor sport. Colin McRae, Richard Burns and Petter Solberg have all achieved World Rally Championship wins driving Imprezas. Subaru was also for a short time involved in Formula 1, when it purchased a controlling stake in the Coloni team during the 1990 season. The partnership didn't last even last the whole season, after the cars they produced were too heavy and didn't have enough power.