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source Subaru New Zealand




Subaru is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the introduction of the "boxer" or horizontally opposed engine to its passenger car line-up this year.

It was in 1966 that Fuji Heavy Industries introduced the Subaru 1000, a four door sedan with a one litre, four cylinder boxer motor and front wheel drive.

The technology made Subaru stand out from the other Japanese cars of that time, most of which were rear wheel drive, with conventional in-line engines.

Initially the flat four motor was considered to be a bit "quirky", but it paved the way for the symmetrical All Wheel Drive system that is the cornerstone of every new Subaru sold in New Zealand today.

By 1969, development of the engine saw it grow to 1100 cc when it was introduced in the then new Subaru FF1 car.

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