Who Makes Subaru Cars And Where Are They Built?

Over the past several decades, the name Subaru has become synonymous with safe, reliable, and innovative automobiles. As the Japanese manufacturer continues to boost its market presence across the globe with celebrated builds like the long-in-production Subaru Outback, that's likely to remain the case for many years to come.

Subaru has, of course, not always been in the automobile game. For that matter, it hasn't always been called Subaru either. In fact, when the company was founded in 1915 as Fuji Heavy Industries, and was largely focused on developing and manufacturing aircraft. At the end of World War II, the company shifted its focus to making automobiles. In the early 1950s, the manufacturer would adopt the Subaru name and iconic six star logo — both of which are inspired by the Pleiades star cluster, a formation found within the Taurus constellation.

Astronomical inspirations aside, Subaru has indeed been designing and manufacturing its own vehicles since it introduced itself to the world as an automaker. The company sent its first build — initially called the P-1, and later renamed the 1500 — to the streets of Japan in 1954. The company didn't start selling cars stateside until 1968, with Subaru confidently marketing its 360 as a "Cheap and Ugly" addition to the U.S. economy car sector. Though future Subaru vehicles would adopt a more "cheap and efficient" approach, The 360 laid the groundwork for the brand's offerings in the U.S.

These days, Subaru ranks among the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, and over the years, the company's most reliable vehicles have been regular fixtures on roadways around the globe. Given the company's Japanese origins, it should come as little surprise that Subaru's first vehicles were indeed manufactured in the Land of the Rising Sun. That said, Subaru is indeed still building the bulk of its automotive fleet at home in Japan; a list that has historically included its iconic WRX turbocharged rally vehicle.

Most of the Subaru vehicles roaming the roads of the world today reportedly roll off production lines spread across a pair of Japanese facilities in Gunma and Yajima. Apart from that, the only other manufacturing plant currently producing Subaru vehicles is located in the United States. More specifically, that plant is located in Lafayette, Indiana, and has been operational since 1989.

The move to build an American manufacturing plant was no doubt one of necessity. Subaru likely was looking to ease the cost of shipping its vehicles internationally, while also helping to meet the growing demand for its vehicles in the North American market. Dubbed SIA (Subaru of Indiana Automotive), the Lafayette production plant has become a bastion for sustainable manufacturing over the years, becoming one of the first automotive plants to adopt a "zero landfill" process. As of this writing, it also stands as the only Subaru manufacturing plant that is not located in Japan.