Iħjut Subaru ma 360

It-toroq ta 'New York City huma post meraviljuż għal-lezzjonijiet tal-istorja on-the-go, anke meta s-suġġett huwa s-suċċess improbabbli ta' automaker Ġappuniż. Għal ġimgħa, subaru klassiku 360 mikro-karozza, l-ewwel karozza tal-produzzjoni li l-kumpanija qatt ipproduċiet, poġġiet shivering fit-toroq miksija bil-borra tal-viċinat ta 'Manhattan t'isfel tiegħi. Ir-roti tagħha dehru qishom kienu jagħmlu parti minn lawnmower, filwaqt li n-naħa ta 'barra bizarrely bulbous tagħmel il-360 tidher qisha xi ħaġa li għadha kif tkaxkrat minn taħt blat. Sedil tat-tfal fid-dahar kien jew prova tas-sens ta 'umoriżmu tas-sidien, jew sinjal ta' negliġenza tal-ġenituri. Mibnija mill-1958 sal-1971, it-360 kienu sewqan fuq wara tar-roti u mħaddma b'magna b'żewġ ċilindri ta' 423cc (għall-Amerika ta' Fuq). Il-veloċità ta 'fuq hija rrappurtata 60 mph, għalkemm dan x'aktarx jonqos u b'denb qawwi.

Għal aħjar jew għall-agħar, din il-karozza żgħira stramba għenet biex Subaru titqiegħed fit-triq għas-suċċess futur fl-Istati Uniti. Mhux li ħafna (jekk hemm) kreditu attwalment tmur għall-woefully difettużi 360 innifsu. Anke fann ta 'underdogs tal-karozzi għandu jammetti li t-360 kien mibni ħażin, sottopotenzat, u ma jittrattax tajjeb. Qatt ma daħlet uffiċjalment fl-Istati Uniti minn Subaru, kienet il-maverick tal-karozzi Malcolm Bricklin li ttratta l-importazzjoni tat-360. Sfortunatament, dan ix-xenarju kkuplika biss il-bejgħ, is-servisjar, u l-provvista ta 'spare parts - problemi kbar meta inti sid ta' karozza li taqa 'barra mill-ħin li tasal sa l-aħħar tal-driveway tiegħek. Fl-1969, ir-Rapporti tal-Konsumatur ikklassifikaw it-360 Mhux Aċċettabbli – l-ewwel darba li r-rivista kienet tat punteġġ daqshekk baxx – minħabba n-nuqqas ta' poter u kwistjonijiet serji ta' sikurezza.

Fl-aħħar, Subaru ltqajna affarijiet dritt mal-lineup kollha tagħha ta 'vetturi drive-roti, bħall-Legacy, Impreza, u Forester. Is-sena l-oħra kien rekord tal-bejgħ għas-Subaru tal-Amerika, b'bejgħ totali ta 'vetturi 263,820. Din hija żieda ta' 22 fil-mija fuq il-livelli tal-2009 – il-marki tas-sena tal-bejgħ rekord preċedenti – u hija mili 'l bogħod mill-kumpaniji dħul inauspicious fis-suq tal-Amerika ta' Fuq aktar minn 40 sena ilu.

The streets of New York City are a fantastic place for on-the-go history lessons, even when the subject is the unlikely success of a Japanese automaker. For one week, a classic Subaru 360 micro-car, the first production car the company ever produced, sat shivering on the snow-covered streets of my lower Manhattan neighborhood. Its wheels looked like they belonged on a lawnmower, while the bizarrely bulbous exterior makes the 360 look like something that just crawled out from under a rock. A child seat in the back was either proof of the owners sense of humor, or a sign of parental neglect. Built from 1958 to 1971, the 360 was rear-wheel-drive and powered by a 423cc (for North America) 2-cylinder engine. The top speed is reportedly 60 mph, though this is likely downhill and with a strong tailwind.

For better or for worse, this strange little car helped put Subaru on the road to future success in the United States. Not that much (if any) credit actually goes to the woefully flawed 360 itself. Even a fan of automotive underdogs must admit the 360 was poorly built, underpowered, and ill-handling. Never officially brought into the U. S. by Subaru, it was automotive maverick Malcolm Bricklin who handled importation of the 360. Unfortunately, this scenario only complicated sales, servicing, and a supply of spare parts – big problems when you own a car that falls apart by the time you get to the end of your driveway. In 1969, Consumer Reports rated the 360 Not Acceptable – the first time ever the magazine had given such a low score – due to the 360s lack of power and serious safety issues.

In the end, Subaru got things right with its all-wheel-drive lineup of vehicles, such as the Legacy, Impreza, and Forester. Last year was a sales record for Subaru of America, with total sales of 263,820 vehicles. This is a 22 percent increase over 2009 levels – the brands previous record sales year – and is miles away from the companys inauspicious entry into the North American market more than 40 years ago.