Subaru

Subaru is a world-renowned Japanese car company which produces high-performance vehicles, like the Impreza WRX and the Legacy. Although the company is relatively small compared to Japanese automotive giants, like Toyota, Honda, and Nissan, Subaru has run a tight ship over the past 15 years. Its high profitability and outstanding performance at world rally championships have increased its international profile.

The name 'Subaru' comes from the Japanese word for the constellation Pleiades, the Seven Sisters. The Subaru logo features seven stars (representative of the seven stars of the Pleiades) to symbolize the companies which joined up after World War II to forge the Subaru brand. The American company General Motors owns approximately 1/5th of Subaru shares, and Subaru is actually part of a parent company called Fuji Heavy Industries.

In the 1990s, the Subaru Legacy won a number of high-profile endurance records, and GM married Subaru parts with Saab parts to create the Saab 9-2X and the Saab 9-6X. Subaru's profile has also been raised thanks in large part to its innovative advertising strategy. Subaru cars boast all wheel drive, a so-called flat engine, and a range of customizable features.

Some of the more popular Subaru models include the Baja, the Forester SUV, the Outback, the B9 Tribeca, and the Impreza WRX STi. Subaru also manufactures several cars under the 'Keicar' banner, including the R1, the R2, the Pleo, the Sambar, and the Traviq. For all the company's success, Subaru executives are worried about declining SUV sales in the United States.