17th March, 2005
Cumulative worldwide production of the Subaru
Liberty (known as Legacy in markets outside Australia) reached three million
units on 14th March 2005.
This milestone was achieved 16 years and four months after the company
started production in its Gunma Yajima Plant in November 1988.
Developed as a successor to the Subaru Leone, the first-generation Legacy was
introduced in Japan in February 1989. Since its introduction, the Legacy has been
designed and built to ensure driving pleasure. The first-generation Legacy
established a new FIA-certified, world speed record in the continuous
100,000-kilometre drive with an average speed of 223.345 km/h, a record that
still stands today, proof of the model’s high performance and reliability.
The Station Wagon GT, which included a high-performance engine, was
introduced in Japan in 1993 and quickly gained popularity in the growing market
for recreational vehicles. It played a pioneering role in Japan’s emerging
market for station wagons.
In September 1989, production of the Legacy began in the U.S. at Subaru Isuzu
Automotive Inc. (now known as Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc., - SIA). Based on
the Legacy wagon and devised around the concept of a crossover sport-utility
vehicle, the Outback model was introduced in the U.S. in 1995, boosting Subaru
sales and elevating the Legacy to the status of a major model that has become
strategically important for FHI.
Today, the fourth-generation Legacy continues to enjoy popularity and high
acclaim from car enthusiasts. The Legacy has further improved driving
performance and achieved unprecedented levels of weight reduction, while still
ensuring crashworthiness in its safety performance. The current Legacy model was
awarded the Car of the Year in Japan for 2003-2004. Worldwide sales in 2004
amounted to 201,645 units.
Note:
1) Including Outback model.
2) In 1989, from 2nd to 21st January,
the Legacy set a new 100,000-kilometre world speed record at the Arizona
Test Centre located on the outskirts of Phoenix, Arizona. The distance was
covered in 447 hours, 44 minutes, and 9.887 seconds, with an average speed of
223.345 km/h; the result was certified by the Fédération Internationale de
L'Automobile (FIA).
[Chronology of the Liberty/Legacy]
| November
1988 |
Production of the
Legacy starts at the Gunma Yajima Plant |
| January
1989 |
The Legacy sets a
new FIA-certified 100,000-kilometre world speed record with an average speed of
223.345 km/h. |
| February
1989 |
Introduction in
Japan |
| April
1989 |
Introduction in
U.S. |
| September
1989 |
Introduction in
Europe |
| September
1989 |
Production starts
at SIA |
| October
1989 |
200PS
turbo-engine GT launched in Japan |
| April
1990 |
Legacy enters the
World Rally Championship (WRC) |
| August
1993 |
Legacy wins New
Zealand Rally in WRC |
| September
1993 |
The
second-generation Legacy ( Station Wagon) sets an FIA-certified world speed
record for 1 km in the mass-produced, unmodified station wagon division at the
Bonneville Speedway near Salt Lake City, Utah, with an average speed of 249.981
km/h. |
| October
1993 |
The
second-generation Legacy debuts in Japan |
| October
1994 |
250T version with
a 2.5-litre, 4-cylinder, horizontally opposed engine added in Japan
|
| June
1995 |
Production of the
Outback starts at SIA |
| July
1995 |
Engine assembly
begins at SIA |
| June
1996 |
GT-B introduced
in Japan, with a 280PS engine and Bilstein twin-tube shock absorber
(inverted-type) |
| January
1997 |
Cumulative
production in Japan reaches the 1-million mark |
| April
1998 |
The
third-generation Legacy (Station Wagon) sets a new FIA-certified world speed
record for 1 km with an average speed of 270.532 km/h. |
| June
1998 |
All-new,
third-generation Legacy introduced in Japan |
| December
1998 |
B4 Sedan debuts
in Japan |
| December
1998 |
Awarded RJC New
Car of the Year for 1998-99 in Japan |
| February
2000 |
B4 Blitzen
version introduced in Japan |
| May
2000 |
Lancaster 6 with
a 3-litre, 6-cylinder, horizontally opposed engine introduced in
Japan |
| June
2002 |
SIA celebrates
the 1-million-unit milestone in its production of Subaru
vehicles. |
| January
2003 |
SIA is made a
wholly owned subsidiary of FHI |
| May
2003 |
The
fourth-generation Legacy launched in Japan |
| November
2003 |
Awarded the Car
of the Year for 2003-2004 in Japan |
| December
2003 |
Sales surpasses
the 1-million mark in Japan |
| March
2005 |
Production
surpasses the 3-million mark worldwide |
[Breakdown of 3 million units] (as of March 14, 2005)
| |
Japan |
USA |
Total |
| First-generation
Legacy |
620,444 |
204,168 |
824,612 |
| Second-generation
Legacy |
495,471 |
466,354 |
961,825 |
| Third-generation
Legacy |
434,624 |
467,447 |
902,071 |
| Fourth-generation
Legacy |
204,776 |
106,716 |
311,492 |
| Total |
1,755,315 |
1,244,685 |
3,000,000 |
|
