Emerging from the post war chaos in Japan, Subaru was an offshoot of the Fuji Sangyo engineering company.

The company had been a major aircraft manufacturer during World War II so was understandably keen to head in a different direction.

Subaru was so named after the Japanese name for the Pleiades, or Seven Sisters, star cluster, a reference to which can still be seen in their iconic emblem.

Despite an earlier foray into powered scooter production and an ill-fated production run of just twenty Subaru 1500 cars, volume production was finally realised with the quirky 360 model in 1958.

The car was Subaru’s answer to the Japanese Government’s Kei Car, or light automobile, initiative.

This initiative was designed to give the Japanese population affordable transportation after the devastation of the war.

The Subaru 360 conformed to the strict requirements of diminutive proportions and a maximum 360cc engine displacement – hence the name.

This example was originally exported to the US...