Subaru Logo

Subaru is the brand under which Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI) manufactures cars, trucks, engines, and components. The brand was named after the Pleiades star cluster in the constellation of Taurus and was founded by Chikuhei Nakajima in 1917. At the end of the war, the company was renamed Fuji Sangyo Co, Ltd.

Meaning and History

What does the Subaru logo mean? It’s an image of the night sky with six chrome four-pointed stars from the Pleiades cluster (constellation of Taurus), which can be seen without a telescope.

The author of the name is the first president of the company, Kenji Kita, who wanted the Japanese car to be called in Japanese. For the name, he chose the favorite constellation of the Japanese since ancient times.

1917 – 1980

The emblem contained six golden stars enclosed in an oval. Each element inside the oval was connected by consecutive lines (one after the other). The extreme stars went beyond the boundaries of the figure.

1953 – 1980

The very first Subaru logo was executed in a monochrome color palette. It was a composition of six four-pointed stars, connected with straight lines and placed on a white oval with a confident medium-thickness oval frame, which was oriented hori-zontally.

1958 – 1959

Another version, created in the same year featured exactly the same composition, though in a different execution. It was a three-dimensional silver-gray badge, with six stars, straight lines, and an oval framing placed on a transparent or a plain white background. It was a light and elegant version, which looked great on the bonnet of the brand’s cars.

1959 – 1970

In 1959 Subaru decides to add some color to its visual identity and placed the silver badge from 1953 on a scarlet-red background. The new scheme makes the elegant logo look stronger and adds energy and passion to the characteristics of the brand and its values.

1970 – 1980

In 1970 the contours of the silver elements were refined and sharpened, while the red background was replaced by a black one. The logo became stricter and more brutal and masculine, while the new palette made it also look timeless and elegant. The badge looked great on any background.

1980

For only a few months, in 1980, the brand was using a refined version of the previ-ous badge. All the shapes remained the same, as well as the color palette, but the solid black background was replaced by a black outline of all the solver elements.

1980 – 2003

At that time the background of the logo on which the constellation was situated became dark blue. The stars and the oval that enclosed them turned silver. The arrangement of the stars slightly changed. Also, designers decided to get rid of the lines that used to connect the stars to each other.

2003 – 2019

The emblem was horizontally elongated; the stars were fastened together with small connecting elements. The outline of the oval was the border of the logo. The elements on the logo became simpler, the drawing almost disappeared. In addition, the background shade of the logo changed. The appearance of the emblem volume added a small glare near a large star.

2019 – now

In 2003, the palette of the logo changed a little. The color of the oval became brighter, and a gradient was also added, due to which the logo received a slight 3D effect. The stars themselves became of a darker shade and began to connect with each other again. Another distinctive feature of the new logo is the fact that a large black inscription “Subaru” appeared under it.

Subaru WRX Logo

Subaru WRX and WRX STI sedans and hatchbacks appeared in the range of the Japanese brand in 2011. The logo of these models is very similar to the latest version of the company logo. The only difference is that the Subaru WRX logo is black and white.

Subaru Colorado Logo

As for the Subaru Colorado logo, things are more interesting here. Since this logo is quite different from the standard company logo. Colorado State Flag is enclosed in an oval behind the constellation.

The Legends

Subaru SVX

The Subaru SVX sports coupe (in Japan it was called Alcyone SVX) was produced from 1991 to 1996. The car was distinguished by an unusual design for its time, the author of which was Giorgeto Giugiaro.

Subaru Alcyone

In 1985, the Alcyone sports coupe appeared in the Subaru lineup. Unlike other Subaru cars of those years, which had a simple and inexpressive appearance, the coupe had a bright, aerodynamic design, and the interior was created on aviation grounds.