(February 18, 2018) Subaru of America last week marked its 50th Anniversary with a ceremony for its more than 50 employees at the automaker’s Cherry Hill, N.J., headquarters conducted by Thomas J. Doll, president and COO. Doll and Subaru employees, dressed in matching gold 50th anniversary T-shirts, counted down to zero on a 50th anniversary digital clock that has been marking down days in Subaru headquarters for a year.

Doll unveiled a 3-by-4-foot, 300-pound bronze plaque, produced by local artist Chad Fisher. Taking inspiration from "The Stars of our Future," the plaque depicts two Subaru employees and the famous Subaru six-star cluster logo.

“This was a great way to celebrate turning 50,” said Doll. “This company has seen so much in its 50 years, and now we can mark this anniversary on the back of 10 years of sales increases.

"Our employees are our bedrock and that’s why we are celebrating them with the amazing plaque by Chad Fisher, which represents our employees, retailers and customers. The plaque will last for the next 50,000 years and, as we have a bright future ahead of us, we very much look forward to what the next 50 years will bring for Subaru.”

To kick off the year of celebrations in 2017, in a way that embodies the automaker’s spirit of supporting good causes and the local community, Subaru donated 50 new 2018 Subaru Outback vehicles to select Meals on Wheels programs throughout the country to be used in the delivery of an estimated 53,000 meals to an additional 3,700 seniors across 39 states.

The company’s "50 Cars for 50 Years" vehicle donation will enable Meals on Wheels programs to deliver more nutritious meals and moments of companionship, expanding its reach to seniors in need.

Fresh on the heels of celebrating its golden anniversary, Subaru will move to an all-new corporate headquarters in Camden, N.J;, in May, bringing several offices under one new roof.

Company history

The company was founded on Feb.15, 1968, by two American businessmen: Malcolm Bricklin and Harvey Lamm. In 1965 Bricklin was selling franchises for motor scooters that included the Fuji Rabbit and the tiny Subaru 360. Bricklin then formed Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) in order to sell Subaru franchises with Lamm who was the son of a furniture salesman in Philadelphia.

From 1967 to 1990, Lamm served as chairman of the board, chief executive officer, president and chief operating officer of Subaru of America, Inc.

The very first Subaru ‘office’ was in fact a small rental unit in Balboa Park, Calif., which Lamm set-up in 1967. The following year, Subaru of America was officially established in Bala Cynwyd, Pa., before moving to larger quarters in Pennsauken, N.J., in 1970. The headquarters moved to its current Cherry Hill, N.J., location in October 1986. SOA is currently developing a new headquarters complex in Camden, N. J., which is expected to open in May.

In the early years, Bricklin and Lamm’s business model was to sell distributor franchises to investors across the country, resulting in a total of 13 distributors nationwide. In subsequent years, SOA bought out most of the original distributors, with the exceptions of Subaru of New England (SNE) and Subaru Distribution Corp. (SDC) which covers New York and parts of New Jersey.

On Aug. 31, 1990, Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI) acquired Subaru of America through a $6 per share cash offer. FHI had already purchased just under half of SOA stock from prior investments.

Meaning of the Subaru Name

Fuji Heavy Industries (renamed Subaru Corporation in April 2017) traces its roots to the Nakajima Aircraft Company, a leading Japanese aircraft manufacturer. By 1950, Nakajima was known as Fuji Heavy Industries and FHI was incorporated on July 15, 1953, when five Japanese companies, known as Fuji Kogyo, Fuji Jidosha Kogyo, Omiya Fuji Kogyo, Utsunomiya Sharyo and Tokyo Fuji Sangyo, joined together.

The Subaru name means ''unite'' in Japanese. The company logo is the cluster of six stars recognized by the Japanese in the star constellation Pleiades (Subaru in Japanese).

The first Subaru — the 360 — reached the United States in May 1968. Priced at $1,290, it was $300 cheaper than the similar-looking Volkswagen Beetle and was 1,000 pounds lighter. This made it exempt from federal safety standards, and the car was required to meet only the less-stringent standards of individual states. In contrast to the company’s modern reputation for safety, Consumer Reports rated the 360 as ''unacceptable,'' which quickly affected sales.

A larger model was needed, and in 1970, Subaru developed the FF-1. The front-drive FF-1 was handy for driving in snow and gave Subaru a new market position as the first Japanese manufacturer to feature front-wheel drive, as well as the first Subaru vehicle to have the horizontally-opposed “boxer” engine.

The FF-1 was replaced by the larger, more powerful Leone series in 1973, which was marketed simply as either a DL or GL model regardless of body style, to focus on establishing the Subaru name. In 1975, the company introduced its first station wagon with all-wheel drive — the DL/GL. It is a major automotive milestone, as the first mass production popular priced 4WD passenger car. It spawned a revolution in the mass adoption of 4WD and AWD cars and crossovers.