Introducing the 1968 Subaru 360: Cheap and Ugly | ||||
| Are you looking to save money at the gas pump and on your next new car purchase? For those interested in fuel economy, check out the Subaru 360. Sporting 66 MPG and a price tag of under $1,300, the Subaru 360 was the cheapest and ugliest vehicle on the market - back in 1968. Imagine stopping by Subaru of Keene and driving one of these babies home. No space in your garage? No problem. This micro car could fit in your shed next to your lawn mower! | ||||
0-50 in 37 Seconds! | ||||
Check out these TV commercials from the 60s. | ||||
| Is the Subaru really cheap and ugly? Back in the day this car cost $1,297 | Skip ahead past the first minute and see how beautiful cheap and ugly really is. | |||
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Standard Features Include:
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"Groovy" Exterior Styling & Fuel Efficient Engine | ||||
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Nicknamed the "ladybug", the Subaru 360 comes equipped with a 2-stroke incline 2-cylinder 356 (where the 360 names comes from) cc engine. Equipped with a 3-speed manual transmission with clutchless shifting, the 360 gets 66 MPG with a top speed of 60 MPH. | ||||
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| Some of you may be asking yourself: if Subaru managed to achieve 66 MPG back in the 1960's, how come modern Subaru's don't come close? Like most car companies, Subaru's first car was a mere stepping-stone to the advanced engineering and advanced safety features seen in modern Subarus . Because the Subaru 360 weighed less than 1,000 pounds, it was not subject to the strict U.S. safety regulations or import tariffs of the day. Today, all Subaru models are top IIHS safety picks and come equipped with more safety features than you could list here, including standard symmetrical all-wheel drive. If you're still reading hoping you can snag one of these ultra cheap Subarus for the amazing MPG, consider this: The 25-horsepower engine achieved a 0 to 50 time of 37.2 seconds (very unsafe for highway driving), the Subaru 360 lacked modern safety features and had horrible control and has no get-up-and-go. For driving enthusiasts, the Subaru WRX and Subaru WRX STI deliver 265 and 305-horsepower respectively. The harsh reality is that only 6,000 of the Subaru 360's were sold in the U.S. One dealer was selling 6 for $2,000 just to get rid of them. He should have held on to them. They currently sell for $10,000-$15,000 as a collector's car. Subaru has come a long way since the Subaru 360 in terms of engineering, styling, safety and performance and is recognized as the safest, most fuel-efficient AWD line-up in America. Some things are worth waiting for. | space |   |
