Subaru
1500 (P-1)

Why it matters

The Subaru 1500, prototype name P-1, was the first car to carry the Subaru name. It had Japan's first monocoque body and independent front suspension, performed best in the Ministry of Transport's 1957 test of domestic cars, but never went on sale. It laid the groundwork for the Subaru 360 and Subaru 1000.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

Photos

Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.

• Subaru 1500 (P-1) (Wikimedia Commons: Subaru 1500)
  Photo: PekePON · CC BY-SA 4.0
• Subaru 1500 (P-1) (Wikimedia Commons: Subaru 1500)
  Photo: PekePON · CC BY-SA 4.0
• Subaru 1500 (P-1) (Wikimedia Commons: Subaru 1500)
  Photo: PekePON · CC BY-SA 4.0

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

In February 1954 Fuji Heavy Industries, wanting to enter the car industry, unveiled the six-seat small passenger car, using the aircraft expertise it had inherited from Nakajima. The P-1 was finished five years before the Subaru 360, but because of market conditions and other factors it was not sold. It was praised for its style and performance, and scored best in the Ministry of Transport's 1957 performance test of domestic passenger cars.

Technical specifications

Engine

Transmission & drivetrain

Chassis, body & dimensions

Performance

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

Identification guide

How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.

The P-1 is a six-seat saloon with a monocoque body, wishbone independent front suspension with coil springs and double-acting oil dampers, and a rear axle on three-leaf springs. Museum data give a length of 4,235 mm, width of 1,670 mm, height of 1,520 mm and weight of 1,230 kg, with a 1,485 cc water-cooled OHV four-cylinder engine of 55 PS.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

1. 1
   The Kei to success: Part 1 – Subaru South Africa Level B

   • 20 built

   Accessed 2026-11-12
2. 2
   P-1 Subaru 1500 Level A Fuji Heavy Industries (Subaru Museum) · 2008-03-22

   • 排気量 1485cc
   • エンジン型式 水冷4サイクルO.H.V
   • 最高出力 55ps/4400rpm
   • 55ps/4400rpm
   • 最大トルク 11.0kg-m/2700rpm
   • 11.0kg-m/2700rpm
   • 前輪はウィッシュボーン式独立懸架で、コイルばねと複動式オイルダンパー
   • 後輪は車軸懸架方式で、3枚板ばねと複動式オイルダンパー
   • 国産初のモノコックボディを採用
   • 全長 4235mm
   • 全幅 1670mm
   • 全高 1520mm
   • 重量 1230kg

   Accessed 2026-11-13