“Don’t drive that on the freeway!” We’ve heard that before, whenever a small car like a Subaru 360 shows up on our cyber doorstep here at One Barn Finds Tower. The thing is, these cars weren’t made to drive on freeways, so that argument is a moot point, yet it almost always comes up. The seller has this 1969 Subaru 360 Deluxe posted here on craigslist in Carmel Valley, California, and they’re asking $12,000. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Barney for the tip!
Just like you wouldn’t drive your Honda 50 on the freeway, not every vehicle is made for driving 75 MPH on the freeway. I still don’t understand why that comes up every time a small vehicle is shown here, especially a Japanese market vehicle. This Subaru 360 was likely made for the U.S. market, given its left-hand drive, but initially, in the late 1950s, they were made for the Japanese home market, and they weren’t driving them 75 MPH, mainly because they don’t go that fast. Here’s a very cool Subaru 360 brochure for your weekend homework. I’ll be giving a test on Monday, so be prepared! (kidding) (although that’s not a bad idea)
Made from 1958 through 1971, most of us know the story of how Malcolm Bricklin chatted with Subaru brass about importing the little 360 to the U.S. market, and around 10,000 of them were brought here. They weren’t well-received, to say the least. Mainly due to issues related to the aforementioned freeway usage, and little things, like ohhhhh… having the suicide doors fly open at speed, and similar safety issues. This one has been repainted in a non-factory color, and what appears to be a semi-gloss finish? I’m a bit confused here, but it does look like a nice one overall.
While I’m not a fan of the reimagined upholstery, it’s probably better than what may have been here before they started, as in burnt and/or sun-damaged (just a guess) original pattern red vinyl. It sure looks like there’s a lot of legroom in that driver’s seat, which in the Deluxe was a bench seat with a folding back. There isn’t enough legroom for me, sadly, even in a Young S model that has bucket seats. My legs are too long to squeeze under the steering wheel, and that doesn’t work. Here’s me looking at a Young S version a few years ago; no luck getting my shins under that lower dash to operate the pedals.
The engine is Subaru’s pre-boxer-four, as you can see. This is a Subaru EK-32, an air-cooled, two-stroke twin with 25 horsepower, and it’s backed by a four-speed overdrive manual, in this case, which is great. It runs great and has all-new brakes, the Achilles heel of these cars, so that’s good news. This one appears to be in what Hagerty might say is #3 good condition, and they value that at $17,500. The bad part is that it was painted a non-factory color and has non-factory-type interior vinyl, so that detracts from the value. Maybe that’s why the seller has it listed $5k under that. Don’t drive this on the freeway, as they were never meant to do, but have any of you driven a Subaru 360?
Scotty……. ALL I’m going to say here is…..Maybe……… Just maybe……..If you took the front seats out……. You might…. You just might be able to drive this thing from the back seat…… Just a thought. But if you are able to do this…… Please remember one important thing…….Dont drive this little buggy on the highway!!!!! Lol.
Something tells me if you were able to even close the door, if you hung your arm out the window, it would probably look like you were wearing the car!!!!
Lol. Hope you know I’m kidding.
I’ll go one furthur….. if you rolled down the passenger side window and could stick your right arm out the window you could wave both arms and hands from inside the car at the same time….
Poor Scotty….. I’ll just stop now before I’m banned from Barnfinds forever.
Hey, that was my thought on getting a Young S with bucket seats in front. I could take the driver’s seat out and move it back 4″ or so, about as far as it would go, and then attach it to the floor in that spot, and that might work. Now you can’t get them for $4,000 to $5,000, which is how much the one I looked at was. I’m surprised how much Hagerty has the value listed for these cars!
Another good write up, Scotty. I remember reading one of my dad’s Consumer Report magazines when I was a teen and they ripped the 360 to shreds. It was like “Unsafe At Any Speed Part 2.” They were merciless.
Thanks, Ron! I remember reading that review a few times over the years, whew. Then again, weren’t they the ones who rigged the Suzuki Samurai to tip over like the clown on Top Gear driving the rigged Reliant Robin three-wheeler?
I think so. Ive driven Suzuki Samurais. If you drive then like a normal human being, theyre fine. I remember watching the report on TV with those gigantic beams attatched to either side, I said of course its going to tip with thkse huge beams attatched to it. ( enough of my rant).
This is a great write up Scotty and thank you for putting up with my sense of humor.
Perfect car for “Clown Stuffing”.
The ones they used at the FasTracks were the real 360s –
they had a rounded roll bar on the top outside of them & could
do a 360 degree roll over.
I read where these were banned in New Jersey when they
were new.
I used to own one of these and did drive it on the freeway back when I was younger and stupider (and the national speed limit was 55 mph). Although it could achieve that speed given a long enough stretch of level ground that little 2-stroke engine was screaming its guts out. Not recommended.
@angliagt – These were NOT banned in New Jersey as I lived there back when I owned the thing decades ago and had no trouble registering it for the road. The only challenge with the state was yearly inspection because the car was exempt from emissions testing due to the size of the engine, but almost no one knew that. (That two-stroke engine didn’t have a prayer of passing.) It was a yearly ordeal having to get someone in Authority to get out the rule book and verify that fact.
There is an amazing amount of front leg room in these, but remember that your legs are the crumple zone! By the way, those are not styled wheels, they finned aluminum brake drums. They originally came with hub caps.
Anyone buying one of these cars should join the Subaru 360 Drivers Club which has a lot of technical information and even some parts needed to keep these on the road.
https://www.subaru360club.org/
Engine is parallel 2 cylinder 2 stroke not 4. You can see the 2 cylinder coil behind generator near the 2 cycle oil tank. Oil is mixed automatically. The 360 came out in 1958 to meet Japan’s new kei car regulations. Initially it had 16 hp, then 18, 20 and 25. The Young SS used 2 Solex carbs and made 36 hp, 1 hp per cc, a big deal in Japan’s 1960s hot car scene. I lived in Tokyo during the 60s but I drove a Mazda Carol 360, much better looking, 4 cycle and no stink. Also after returning to the U.S. in 1970 for a short time I ran a sports car shop where I worked on these. The dealer didn’t have a clue.
Frank, if you had gone on to read the next sentence, I listed the engine as a two-stroke twin. The first part is “Subaru’s-pre-boxer-four”, as in before their famous boxer-four, as in the two-cylinder I mentioned in the next sentence. I’ve been a member of the Subaru 360 Club for years.
When I was stationed in Japan, my friend had one that was white, but his girlfriend painted it all with colorful Paisley print. It was wild. Across the back, in the design (she was an artist) it said ‘Heiwa’ . . . Peace in Japanese. It was a riot. 3 of us got in to go somewhere, and 2 gunjin’s and a small girl and it wouldn’t move. About burnt out the clutch. Lol
I nearly bought one back in the 70s. She was sitting outside a salvage yard and I asked them about it, they said it needed a clutch plate. I endeavored to sell my 67 Ford Country Squire to get enough funds to buy the lowly $150 price. It took several months to sell, but when I went to purchase the 360, sadly it was gone! (I had kept my eye on it all that time.) I was heart broken. I DID get to sit in it, but never heard it run nor drove it. I just have been very intrigued by these, having come from an air-cooled VW start.
Ah, the Japanese Beetle. So cute. Squish. Oops. Sorry.
I don’t know about putting a 360 between a Corvette and a Porsche!
A Micro-car enthusiast friend once told me that to join the 360 club, a prerequisite was that you had to prove that you paid no more than $3.60 for the car.
Probably just a rumor.
I had to Fabricate a set of steel brake shoes for one of these once. The owner had sent them out to be relined and got back melted aluminum. The standard procedure to remove old shoe material was to burn it off. OOPS! Fortunately, as an old parts fart, I had cataloging for shoes that produced close modifiable cores. Or was that an NSU– I forget. Years pass doing the impossible- and one story often melts into another.
A friend of mine in S.Jersey bought one when they came out,not long after both doors popped open on a drive and there were identical dents in the rear quarter.Also i remember someone bought all of the unsold ones and he opened a dirt track course,I believe in Pennsylvania somewhere.
Bricklin was able to import the 360 because cars under 1000 lb were exempt from Federal safety regs. It’s still rumored the 360 was banned in the US, but it’s not true. The 360’s poor safety record and horrible press reviews killed sales of the 360.
Subaru’s headquarters were located near Philadelphia, in Pennsauken NJ. Subaru needed to do something with their remaining inventory of 360’s, so they came up with the idea to build a dirt road course behind their headquarters and rent 360’s out like a go kart track. They were all painted different bright colors, making the property look like a field full of giant Easter eggs! I lived about ten minutes away, and it cost about a dollar a lap to beat the heck out of those things.
In the 80’s Subaru bought the Latin Casino, a famous dinner theater in Cherry Hill NJ that once hosted performers like Tom Jones, Joan Rivers, The Supremes, Tony Bennett, The Stones, Alice Cooper, Madonna and Frank Sinatra. Subaru used the site to build a new US headquarters, and remained there until about five years ago when they moved to a new headquarters in Camden NJ.
Had one, never again. Wouldnt drive on the freeway, but my 62 NSU Prinz drove just fine at 65 mph on the highway. So much more of a car.
Scotty, I was half expecting a 4 door rendering – LOL!
I wonder if Bricklin assisted in the creation of that brochure – it contains a lot of his type of marketing language.
i guess we both like small cars, the quirkier the better. But…
we gotta fit in them.
(This, like the Yugo is an odd guy).
I DO love the embellishments: suicide dor, headlight treatment, bench seat, rear views on stalks, and this specific car’s orang satin, diamond vinyl, lack of hub caps. I DONT like the less than 3 cyl and 2 stroke like the early SAAB.
One sat for decades at a fellow garage owners looking forlone out unprotected where he dumper metal for recycling. And as joked on by the commenter “clown car” that’s just where he got it from. Shriners used it in their parades till no longer running so he inherited. He also hada subaru sambar this car’s related van. Now this guy was over 6 ft tall. Y did he have these? Back in the day they were jokes (similar to the era of the Yugo). He liked to point and laugh~