There are few more exciting brands to work with, for a number of reasons: Subaru’s are technically fascinating and innovative (you would never describe a Subaru as an appliance) owners become intensely passionate about the brand, and our dealers are similarly enmeshed in a deep-seated love for all things bearing the Pleiades six-star constellation badge.

In the early 1990s two car-crazy entrepreneurs decided to start importing Subaru vehicles, banking on the reliability and toughness of the brand to make it a success in our harsh and demanding conditions. They weren’t wrong, and the early Legacy station wagon and Impreza GT soon gained a small but enthusiastic following and in 1995, international brand management company Barloworld recognised Subaru’s potential and acquired a 50 percent stake in Subaru South Africa which it incorporated into its motoring division. Sales  accelerated, more dealers were appointed, and the business eventually became wholly-owned by Barloworld.

By early in the first decade of the 21st century Subaru could offer the Impreza, Forester (a local success story from its 1997 introduction), Legacy, Outback and, from early 2007, the Tribeca. It was against the backdrop of success in local and international rallying that the public embraced the all-terrain stability of the Subaru brand, underpinned by its unique combination of the Boxer engine and Symmetrical All Wheel Drive. Every Subaru ever sold in South Africa boasts these attributes.
In November 2008, Toyota Tsusho Corporation acquired a 50 percent shareholding in Subaru Southern Africa from Barloworld and in 2010 became the sole owner after purchasing the remainder. This arrangement has translated into better communication and a more hands-on approach by Subaru Japan, cementing the brand’s long-term presence in South Africa.