http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Subaru-360_W0QQitemZ190219838354QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item190219838354&

Ah yes, I remember those little death traps (ok, my favorite, the rather diminutive, underpowered Citroen 2 CV was still a more robust car;)) being sold in the late '60s by San Francisco's Citroen dealer Executive Motors, on Nob Hill at the top of California Street. Advertised them as the "Hippie car" (remember the Hippies? Well, I was one! Lots of free unrepressed sex , free thinking, free living and plenty of Acid tripping....ah, those were the days, sigh....).

Weighed only 900 lbs, had a 25hp 2 stroke engine; couldn't get out of its own way...the engine guarantied to burn out by 25k miles.

Consumers Reports tested it's crashworthyness, back then, by slamming one head on with a VW beetle; it came out far worse.

Hey, but it got over 60mpg! Better than a Toyota Preus.

I have seen one of those at my regional dealership with license plates that say 70 Subie. It does not go anywhere except sit in the waiting room of the parts and service department. I am amazed on how small they are.

yeah i never got a close up look at one except at the philly auto show and even then there were way to many people around to get a good look......

I just saw one a few weeks ago at the uconn car club car show

 

 

Cool little car..VERY VERY little.

For you Montana or Wyoming or N.Dakota members-if you're interested (it's not for sale)there is one of these cars sitting in the Subaru dealership in Billings Montana (Rimrock Subaru),we hauled it from N.E. Montana as a trade in,hauled it on a snowmobile trailer and the dealership restored it.

that is nuts.....what is the top speed like 60mph.. still kind of a cute car though....

Yeah, 60mph......with a tailwind, and going downhill as well:lol:

You'd be risking your life going 50mph in that

little fart-powered rolling coffin:eek:

The one on ebay probably went for more than it was worth.

 

The orange one belongs to a guy from the subaru 360 club, I just sold him a part.

 

I personally know of some that have run over 100,000 miles on the engine.

 

Mine has 20,000 on it now runs great. I've got it up to just about 70 mph or so.

Drove 1 in the late 60's - had just enough power to get out of its own way

 

0-60 in...never. add oil to the tank and gas to the other tank. (2 stroke)

 

I'm no small guy - it was "tiny" inside - had to get out to change my mind.

 

It could be out accelerated by a 10 speed up to about 20mph - then the biker ran out of legs - but it WAS wheels - even IF the hampsters kept singing the back or was that the beehive or hornets nest

 

2 weeks and traded it off. my triumph mc had a bigger engine

 

the isetta 300 had more power..well, maybe not

 

I wish i had one now

thats really cool subaru 360....was it the first subaru in the US?....i was reading something the other day about subaru being formed in like 1954 but they didnt say what year they brought the first subaru into the states.....

the 360 was the first Subaru imported to the US.

 

Fuji Heavy Industries started building cars in the 1954 and its first car was the P-1. In 1955 they renamed the P-1 to the Subaru.

 

FHI made more scooters than cars until the 360 was developed. After the 360 came the FF1 which is probably even more rare the the 360 is today.

 

http://www.subaru-global.com/history.html

 

-Brian

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subaru_360

 

Here's a 360 powered Sube that got 100mpg! For some strange reason, it was known as Cockaru.......or was it a Dickaru? I forget.

http://www.drive.subaru.com/Sum06_attic3.htm

 

The Microcar Museum has some neat photos of a mint Sube 360.

Check out some other really cool microcars there as well:

http://www.microcarmuseum.com/tour/subaru360.html

that is awesome bluestone..i read part of the artilce..do you know if that thing was even street legal? would be nice for today with almost $4 gas prices

thats really cool subaru 360....was it the first subaru in the US?....i was reading something the other day about subaru being formed in like 1954 but they didnt say what year they brought the first subaru into the states.....

 

58 was the first year for the 360. It came to the US in 68-70.

 

I'm bringing mine to Carlisle if you're going.

I keep thinking that a 360 would make a great platform for an electric conversion ... for when we retire in Hawaii. We'll never have to leave the general area we'll be living in, and there's nothing we need that takes a more than ten a mile each way trip.

 

Course, I'll have to have the convertible version.

Back in the late early 70's, a neighbor had a very tiny litte Japanese car. The whole front end of the car, which was flat, was on hinges and was the door for the car. Any ideas on what that car could have been?

Back in the late early 70's, a neighbor had a very tiny litte Japanese car. The whole front end of the car, which was flat, was on hinges and was the door for the car. Any ideas on what that car could have been?

 

Probably a BMW Isetta.

Probably a BMW Isetta.

 

Thanks a lot, that very easily could be the car. I remember my neighbors's car had a tire tread mark painted down the length of the car, so he had a sense of humor about owning it.

I made the above video when a friend returned to CT with the latest "additions" strapped to a carrier. Ah romance...

oh man!....looks like he has some serious work to do....ill bet he got them for a steal though.....

oh man!....looks like he has some serious work to do....ill bet he got them for a steal though.....

waddaya mean... they seem roadworthy to me:grin: