“As she rounded the corner, her ancient white Subaru 360 flared to life. Its white paint was faded and chipped around the wheel well and specks of rust darkened the chrome edges of its condensed form. It growled and puttered, a cloud of exhaust leaking from its rear. Fleur cringed and glanced around, praying the noise would go unnoticed. She jogged over, yanked open the passenger’s door, and slid onto the cracked red leather seat.” -excerpt from Soulkeeper’s Bargain

The Subaru’s (or Subie as Fleur affectionately calls it) role in the book has brought up a few questions. Namely, what is a Subaru 360?

Once hailed as “Cheap and Ugly” this tiny car has wormed its way into my heart with its adorable wheelbarrow-sized wheels and lawnmower engine–top speed is 40mph, if you can believe it.

This Japanese marvel (nicknamed the ‘ladybug’) was the company’s first mass-produced automobile, and was marketed by Subaru from 1958-1971. It arrived in the US around 1968 courtesy of Malcom Bricklin (who we can thank for the Yugo) and sold for $1,297 ($11,364 in today’s dollars).

In 1969, Consumer Reports rated the car Not Acceptable.

“The Subaru’s doors are hinged at their rear edges and open to the wind. They do not have burst proof latches. The driver’s door cannot be locked from inside the car. And woe to the hapless occupant who tries to fully close a door found partly latched while underway–the air blast even at 20mph is sufficient to tear the door out of one’s hands and slam it back against the car’s afterbody.”

This is just one of the myraid of issues mentioned, but I think it sums up the car nicely.

But what REALLY convinced me that this car was perfect were the commercials. They are an utter delight.

Recently, the 360 has had a resurgence of interest. In the last year its value has quadrupled, but why? Nostalgia. This darling ladybug car was the first ever mass-produced Kei car, and is now considered a modern classic. This is the car that founded Subaru, after all.

But how did such a car end up on my radar?

My partner purchased one. As a lifetime lover of the quirky and interesting, he was all too eager to call this beauty his own.

It currently resides in our garage– not driveable due to a fuel leakage situation, but soon there will be joyrides aplenty, just as long as we stay off any major roads and hold the doors closed.