It is a bittersweet bag at Subaru’s solely manufacturing facility open air of Japan. The Indiana Scooby manufacturing facility has merely constructed its six millionth vehicle. It is an enormous milestone for the manufacturing facility, the place development started in 1987. Automobile quantity six million was a Subaru Legacy sedan, the auto that helped open the plant nevertheless in addition to one which isn’t extended for this world. Subaru is dropping the sedan from its lineup this fall, a swap which can correspond with the tip of the 2025 mannequin yr.

Subaru’s Indiana Plant Is Just about 40 Years Outdated

Subaru opened the plant on September 11, 1989. Positioned in Lafayette, Indiana, halfway between Indianapolis and Chicago, the flexibleness was a 3 method partnership between Subaru and Isuzu. When Isuzu’s truck product gross sales plummeted and the model was near leaving the US, Subaru purchased out its share to maintain up the sunshine on.

“This milestone is a strong reminder of how far we now have come over the sooner 38 years. I am terribly pleased with our associates and the fastened dedication they create to exceeding our purchasers’ expectations for protected, high-quality autos.”

-Scott Model, president and chief working officer at Subaru of Indiana

The primary Subaru mannequin to depart the plant was a Legacy, and that, um, legacy will proceed till manufacturing stops this fall. By means of the years, the plant has constructed the Impreza (2016-2023), the Tribeca (2005-2014), and the Baja (2002-2006). It nonetheless builds the Ascent and has constructed the Outback for the US since 1999, and the Crosstrek since 2023. Quickly, Subaru Forester manufacturing will take the place of the Legacy.

Whereas that is the six millionth Subaru, the plant expects to hit 8 million autos fundamental later this yr. The manufacturing facility has had an amazingly eclectic file of varied producers’ fashions, together with the Honda Passport till 2002, the Isuzu Amigo and Axiom accurately after that model bought its stake contained in the plant, and even Toyota Camry sedans from 2007-2016. Consider the Legacy and Camry rolling off the same line, opponents from beginning. We reasonably like that symmetry.

Legacy Is Just about At Its Finish

The milestone automobile was a 2025 Subaru Legacy Restricted in Cosmic Blue Pearl, and it was pushed off the road on June 25 at spherical 6:30 am native time. The executives obtainable for the occasion undoubtedly appreciated that timing. Subaru of Indiana builds spherical half of all Subaru fashions bought in North America, a share that is additional vulnerable to develop larger for the US market because of the model appears to develop present plant performance from 345,000 to 370,000 per yr or extra. It is usually switching Outback fashions meant for Canada from US to Japan manufacturing, which suggests extra will protect contained in the US.

Legacy has been the legacy of the plant and Subaru in America, promoting 1.3 million fashions in seven generations. The automaker’s longest-running mannequin line is being dropped on account of consumers need SUVs and crossovers, not sedans. And on that entrance, Subaru is bigger than comfortable to ship.