In 1953, five different Japanese companies merged to form Fuji Heavy Industries. They adopted a cluster of five stars as the logo of the line of vehicles they introduced. Fuji Heavy Industries chose the name Subaru for these vehicles. It´s the Japanese word for 'unite'. Subarus were first introduced into the United States in 1968. The first Subaru in North America was the 360, a mini-car with a 25hp engine. It went from 0-50 in 37 seconds. Not surprisingly, it wasn´t a huge bestseller. Canadians got their first exposure to the benefits of Subaru All-Wheel Drive in 1976. That was the year that Subaru Auto Canada Limited introduced a full range of Subaru vehicles into the country. In 1989 this company was taken over by Subaru Canada, a subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries. They began an expansion process that would eventually result in a network of over 100 dealers across the country. Docksteader Subaru opened in 1993. more... See more text