How Much Did the Subaru 360 Cost in America?
By the Price Time Machine team · Updated
The Subaru 360 price was $1,297 when it went on sale in the United States in 1968. Adjusted for inflation, that is about $12,564 in September 2026 money, roughly 9.7 times the original price.
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Subaru 360 at a glance
- US launch price
- $1,297
- In today’s money
- ≈ $12,5641968 average (launch month not known) to September 2026 (CPI-U, BLS)
- US launch year
- 1968
- Where it was designed
- Mitaka, JapanDeveloped by Fuji Heavy Industries, whose project team met at its Mitaka Plant near Tokyo, Japan.
- Category
- Cars & transport
- Price source
- en.wikipedia.org
Today’s price is the US launch price adjusted for US inflation with the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, comparing the launch month with the latest published month. It updates automatically as new figures come out.
Why the Subaru 360 was so cheap
The 360 was a tiny rear-engined city car built to Japan’s “kei car” rules, which limited a car’s size and engine. Its two-cylinder, two-stroke engine was just 356cc, which is where the name comes from. It weighed under 450kg (1,000lb), had a lightweight fibreglass roof and could reach about 60mph.
Malcolm Bricklin imported it to the United States from 1968 and advertised it, honestly, as “Cheap and Ugly”. About 10,000 were sold there.
The Subaru 360 price in today’s money
Inflation means a dollar buys less today than it did in 1968. Using the US Consumer Price Index, the original Subaru 360 price of $1,297 works out at about $12,564 in September 2026 money, around 9.7 times the original figure. That is what the same amount of spending power would cost now, not what the Subaru 360 sells for second-hand.
When was the Subaru 360 released?
- Revealed in Japan: March 3, 1958, at a press conference in Tokyo
- On sale in the United States: 1968
- Production ended: 1971, after about 392,000 had been built
Where was the Subaru 360 made?
It was developed by Fuji Heavy Industries, the company behind the Subaru brand, and was its first mass-produced car. The project, codenamed K-10, began with a meeting at the company’s Mitaka Plant near Tokyo in January 1956. Many of its engineers had worked for the Nakajima Aircraft Company before the war.
Why did it fail in America?
Because it weighed so little, the 360 did not have to meet US safety rules. In 1969 Consumer Reports rated it “Not Acceptable” over safety concerns and its lack of power. The magazine measured 0–50mph in about 37 seconds, and noted that its rear-hinged doors could pull open in the wind if not fully shut.
In Japan, though, it was one of the most popular cars of its time, nicknamed the “ladybug”.
Subaru 360 facts you might not know
- Oil had to be mixed with the petrol by hand, and the fuel cap doubled as a measuring cup, until an automatic system arrived in 1964.
- There was no fuel pump. Petrol simply flowed down to the engine by gravity.
- It came as a two-door saloon, an estate, a fabric-roof “convertible” and sporty Young S and Young SS versions.
- Its importer, Malcolm Bricklin, later went on to build cars of his own.
Frequently asked questions
How much did a Subaru 360 cost?
In the United States, the Subaru 360 cost $1,297 when it went on sale in 1968.
How much is $1,297 from 1968 worth today?
Adjusted for US inflation, the Subaru 360’s $1,297 price is about $12,564 in September 2026 money.
Why was the Subaru 360 called “Cheap and Ugly”?
That was the slogan its US importer, Malcolm Bricklin, used in his advertising.
How many Subaru 360s were made?
About 392,000 were built between 1958 and 1971, and about 10,000 were sold in the United States.
Want to compare the Subaru 360 price with other launch prices? See what the 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham cost, browse more famous launch prices, or play this question in Price Time Machine.
Sources
Launch prices and dates are checked against the sources below. Today’s price is calculated from official US inflation data and updates automatically when new figures are published.
- Sales brochure: Subaru 360 US sales piece showing the $1,297 price (1968), reproduced by Consumer Guide
- Wikipedia: Subaru 360
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics: Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
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