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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!:grin: Lots of free unrepressed sex :eek:, 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.:lol:

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.

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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.

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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.

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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 :slobber:

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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.....

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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

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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.:popcorn:

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

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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.

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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.

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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?

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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.

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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.

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