Subaru · Legacy

Subaru Legacy 1st generation (BC/BF)

Years: 1989–1993
Chassis: BC/BF
Drivetrain: FF / 4WD

Story

As a project to renew the way cars were made, the engine and body were developed from zero. Its turbo engine was among the world's most powerful in the 2-liter class of its time.

Stories

Breaking away from the Subaru 1000

To overcome the threat of bankruptcy, major organizational reforms were made, including introducing a chief-of-development system, and the first Legacy was developed under the code name "44B." The overall leader was Nakamura, the general manager in charge of the Product Planning Office. Breaking away from the platform used for many years and repeatedly improved since the Subaru 1000, everything was designed anew.

Takao Nakamura

With Giugiaro, only up to the sketches

The first Legacy used a wedge shape as its motif, with each pillar blacked out so the continuous glass evoked an aircraft canopy. It is sometimes said that Giugiaro was involved in the design, but chief designer Sugimoto has said that although there was contact with Giugiaro up to the sketch stage, the design was ultimately carried forward in-house.

Kiyoshi Sugimoto

Chassis

Front

Strut

Rear

Strut

Curb weight: 1,350kg

Production plants

Gunma Plant Yajima Plant
Ota, Gunma
Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc.
Lafayette, Indiana

US import eligibility

Earliest cars: Eligible since February 201425 years after sales began in February 1989
Last cars: Eligible since 201825 years after sales ended in 1993 (month not recorded)

Eligibility depends on each car's month of manufacture on its build plate, not on the sale dates shown here (NHTSA).

Japanese cars by US import year →

Engineers

Takao Nakamura

Overall leader of the development project for the first-generation Legacy (a general manager in the product planning office). Breaking away from the platform used since the Subaru 1000, he built the car as an entirely new design.

Kiyoshi Sugimoto

Chief designer of the first-generation Legacy. Using a wedge shape as the motif, he finished the pillars in black to give the car a form reminiscent of an aircraft canopy.

Eiji Tatsumi

Hometown: Furano, Hokkaido

In the experimental department of Fuji Heavy Industries, he was responsible for the handling and ride comfort of the first-generation Legacy, and went on to be responsible for the handling and ride comfort of many Subaru cars. He transferred to STI, and served as STI general manager for SUPER GT and the NBR CHALLENGE TEAM.

Masayuki Uchida

Development leader of the sixth-generation Legacy (B4 / Outback). Senior project general manager in the Subaru Product Planning Division of Fuji Heavy Industries.