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According to today's DT, General Motors are selling 9% of their stake in Fuji Heavy Industries (Subaru's owners) to Toyota and 11% back to Fuji. Apparently GM are desperate for cash. Does anyone know how much of Fuji GM retains? Hopefully this means Subaru are safe from the GM parts bin. But are Subaru too small to survive as a stand-alone company?
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Gen Motors owned 20% of Subaru
Selling 11% & 9% means they will ahve sold all their interests.
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Just as well, they badge the Forester as a Chevy in India and no one looks at it despite the subaru badge on the steering wheel. Badge engineering aint that thorough
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But are Subaru toosmall to survive as a stand-alone company?
No, Subaru are highly profitable, rather like a Japanese version of Porsche, and that is where they see their future.
Subaru will move further upmarket than previously,hence the Tribeca and GM always gained more from their holding than Subaru did. Their were no GM parts in Subarus (perish the thought!), but GM rebadged the Impreza as the 'Saaburu' 9-2x.
This is great news for Subaru enthusiasts and all who value genuine automotive diversity, as opposed to 'branding' in an increasingly global and homogeneous industry.
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See this weeks Auto Express for the new Subaru hatch (B5)
www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/60707/subaru_impreza_ha...l
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Good to see the blind guy is still doing the styling!!
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I reckon that B5 hatch looks really stylish and with their aim to move upmarket, should do really well.
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GM owned 20%, Fuji Heavy industries owned 80%.
Fuji heavy industries is a BIG conglomerate. Subaru cant be considered a small standalone company, however its not core business to Fuji, nor does it contribute a large percentage of profit, in fact Subaru managed to assist Fuji into a 1.2 million yen loss. Sales of Subaru's fell in Japan and America.
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- Never mind Subaru, this story indicates to me just how short of cash GM now are!
I read in the FT yesterday that they have total global debts of around 280 BILLION US$$ !!!!!!!!!!!!
Makes FIAT's problems look tiny. Surely a business the size of GM couldn't go out of business like Rover did.... surely...????
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The longer Subaru keep independent, especially from American or European makes, the better. Saab's have been dull and unreliable since GM took them over - mond you Volvo has done well out of Ford.
So I'm glad that GM is out of Subaru and long may it stay that way.
--
Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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>Nick
Some of GM debt relates to its car financing arm (Effectively it leases cars to its customers - and makes more money that way than selling cars).
madf
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I must say it cheered me up when I read the news. I had visions of Subarus ending up as just another badge on a parts bin shared platform. May they go from strength to strength.
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Well, I sold my MG and bought a Vectra. I'll let you know what my next car is so you can all avoid the manufacturer
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MLC,
BMW are overpriced and ugly, you would hate one. (look into my eyes, not round the eyes...)
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I had visions of Subarus ending up as just another badge on a parts bin shared platform.
So far it has been t'other way round: the Saab 9-2X is a rebadged Subaru.
But just as Saabs are becoming rebadged GM products, I suspect you are right that sooner or later Subru would have suffered the same fate.
May they go from strength to strength.
Personally, I admire Subaru for showing that 4WD can be used very usefully without being attached to a truck -- it's not for nothing that they have established such a strong niche in those who need to drive on poor roads but don't aspire to a vehicle optimised for fighting wars in the third world. It's just a pity they are so thirsty.
But being part of a group with such a strong engineering base, I'm sure they will find a way to survive as one of the last independent smallish car-makers. (I mean independent as in not being just another brand for a conglomerate)
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I have mixed feelings about scoobies.
but then I had an SVX. sold when the second gearbox started to fail. (hello L493 ERU are you still out there ?)
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Looking up your old car, L493 ERU, on the RAC website shows no car... maybe that second gearbox died afterall.
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But just as Saabs are becoming rebadged GM products, I suspect you are right that sooner or later Subru would have suffered the same fate.
Anyone remember the Subaru Justy ? That was a Suzuki Swift with 4wd, Suzuki is part owned by GM. Have a look in the Car-by-Car Breakdown, not must in the What's Good section for this model.
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I hope Subarus are as reliable as most other Japanese makes because, if I am to believe what I've read, they are extremely expensive to repair and maintain once they are past their first flush of youth.
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I'd say Subarun have had a narrow escape, as GM are in the process of pink fluffy dicing up SaaB as we speak.
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Yes, sad but true. The new Saab 9-7X SUV is a restyled Chevrolet Trailblazer/GMC Envoy complete with ladder frame chassis, live rear axle and a notable lack of torsional rigidity. GM seems to have seen the light with Cadillac and started to allow it more freedom in designing its own platforms. Hopefully they'll eventually do the same with Saab.
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Enjoyed the series one Legacy wagon i kept for 10+ years,it had to go though for a derv estate in the end.
I wonder if the GM pull out will put the blinkers on Subaru`s plans for a boxer diesel that it so desparately needs for it`s European sales or will GM maintain some project links with them thru Izuzu who were rumoured to be in on Scooby`s derv development plans.
Toyota`s 9% holding certainly could have some future influence here.
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