Subaru’s Six Millionth US-Built Car Is A Blue Legacy, And One Of The Last To Wear That Name
It’s a bittersweet bag at Subaru’s only factory outside of Japan. The Indiana Scooby factory has just built its six millionth vehicle. It’s a big milestone for the factory, where construction began in 1987. Vehicle number six million was a Subaru Legacy sedan, the car that helped open the plant but also one that is not long for this world. Subaru is dropping the sedan from its lineup this fall, a move that will correspond with the end of the 2025 model year.
Subaru’s Indiana Plant Is Nearly 40 Years Old
Subaru opened the plant on September 11, 1989. Located in Lafayette, Indiana, midway between Indianapolis and Chicago, the facility was a joint venture between Subaru and Isuzu. When Isuzu’s truck sales plummeted and the brand was close to leaving the US, Subaru bought out its share to keep the light on.
“This milestone is a powerful reminder of how far we’ve come over the past 38 years. I’m incredibly proud of our associates and the consistent dedication they bring to exceeding our customers’ expectations for safe, high-quality vehicles.”
-Scott Brand, president and chief operating officer at Subaru of Indiana
The first Subaru model to leave the plant was a Legacy, and that, um, legacy will continue until production stops this fall. Over the years, the plant has built the Impreza (2016-2023), the Tribeca (2005-2014), and the Baja (2002-2006). It still builds the Ascent and has built the Outback for the US since 1999, and the Crosstrek since 2023. Soon, Subaru Forester production will take the place of the Legacy.
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While this is the six millionth Subaru, the plant expects to hit 8 million vehicles overall later this year. The factory has had an amazingly eclectic list of other brands’ models, including the Honda Passport until 2002, the Isuzu Amigo and Axiom well after that brand sold its stake in the plant, and even Toyota Camry sedans from 2007-2016. Imagine the Legacy and Camry rolling off the same line, competitors from birth. We rather like that symmetry.
Legacy Is Nearly At Its End
The milestone car was a 2025 Subaru Legacy Limited in Cosmic Blue Pearl, and it was driven off the line on June 25 at around 6:30 am local time. The executives on hand for the event surely appreciated that timing. Subaru of Indiana builds around half of all Subaru models sold in North America, a share that’s likely to grow higher for the US market as the brand looks to expand current plant capacity from 345,000 to 370,000 per year or more. It is also switching Outback models meant for Canada from US to Japan production, which means more will stay in the US.
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Legacy has been the legacy of the plant and Subaru in America, selling 1.3 million units in seven generations. The automaker’s longest-running model line is being dropped because buyers want SUVs and crossovers, not sedans. And on that front, Subaru is more than happy to deliver.
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