Fuji Heavy Industries in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, on Thursday held an extraordinary meeting of its Board of Directors. In it the Directors agreed to change the company name to Subaru Corporation on April 1, 2017. FHI is using the 100th anniversary of the 1917 founding of Nakajima Aircraft to align its company name with its brand name.
This is a tentative date because the name change is subject to approval – almost certain- for amendments to the Company’s Articles of Incorporation at the 85th General Meeting of Shareholders on June 28, 2016.
The origins of FHI start with the foundation of the Aircraft Research Laboratory in 1917 – later to become Nakajima Aircraft Company. After a number of reorganizations, FHI established its current name in 1953. Subaru began with the introduction of the Subaru 360 minicar in 1958.Since then, FHI has expanded its businesses in aerospace and industrial products – especially Subaru automobiles.
Subaru – Japanese for the Pleiades constellation – now operates in more than 90 countries. For the fiscal year ending March 2017, Subaru projects its global vehicle sales will exceed one million units (1,050,000 units on a consolidated basis) for the first time in its history.
History of Fuji Heavy Industries
- 1917: Chikuhei Nakajima establishes the Aircraft Research Laboratory.
- 1918: The Aircraft Research Laboratory renamed the Nakajima Aircraft Factory (then incorporated as Nakajima Aircraft Co., Ltd. in 1931).
- 1945: Nakajima Aircraft Co., Ltd. reorganized as Fuji Sangyo Co., Ltd., switching from aircraft manufacturing to production of civilian goods.
- 1950: In accordance with the Enterprise Reorganization Act, Fuji Sangyo Co., Ltd. split into 12 companies, including Fuji Kogyo, Fuji Jidosha Kogyo, and Utsunomiya Sharyo.
- 1953: Five of the 12 companies, including Fuji Kogyo, contribute capital to establish Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (FHI acquires and merges with the five companies in 1955).
