SubaruFactsIndependent engineering archive

Subaru-built · 1961–February 2012

A little commercial vehicle with a long memory.

The 2011 anniversary edition and 2012 factory farewell anchor this first overview. The photo is an early museum Sambar; it does not depict the anniversary edition.

Scope

Japan · dated launch/edition record only; export and later-year specifications remain separate.

Specifications

Values depend on model year, equipment and market. The cited source for each figure identifies its scope.

Powertrain

Powertrain details

This profile has no structured powertrain table. See its scoped model details and linked configuration sheets; missing entries do not establish that a powertrain was unavailable.

Configuration

Model details

WR BLUE LIMITED planned 1,000 trucks and vans combined. Its manual selective 4WD and automatic viscous full-time 4WD were different configurations.

Identify & buy

Identification and ownership notes

Navigation uses a descriptive period label. It is not a decoded chassis designation; verify the actual applied model and market documentation separately.

Follow the evidence

Sources for this page

  1. Sambar WR BLUE LIMITED fiftieth anniversary

    1961 origin; about 3.64 million Sambar produced through June 2011. Planned edition limit 1,000 across trucks AND vans. WR Blue Mica, black seats/yellow stitching. Price table distinguishes selective manual 4WD from viscous full-time automatic 4WD; not 1,000 of each body.

    Fuji Heavy Industries / Subaru Corporation · accessed 2026-10-07
  2. End of Subaru mini vehicle production in Japan

    Sambar production ended at Gunma Main Plant on 29 February 2012. 7,968,000 is nine Subaru minicar models over 54 years, not Sambar alone. BRZ/86 production scheduled for March, Impreza by March 2013. OEM minicar marketing from Daihatsu continued. URL date differs from release dateline.

    Fuji Heavy Industries / Subaru Corporation · accessed 2026-10-07

A closer specification

Year and configuration sheets