The Subaru World Rally Team was Subaru’s factory team in the World Rally Championship. Run by the British company Prodrive from 1989, it won the manufacturers’ title three times and made the blue-and-yellow Impreza one of the best-known cars in rallying.
Subaru World Rally Team at a glance
| Team | Subaru World Rally Team |
|---|---|
| Operated by | Prodrive, Banbury, England, from 1989 |
| First Subaru rally entry | 1980 Safari Rally, with a Leone |
| First Prodrive car | Group A Legacy RS, 1990 |
| Manufacturers’ titles | 1995, 1996, 1997 |
| Drivers’ titles | 1995, 2001, 2003 |
| Rallies won by the Impreza | 46 |
| Colours | blue with yellow, from the State Express 555 sponsorship |
| Principal | David Richards, founder of Prodrive |
| Last season | 2008 |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Subaru World Rally Team. This is the works rally team, not a road model.
History of the Subaru World Rally Team
Subaru entered world rallies from 1980 with cars prepared by Subaru Rally Team Japan, run by Noriyuki Koseki, who later founded Subaru Tecnica International. The team drove the Leone and competed in only a few events a season; its drivers included Ari Vatanen, Per Eklund, Shekhar Mehta, Mike Kirkland, Possum Bourne and Harald Demuth, and its best result was Bourne’s third place on the 1987 Rally New Zealand. Even earlier, in the 1970s, Fuji Heavy Industries had entered the front-wheel-drive FF-1 and the GSR coupé in endurance events such as the Safari and the Southern Cross rally.
Prodrive takes over
In September 1989 STi president Ryuichiro Kuze agreed a partnership with Prodrive, and the team in its familiar form was created, with its base moved from Japan to Banbury in England. Its first Prodrive car was the Group A Legacy RS, which Markku Alén drove in 1990 and 1991, finishing fourth on the 1990 Rally Finland and taking a third and two fourth places in 1991. In 1992 Subaru entered only seven of the fourteen rounds, concentrating on gravel, with Ari Vatanen and Colin McRae, both of whom finished second on events.
Blue and yellow
The 1993 season brought the team’s distinctive blue and yellow colours and a new title sponsor, State Express 555, a cigarette brand popular in Asia. The 555 logos appeared on Subaru rally cars from 1993 to 2003, though less often after 1999 as the sponsor moved into Formula One. The team used the championship to demonstrate symmetrical all-wheel drive and credited its WRC success with boosting sales, particularly of the Impreza.
Subaru won the manufacturers’ championship in 1995, 1996 and 1997, and the drivers’ title three times, in 1995, 2001 and 2003. The Impreza won a record 46 rallies. In 2008 the drivers were Petter Solberg with Phil Mills and Chris Atkinson with Stéphane Prévot, with David Richards as principal, Paul Howarth as operations director after replacing David Lapworth in 2006 and Richard Taylor as managing director. The team withdrew from the World Rally Championship at the end of the 2008 season because of the financial crisis.
Design and features
- Prodrive partnership: a British preparation company running Subaru’s factory effort from 1989.
- Legacy RS: the first Prodrive-built Subaru rally car, from 1990.
- Impreza record: 46 rally wins, more than any other model at the time.
- Blue and yellow: a livery that became Subaru’s rally identity.
- Three titles: manufacturers’ champion in 1995, 1996 and 1997.
Subaru World Rally Team versions
- Subaru Rally Team Japan (1980–1989): the early factory entries with the Leone.
- Legacy RS (1990–1992): the first Prodrive-era car.
- Impreza WRC (1993–2008): the car that won the titles and 46 rallies.
The team’s road cars are described in the articles on the WRX and the Impreza. More Subarus are in the Subaru collection.
Sources
- Subaru World Rally Team, English Wikipedia: history, titles, personnel
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