Rare Rides: Justy a Little Subaru, From 1990

Corey Lewis
by Corey Lewis

Just two Subaru models have graced these Rare Rides pages in times past. The first was a very beige Desert Fox edition of the midsize GL wagon, and the second was a clean example of the very first car Subaru ever offered in the United States: the tiny 360.

Today we combine the characteristics of both of these prior Rare Rides and take a look at an Eighties hatchback, one which represented the smallest North American offering of the time. It’ll Justy take a moment (ugh).

Originally devised as a subcompact hatchback entry for the Japanese market, the Subaru Justy was without a predecessor. The company had made kei cars, compact cars, small trucks, and a single coupe, but no subcompact. All of that changed for 1984, when the Justy went on sale in its home market. An original design, Justy was based on the company’s contemporary Rex kei car — just expanded in every direction.

The Justy was intended as direct competition to the similarly-sized Daihatsu Charade. Initially available with a 997 cc engine to avoid Japanese road taxes, the company realized the Justy might need more power if it wished to enter international markets.

By 1987, a massive 1,189-cc three-cylinder engine was ready, along with a brand new transmission. In addition to the traditional five-speed manual, Subaru offered an electronically controlled Jatco CVT, driven by Dutch-sourced components.

That same year, the Justy went on sale in European and American markets. For American customers, the sub-liter engine was not available. In 1988, the company added its four-wheel drive system to the hatchback, and in 1990 a five-door version joined the lineup.

Sales were generally slow, and the Justy wound down in America after 1994. Canadians were a bit more bullish on the capable hatchback, and a leftover 1995 model was available across The United States of Toronto.

After wrapping up the first generation of Justy, Subaru decided it couldn’t be bothered to make another one. Instead, the automaker started licensing cars from other manufacturers and applying a Justy badge. The second generation was a rebadge of the Suzuki Cultus (aka Geo Metro). Then it was a Suzuki Swift, and after that a Daihatsu Storia. Most recently, in 2016, the Justy name was affixed to the Toyota Tank. Whoever’s offering, the Justy is game.

Today’s white three-door model was recently listed on eBay. In GL trim, it has a manual transmission, four-wheel drive, and 116,000 miles on the odometer. It asked $2,950, but did not sell.

[Images: seller]

Corey Lewis
Corey Lewis

Interested in lots of cars and their various historical contexts. Started writing articles for TTAC in late 2016, when my first posts were QOTDs. From there I started a few new series like Rare Rides, Buy/Drive/Burn, Abandoned History, and most recently Rare Rides Icons. Operating from a home base in Cincinnati, Ohio, a relative auto journalist dead zone. Many of my articles are prompted by something I'll see on social media that sparks my interest and causes me to research. Finding articles and information from the early days of the internet and beyond that covers the little details lost to time: trim packages, color and wheel choices, interior fabrics. Beyond those, I'm fascinated by automotive industry experiments, both failures and successes. Lately I've taken an interest in AI, and generating "what if" type images for car models long dead. Reincarnating a modern Toyota Paseo, Lincoln Mark IX, or Isuzu Trooper through a text prompt is fun. Fun to post them on Twitter too, and watch people overreact. To that end, the social media I use most is Twitter, @CoreyLewis86. I also contribute pieces for Forbes Wheels and Forbes Home.

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  • Flipper35 Flipper35 on Nov 06, 2018

    Didn't Jackie Chan drive one of these in one of his early movies?

  • Blackcloud_9 Blackcloud_9 on Nov 06, 2018

    Absolutely love that you could include a picture of the window sticker. I also love that one of the two "options" on the car was the Custom User/Processing fee for $20. A truly desirable add-on.

  • MaintenanceCosts It's not a Benz or a Jag / it's a 5-0 with a rag /And I don't wanna brag / but I could never be stag
  • 3-On-The-Tree Son has a 2016 Mustang GT 5.0 and I have a 2009 C6 Corvette LS3 6spd. And on paper they are pretty close.
  • 3-On-The-Tree Same as the Land Cruiser, emissions. I have a 1985 FJ60 Land Cruiser and it’s a beast off-roading.
  • CanadaCraig I would like for this anniversary special to be a bare-bones Plain-Jane model offered in Dynasty Green and Vintage Burgundy.
  • ToolGuy Ford is good at drifting all right... 😉
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