Subaru World Rally Team Withdraws. March 2009

FHI has participated in the WRC over the past 19 years together with Prodrive, a United Kingdom based motorsports and automotive engineering group.
SWRT won three manufacturers championships and three driver's championships, which FHI says helped enhance the value of the Subaru brand as well as the sales expansion of its vehicles worldwide.

However, FHI says the business environment has dramatically changed due to the quick deterioration of the global economy. In order to optimise management resources and further strengthen the Subaru brand, FHI decided to withdraw from the WRC.

FHI will continue to support teams and drivers that participate in the Production World Rally Championship, or the Group N category.
The President and Chief Executive Officer of Fuji Heavy Industries, Mr Ikuo Mori, said reaching the decision had been an extremely difficult task, not least with regard to the countless Subaru fans that for many years have cheered the legendary Subaru blue Impreza World Rally Car.

Subaru World Rally Team achievements:
1990 - Start full scale entry to WRC, with the Legacy, known in Australia as Liberty
1993 - Legacy won first overall at Rally New Zealand
1994 - full participation in WRC
1995-1997 - won the WRC Manufacturers crown three times consecutively
1995 - Colin McRae won WRC1995 Driver's title
2001 - Richard Burns won WRC2001 Driver's title
2003 - Petter Solberg won WRC2003 Driver's title.