BALTIMORE (Map, News) - “Cheap and ugly.”

That was the advertising slogan when Subaru introduced its first cars to America.

The 1969 Subaru 360 hit the U.S. market in late 1968 — 10 years after its introduction in Japan — and rapidly became a sales success. Weighing less than 1,000 pounds and under 10 feet long, the little dynamo lit a fire that still burns in the hearts of many enthusiasts.

It all began with airplanes, when the Aircraft Research Laboratory was formed in Japan in 1917. A 1931 reorganization resulted in the formation of Nakajima Aircraft Company, Ltd., the main supplier of Japan’s aircraft during World War II. After the war, the company diversified to produce motor scooters, using spare airplane parts. The company again reorganized in 1953 to form Fuji Heavy Industries, which introduced its first car, the Subaru P1, the following year.

Today, there are three known surviving examples of the 360, the car that started it all in America. One of these is owned by Subaru of America and has been meticulously restored, with most work now complete after an investment of about $25,000. With four doors (the front two “suicide doors” open from the center column), the import seated four, featured rear drive, and boasted a rear-mounted two-cycle engine.

“They said it could top off at 60 miles per hour,” said Ted Dicks, marketing services manager for Subaru of America But he has his doubts.

“Maybe going downhill with a tail wind,” he laughed. Gas mileage, on the other hand, was phenomenal: 66 miles per gallon.

One thing that makes a Subaru seem so sweet is its reputation for dependability. Among those who sing its praises is Nick McKerrow, who works at a local car repair facility that services “all makes, all models.” He says he doesn’t get much opportunity to work on Subaru’s, noting, “They will run forever as long as you do basic maintenance. We just don’t see that many come into the shop with something wrong.”

So what about truth in advertising? Was it cheap? With an MSRP of $1,297, it certainly was an inexpensive mode of transportation. Ugly? Well, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.