The car-loving comedy duo "Ogiyahagi" delves into the "car history" of their guests on "Ogiyahagi's Car History NO CAR, NO LIFE!" (BS Nippon TV, Saturday 9pm). On December 6th, former Subaru engineer Eiji Tatsumi, who developed the first Legacy, will be appearing.
Subaru, which had not been able to ride the wave of the bubble economy, risked its future by investing huge amounts of money in developing the Legacy. When it was released in 1989 as the successor to the third-generation Leone, which was Subaru's flagship model at the time, it was loved around the world for a long time.
Tatsumi-san carried out thorough driving tests, saying, "For safety and peace of mind, let's perfect the driving performance," and recalled, "After driving about 1 million kilometers, I felt like I began to understand the car a little better." Due to poor sales, Tatsumi-san and many other developers were seconded to dealerships, where they learned firsthand how difficult sales can be. The sense of crisis they felt from these experiences changed the atmosphere within the company.
He said that the development costs were "astronomical when you think about it now," and revealed an episode that made him feel the company's spirit, saying, "I think it was the decision of Subaru's upper management and management that they were going to go ahead with it even if it cost that much." The program also features the first-generation Legacy and the Leone, which was the catalyst for development, and they compare the two cars.
Sales of the Legacy came to an end in Japan in March of this year, much to the regret of many. Ogi Hiroaki expressed his true feelings, saying, "It's sad. I'm sad too." Tatsumi also spoke frankly about his thoughts.
