This Leone quietly introduced a world first: Japan's first automatic-transmission all-wheel-drive car, switched on with a button thanks to a wet multi-plate clutch nobody else had built yet.
Median 92 hp across 295 similar cars
Lead trim: 1.8 EA81 turbo
Subaru Leone second generationAB2/AB4/AM2/AF5/AJ5 · 1979–1984
- 0spots by members
- Unclaimednobody has spotted one yet
- 0sets it belongs to
Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Subaru Leone second generation yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactThis Leone quietly introduced a world first: Japan's first automatic-transmission all-wheel-drive car, switched on with a button thanks to a wet multi-plate clutch nobody else had built yet.
The first complete Leone update, in June 1979, released as a two-door hardtop coupé, four-door sedan, station wagon and a three-door hatchback ("Swingback" in Japan) that offered four-wheel drive. It brought a dual-range four-speed 4WD transmission with manual ride-height adjustment. In November 1981 Subaru introduced Japan's first all-wheel-drive vehicle with an automatic transmission, using the world's first "wet hydraulic multi-plate clutch". The 1.8 L EA81 joined at launch, with a turbocharged version in November 1983. The BRAT pickup shared this platform.
Collectors Spotted in the Subaru Leone Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Subaru Leone yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
2 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.8 EA81 | 1979–1984 | 1.8 L Flat-4 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1.8 EA81 turbo | 1983–1984 | 1.8 L Flat-4 | 95 hp | 123 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
The "RX" on this Leone stands for "Rally-X" — and this is the car, decades before the badge existed, that the Subaru WRX descends from.
This Leone quietly introduced a world first: Japan's first automatic-transmission all-wheel-drive car, switched on with a button thanks to a wet multi-plate clutch nobody else had built yet.
The Leone 1400 RX coupe was ahead of its time: one of the first Japanese cars ever sold with four-wheel disc brakes.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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