Subaru just sold its 2 millionth Outback
It took 24 years and a whole lot of Crocodile Dundee, but 2 million Outbacks later, we still love the recipe.
Hey, guess what? Subaru just sold its 2 millionth Outback. Wild right? It seems like just yesterday that we were watching music videos on MTV only to have Paul Hogan jump on the screen during the commercial break to sell us this kooky-looking station wagon.
That was 1996, by the way, and the commercial also featured Donald Gibb, who you may remember as Ogre from Revenge of the Nerds and Ray Jackson from Bloodsport. The world's first "sport utility wagon" has come a long way since then, growing in nearly every dimension and sneaking its way into the hearts of the American public.
Strewth! Now, Subaru's first million Outbacks took a long time to sell. The original Legacy Outback debuted in 1994 for the 1995 model year, and that first million-car milestone didn't occur until 2011. The second million only took seven years, and when you consider how small a company Subaru is, that's pretty amazing.
"Subaru has achieved 10 consecutive years of sales growth in the US with [the] Outback as a key driver of that success," said Thomas J. Doll, CEO, Subaru of America. "Accomplishing this milestone reflects our commitment to providing customers with vehicles made to the highest standards of safety, reliability and dependability."
Car No. 2,000,000 was sold in Hawthorne, California and the unsuspecting new owner was surprised by Paul Hogan and a giant animatronic crocodile! No, not really. He was surprised by Frank Ceccacci and Tim Tagye of Subaru of America, who gave him several gifts and made a charitable donation to Grades of Green -- an environmental charity that focuses on teaching school kids how to be environmentally friendly -- on his behalf.
The 2018 Outback may lack some of the quirk of the original but it still proudly carries that practical, affordable torch and hopefully it's not another seven years until Subaru sells another million of them.
