- Fuji Rabbit
The Fuji Rabbit was a
motor scooter produced inJapan byFuji Heavy Industries from 1946 through 1968.Production of the initial model, the S-1 began in 1946, some six months before theVespa went into production [cite web|url=http://www.fujirabbit.com/pages/frame_history.html|title=www.fujirabbit.com/pages/frame_history.html ] and was largely inspired by scooters used by American servicemen during and after World War II. Eventually the Fuji Rabbit scooters evolved into some of the most technologically sophisticated scooters of their era, featuring electric starters, automatic transmissions and pneumatic suspension systems. The Fuji Rabbit scooters were the first Japanese made scooters capable of reaching speeds in excess of 60 mph.As the Japanese economy expanded, the demand for scooters decreased in favor of more comfortable four wheel transport, and Fuji diversified into automobiles in 1958 with the introduction of the
Subaru 360 . The last Fuji scooter rolled off the production line in June 1968.Although not very well known outside of Japan, the Fuji Rabbit has earned itself a place in Japanese pop culture as a symbol of nostalgia. Fuji Rabbits have been featured in Japanese animated series such as
FLCL andParanoia Agent and are a favourite amongst collectors of scooters and motorcycles in Japan.In North America, the Fuji Rabbit is best known for starting Malcolm Bricklin's motor vehicle career. (Bricklin was later responsible for importing theSubaru 360 and theYugo hatchback, as well as producing his own car, among other things).The main importer for North America was the American Rabbit Corporation.References
External links
* [http://www.fujirabbit.com/ Fuji Rabbit.com]
* [http://users.zoominternet.net/~swift/scoot.html The Original Fuji Rabbit Motorscooter Homepage]
* [http://www.chu6.co.jp/rabbit/ Japanese Rabbit Website]
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