How many 1997 Subaru SVX were made?
The 1997 Subaru SVX was produced in the low thousands, with no official annual tally published by Subaru. Across all model years, the SVX is generally estimated to total about 24,000–26,000 units, and the 1997 model year comprised only a portion of that total.
This article examines what is publicly known about the SVX’s production, how experts estimate yearly counts, and what factors shaped the final-year output. Because Subaru did not release a formal year-by-year breakdown, figures rely on registries, dealer archives, and enthusiast databases, which can vary slightly in their counts.
Context: What is the Subaru SVX?
The SVX, short for Sports Vectored Xtra, debuted in the early 1990s as Subaru’s distinctive all-wheel-drive coupe. It featured a 3.3-liter flat-six engine and a unique design that set it apart from Subaru’s more mainstream models. Production ran from 1991 through 1997, making it a rare and collectible example of Subaru’s experimentation with a luxury-oriented, performance-focused two-door in that era. The limited production volumes contribute to the ongoing interest and debate over exact yearly totals.
1997 production: What counts do enthusiasts report?
Because Subaru did not publish a formal year-by-year tally, estimates for 1997 come from vehicle registries, club databases, and archival material kept by dealers and collectors. The consensus among reputable SVX registries is that the 1997 model year produced in the low thousands worldwide, with the United States and Japan accounting for the majority of units. The final year’s output reflected a taper as production wound down ahead of the model’s discontinuation.
Estimates commonly place 1997 SVX production roughly in the range of 3,000 to 5,000 units globally. Discrepancies between sources usually stem from how they count export variants, regional allocations, and whether they include limited or non-US market examples in their tallies.
Market distribution and regional notes
SVX sales occurred in multiple markets, most notably the United States and Japan, with smaller allocations elsewhere. Regional production decisions, dealer stock, and import timelines all influence how many units end up attributed to 1997 in different registries. Because there was no published per-country breakdown from Subaru, exact regional counts remain approximate in most references.
Why official numbers are hard to pin down
Subaru did not release a detailed, public year-by-year production ledger for the SVX. As a result, tallies rely on independent registries, archived dealership records, and enthusiast-consolidated data. These sources can yield slightly different results depending on what variants are counted and how regional production is allocated, which is why precise 1997 figures are not universally agreed upon.
Summary
In summary, the 1997 Subaru SVX was produced during the model’s final year of a limited-run production, with total SVX output across 1991–1997 commonly cited as about 24,000–26,000 units. The 1997 model year accounted for a minority of that total, generally estimated to be between 3,000 and 5,000 units worldwide. Subaru’s lack of an official year-by-year tally means enthusiasts rely on registries and archival sources to piece together the breakdown, which can vary slightly between reports.
How many Subaru SVX are left?
Estimates suggest there are around 700 Subaru SVX vehicles left in the US and approximately 130 in the UK as of recent reports. These numbers are based on estimations of surviving vehicles as a percentage of the original sales figures, with the UK's 130 cars representing about 5% of their total sales.
- United States: An estimated 700 SVX models remain, calculated by applying the same 5% survival rate from the UK to the total U.S. sales of 14,257 units.
- United Kingdom: There are approximately 130 SVX vehicles remaining.
- Note: These figures are estimates and the actual numbers could differ.
How many Subaru SVX were sold?
Sales dropped significantly for the next few years before falling to just 640 units in 1997, at which point Subaru discontinued the vehicle. Overall sales of the SVX were 14,257 in the United States and a total of approximately 25,000 worldwide. 2,478 SVXs were sold in Europe (with 854 headed directly to Germany).
Are Subaru SVX parts hard to find?
Parts are difficult to find and often at a premium, suggesting that original donor cars are becoming more scarce and valuable.
Is the Subaru SVX a collector car?
Japanese sports cars are all the rage in the collecting game, and we can see why. Flying around in an ever-stylish portal to the past can be a thrill if you do it right. The SVX is a rare gem, with the 1997 Subaru SVX LSi being the most precious pearl.
