When Bruce Willis Helped Subaru Sell the Legacy

The Subaru Legacy: Why it’s Important

If there’s one model that brought Subaru to the modern age, it’s the original Legacy. Launched in 1989, it’s officially been retired for the 2026 model year, so we thought it would be a good time to revisit it. The car was designed to take on the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry in sales, and the Mitsubishi Galant in motorsports. It was Gunma’s first true midsize sedan, and was worlds away from the brand’s previous efforts.

The first-generation Subaru Legacy is memorable for a number of reasons. Of course, the most important is its significance to the company, but its exploits in rallying would mark the beginning of the brand’s longtime association with that specific motorsport discipline.

The Touring Bruce

Of course, the Legacy is known for all those things in its home market of Japan. But another thing that made it memorable there was a series of ad campaigns that have likely been ingrained in JDM car culture. We are, of course, talking about the Bruce Willis era. Willis appeared in the Japanese-market Legacy’s promotional materials from 1991 to 1993 from print ads, brochures, and TV commercials. Call it odd, but it reflected Subaru’s mood at the time with its bolder and more daring direction, at least for the Japanese market.

Perhaps as a thank you to the actor’s services for the company, Subaru introduced the Legacy Touring Bruce in 1993. Admittedly, there’s not much info about it, although it might have been a run-out special for the first-generation model’s final model year. That year also coincides with Fuji Heavy Industries’ 40th anniversary.

Mind you, this wouldn’t be the last time Subaru and Willis would work together. The two reunited again in 2005 when the Legacy celebrated three million cumulative sales since its introduction in 1989. Sadly, no Touring Bruce edition was made for the fourth-generation model.

The Legacy of the First Legacy

Of course, having a celebrity endorser wasn’t the only reason why the first-generation Legacy became successful. Beyond the advancements and the motorsports entries, it helped that it was a genuinely good car despite the stiff competition at the time. Remember, the midsize sedan market was one of the hotly contested segments at the time. Oh, how times have changed.

The Legacy’s end of production in 2025 and subsequent discontinuation in 2026 mark the end of an era for Subaru. While it never really challenged the Accord and Camry in terms of volume, the Legacy was still a success in its own right. It’s the car that changed the course of the brand, and, let’s be honest, gave it more financial security.

It can be said that its early success inspired the company to push for models like the Impreza, Outback, and Forester, further boosting its sales and product portfolio. Without the Legacy, Subaru might look like a totally different automaker today.