Nissan Makes Great Automobiles

By: Jason Petrina



Nissan Motor Company is quite a success story and is seen as a symbol of the new Japanese economy. This car company is the third largest automaker in Japan, after Toyota and Honda and for many years was number two. Originally known as Datsun the name was changed in 1983. Nissan was founded in 1914 in Tokyo and built the DAT, the car’s name was an acronym of the partners in the company, Den, Aoyama and Takeuchi. Renamed Kwaishinsha Motorcar Company in 1918, and renamed n 1925 to DAT Motorcar Company. N 1939 the company merged with Jitsuyo Jidosha Company, LTD, an Osaka based company. In 1933 the company name was Nipponized to Jidosha-Seizo Company LTD which means Automobile Manufacturing Company LTD and the company moved to Yokohama.

Nissan formed a partnership with a European company to gain access to automobile and engine designs, partnering with Austin which later became the British Motor corporation. Nissan built Austin automobiles in the 1930’s as well as Datsuns based on Austin designs under license agreement. Nissan merged with the Prince Motor Company in 1966 and produced their Skyline and Gloria autos under the Nissan name. With the world fuel crisis Nissan became a major exporter of automobile engines and set up factories in Mexico and Australia to meet demand. These plants have been followed by plants in Tennessee, Mississippi, South Africa and England. Plans are to move their offices from Tokyo back to Yokohama in 2010.

In the mid-1990’s Nissan began to experience financial difficulties that threatened to destroy the company. French owned Renault rode to the rescue and purchased a controlling share in the formerly completely Japanese owned company. The first non-Japanese president of a Japanese auto manufacturing company was introduced and the next few years saw tremendous rebounds in terms of Nissan’s success. Record profits were achieved and the model-line ups were able to achieve a dramatic revitalization.

Nissan’s products include cars and trucks as well as marine engines. They have a small group of keicars they jointly manufacture with Suzuki and Mitsubishi, and a model of luxury cars known as the Infiniti. Their strength however is in mainstream cars and trucks. Nissan automobiles and trucks are an easy sight to see in America, Canada or Europe as well as their native Japan.

Nissan, as Datsun, gained prominence in the 1970’s in the US when they introduced the Datsun 240Z sports car. This was a lower priced and very hot sports car that quickly gained a strong share of enthusiasts in the American market, with a hot four cylinder engine. Successors to the 240Z were the 260Z and the 280Z, and many American hot rod magazines featured articles on a few racing enthusiasts who placed the engine of a Z-28 Camaro into a Datsun 240Z, designating it he 240Z-28.

Types of cars manufactured by Nissan and popular in the world market include luxury cars, sports cars, standard cars, pick up trucks, SUV’s, mini vans, and commercial trucks. Their diesel models are also very popular. Originally in the US the Datsun reputation was as a cheap to purchase and cheap to operate vehicle without emphasis on quality. That reputation over the years has changed greatly and Nissan today is highly regarded as a very well made manufacturer of automobiles. Their recent close relationship with Renault, a French auto maker which now owns controlling interest in Nissan has helped them tremendously, just as Mazda’s relationship with Ford has helped them. Nissan cars and trucks can be found and depended on all over the world.



Jason Petrina is the Editor and Publisher of Article Click. For more FREE articles for your ezine and websites visit - www.articleclick.com