About the Nissan brand

General Information

The Japanese corporation Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. (Nissan Jidosha KK) produces passenger cars, trucks, and buses under the Nissan and Datsun brands. In the premium segment, it is represented by the Infiniti brand. In addition to automobiles, the company manufactures sports boats and communication satellites. The corporation's headquarters is located in Tokyo. After the Asian crisis of 1998, Nissan Motor merged with Renault.

Corporate History

The company's history begins with the Kwaishinsha Co. plant, founded in 1911 in Tokyo's Azabu-Hiro district by Japanese automotive pioneer Masuhiro Hashimoto. In 1925, as a result of the merger of Kwaishinsha Co. (founded in 1911, produced Dat cars) and Jitsuo Jidosha Co. (founded in 1919), the company Dat Jidosha Seizo Co. was formed. The name Dat is composed of the first letters of the surnames of three patrons: Kenhiro Den, Rokuro Aoyama, and Meitaro Takeuchi.

The official founding date of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. is considered December 26, 1933, when the predecessor company Jidosha Seizo Co., Ltd. was established. Yoshisuke Aikawa was appointed president. On June 1, 1934, the name was changed to Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. In May 1935, the company decided to develop the Nissan brand, but until the 1980s, various modifications of Datsun cars, produced even before its creation, remained the face of the company (in 1983, the Datsun brand ceased to exist).

Nissan produced its first passenger car in 1931. The first passenger Datsun rolled off the assembly line at the Yokohama plant in April 1935. During World War II, the plants mainly produced trucks and other equipment for the army. In 1945, the enterprises were occupied, and production virtually stopped until 1955. Recovering its position after the war, two years later Nissan signed a technical cooperation agreement with the British Austin Motor Co., Ltd. and a year later produced the first Austin.

In 1958, car deliveries to the United States began, and in 1964, Nissan became the first Japanese company to enter the top ten largest auto importers in the US. In 1962, deliveries to Europe began. The first foreign assembly plant was opened in 1959 in Taiwan; currently, Nissan plants are located in 20 countries.

In 1960, the Nissan Cedric model was developed. This mid-size car became the largest in Japan in its class, featuring a spacious interior and comfortable handling like large sedans. At the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, the Olympic flame was transported from Greece to Japan in a Nissan Cedric. The Sunny, introduced in 1966, marked the arrival of the "personal car" era in Japan and became a driving force in the rapidly growing small car market.

In 1971, Nissan developed the first experimental safety vehicle (ESV), applying a record number of technologies to enhance safety.

In 1981, the company began promoting its cars worldwide under the Nissan brand as part of a new strategy. In the 1980s, two foreign production bases were established: Nissan Motor Manufacturing Corp., U.S.A. in the United States (1980) and Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) Limited in the United Kingdom (1984).

By the mid-1990s, the company was experiencing serious financial difficulties, and in 1999, its controlling stake was sold to French Renault. Renault owns 44.4% of Nissan shares, while Nissan owns 15% of Renault shares. Carlos Ghosn, who took over Nissan, implemented the Nissan Revival Plan (NRP) and led the company out of crisis, earning him great popularity in Japan.

Infiniti Division

In 1988, the Infiniti Division of Nissan North America was established in the United States, producing luxury cars competing with Mercedes, BMW, and Lexus. In November 1989, the famous Infiniti Q45 model entered the market.

Hybridization

In 2007, Nissan entered into an agreement with rival Toyota to use some hybrid drive technologies in the new Altima. This marked the beginning of the production of hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) running on both gasoline and electricity.

Nissan in Ukraine

In Ukraine, Nissan was represented from February 1992 by NISSAN TRADING EUROPE LIMITED, which was the official distributor of Nissan cars. In April 2005, Nissan opened a subsidiary in Ukraine, Nissan Motor Ukraine LLC. This enterprise is engaged in strengthening the brand image, managing and developing the dealer network, providing advertising and marketing support, performing distribution and importer functions, managing retail prices, organizing supplies, and building long-term partnerships with customers.