The History Of The Datsun Brand, What We Know In 2022

Datsun is an automobile brand owned by Nissan. For the first time, vehicles under this brand appeared in 1931, and the history of production begins in 1911. Nissan phased out the brand in 1986 and revived it again in 2013 to build vehicles for emerging markets.

In 1911, the Kwaishin-sha company is born, which, under the leadership of engineer Masujiro Hashimoto, produces the first Japanese cars, called DAT. This name was formed using the first letters of the partners' surnames: Den Kenjiro, Aoyama Rokuro, Takeuchi Meitaro. In addition, the name reflects the philosophy of the created vehicles: Durable (reliable), Attractive (attractive), Trustworthy (credible).

In addition to cars, the company manufactures trucks, mainly for military needs.

In 1919, another company appeared in Osaka, which became the progenitor of Dutsun. It was Jitsuyo Jidosha Seizo Kaisha. She specialized in the production of three- and four-wheel auto rickshaws, which were developed by the American aircraft designer William Gorham.

In 1926, Kwaishin-sha and Jitsuyo Jidosha Seizo Kaisha merged to form DAT Automobile Manufacturing Co., Ltd. headquartered in Osaka. In 1931, the newly formed company would merge with Tobata Casting to form the Honda Motor Co. two years later.

In 1933, another reorganization awaited the company: Datsun cars were produced by a company called Jidosha Seizo Co., Ltd., which was created by Tobata Casting Co., Ltd. and Nihon Sangyo Co., Ltd.

A year later, the automaker took the name Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. In the same year, the Datsun 13 model appears, the first batch of which is exported.

Since 1935, the production of Datsun has been using a conveyor, following the example of Ford Motor. The brand produces cars similar to the then popular Austin 7, manufactured by Austin Motor Cars.

In 1937, Japan entered the war with China. Because of this, the production of passenger cars was limited, and the Datsun plant in Yokohama focuses on the production of trucks for the army, as well as engines for aircraft and torpedo boats.

After the war, all the resources of the country are thrown into the restoration of railways, shipping and the steel industry. At this time, trucks were especially in demand.

The revival of the production of passenger cars began in 1947.

The models produced were mostly copies of the Somerset and Devon brands. The company experienced not only a difficult period of post-war reconstruction, but also constant strife between workers and management, which resulted in a 100-day strike. Having survived this crisis, the brand has developed a set of corporate policy rules based on mutual trust between employees and managers. They are still active.

In 1958, the Datsun 210 took part in the Australian Rally, one of the most grueling races in the world, and became the champion in its class.

A year later, the Datsun S211 roadster was released, designed by Hiro Ohta, who was a fan of British sports cars.

In 1960, a new factory was built in the city of Oppama, near Yokohama, which began producing cars in 1962.

In 1966, the Datsun 1000 is introduced, and the brand becomes the winner in the East African Safari Rally.

 In August 1971, the 610 series, also called the Bluebird-U, was launched in Japan.

In Europe, the model was sold under the names 160V or 180V, depending on the engine size. In the UK, the car's popularity meant further strengthening of Datsun's position as a leading Japanese importer.

In 1981, the decision was made to abandon the Datsun brand in favor of Nissan. The process began in the US and continued for five years. The Japanese automaker used a specialized advertising campaign Datsun by Nissan. The name change cost the company $500 million.

The reason for the rebranding was the desire of Nissan Motor management to optimize the costs of promoting their brand. In addition, the Japanese were haunted by the ever-increasing popularity of Toyota or Honda in the American market, along with the almost total obscurity of Nissan.

Interestingly, by the early 1990s, when the name Datsun had already been completely abandoned, in some markets it continued to be more recognizable than Nissan.

In 2001, Nissan launched the Datsun D22 pickup truck for the Japanese domestic market. However, the brand name was only used for this model. Its release continued until October 2002.

In 2012, Nissan Motor decides to revive the Datsun brand, under which budget cars are now produced for countries with a growing market.