General Questions » oncepts and style to Nissan

The Early Days
Nissan has demonstrated a commitment to innovation since the company’s founding in 1933. Not only are Datsuns the first mass-produced Japanese vehicles Travis Dermott Maple Leafs Jersey , their unique, automotive style makes a major impact on the U.S. market when Datsun sedans and compact pickups are first imported in the late ’50s.


1914
The first Datsun is built.


1933
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., is established in Japan.


1937
The Datsun Type 15 is the first mass-produced Japanese vehicle. Other Type 15 models include a mini-pickup and delivery van.


1958
The first Datsun sedan arrives in the United States. The strong, heavy 1200 Sedan packs a 48-hp 1200-cc engine encased in thick body panels.


1959
The first Datsun compact pickup is sold in America. Originally imported with a modest 37-hp 1000-cc engine, the upgraded model features a 48-hp 1200-cc version. This quarter-ton pickup firmly establishes Datsun in the American market.


The Sixties


Toward the end of this decade of change, Nissan has built a strong reputation in both the American and the Japanese markets. The Datsun 2000 roadster Tim Horton Maple Leafs Jersey , valued both for its style and performance, becomes synonymous with early Nissan design. Soon after, the Datsun ‘Z’ changes the way people think of sports cars.


1960
Nissan Motor Corporation U.S.A. (NMC) is established in Gardena, California. The model year witnesses the birth of Datsun’s first sports car, the SPL 210. This high, narrow, 4-seat roadster features a fold down soft top with side curtains Tiger Williams Maple Leafs Jersey , ‘4 on the floor,’ and a 48-hp 1200-cc engine (soon replaced by an 85-hp version).


1962
Focused on American driving needs, the Bluebird is the first Datsun with a full synchronized 3-speed transmission. It also sports classic two-tone paint, wide whitewalls and optional bucket seats. Off the road, Nissan’s first utility vehicle, The Patrol, makes its debut Tie Domi Maple Leafs Jersey , with TV hero Roy Rogers as its spokesman. Pitched as the world’s most powerful, most advanced 4-wheel drive, the Patrol’s brawny 145-hp 4000-cc 6-cylinder engine develops enough torque ‘to climb trees.’


1966
The first Japanese-owned production facility in North America, Nissan Mexicana (NMEX) manufactures its first vehicle.


1967
The Datsun most-desired by collectors, the 2000 Roadster, is also the first Japanese production sports car to come with a 5-speed. That, plus its robust 150-hp engine Peter Holland Maple Leafs Jersey , makes it extra fun to drive. Production is limited to 1,000 and the first 10 are lightweight versions for racing. The 2000 Roadster wins 10 SCCA National Championships between 1967 and 1987.


1968
Nissan launches the first car styled for the U.S. market, the Datsun 510 sedan.


1969
Datsun introduces the ‘Z’ as a 1970 model. By offering European performance, plus creature comforts like roll-up windows and a heater – all at an affordable price – the 240Z becomes the best-selling sports car in the world. The Corvette took nearly twenty-five years to sell 500,000 units; the Z does it in fewer than ten.


The Seventies


In the ’70s, Nissan continues to gain in popularity, with annual U.S. sales surpassing a quarter of a million cars. Nissan also begins to display unrivaled racing skills Nazem Kadri Maple Leafs Jersey , with the Datsun 510 winning a number of championship races. Meantime, the civilian 510 provides the verve of a sports car to the general driving population, a goal Nissan achieves to this day through the Maxima and Sentra SE-R.


1971
Annual sales in the United States pass the quarter million mark. Nissan also establishes itself on the racetrack: the BRE 510 wins the SCCA 2.5-liter Trans-Am Championship in 1971, claiming Nissan’s first professional racing championship. It proceeds to dominate the series, winning 15 out of 21 events. Meanwhile, another 510 wins the East African Safari, while yet another wins the American Rally Championship in 1971. Today Morgan Rielly Maple Leafs Jersey , the 510 enjoys a cult-like following and is still active in SCCA club racing.


1972
The civilian 510 introduces a new concept: a 4-door sports sedan. This good-looking, 5-passenger family car is fun to drive, economical, and sells over 300,000 sedans and wagons. As a result, race-bred sportiness remains very much part of Nissan today.


1973
The one-millionth Datsun vehicle is sold in America.


1975
Datsun becomes the top U.S. vehicle importer.


1977
Nissan expands the idea of how much work a truck can do by introducing the King Cab, the first extended cab pickup.


1979
Nissan Design International (NDI) is established in La Jolla Mitchell Marner Maple Leafs Jersey , California, to provide American concepts and style to Nissan vehicles. Among their many creations (including today’s popular Xterra SUV) is the ‘out there’ Gobi Truck concept. Developed in the late 1980s, it is a direct extension of the very first Datsun truck.


The Eighties


In the ’80s, the Nissan bran