History of Nissan in Timeline
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. is a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. It markets vehicles under the Nissan and Infiniti brands, and previously the Datsun brand. Nismo and Autech are used for in-house performance tuning products. Nissan's history traces back to the early 20th century with the Nissan zaibatsu, or Nissan Group.
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1908: Aikawa's Visit to Detroit
In 1908, Aikawa's visit to Detroit greatly affected Nissan's future, influencing the adoption of cutting-edge auto making technology from America.
1914: First Car Produced
In 1914, Kwaishinsha Motor Car Works produced its first car, called the DAT.
1918: Company Renamed and Truck Production Begins
In 1918, Kwaishinsha Motor Car Works was renamed Kaishinsha Motorcar Co., Ltd., and the company began producing the first DAT trucks for the military market.
1919: Establishment of Jitsuyo Jidosha Co., Ltd
In 1919, Jitsuyo Jidosha Co., Ltd was established as a Kubota subsidiary.
1923: Production of Lila light cars and trucks
From 1923 to 1925, the company produced light cars and trucks under the name of Lila.
1923: Impact of the Great Kantō Earthquake
In 1923, the Great Kantō earthquake heavily influenced DAT Motors' output, which primarily consisted of trucks due to disaster recovery efforts.
1925: Production of Lila light cars and trucks
From 1923 to 1925, the company produced light cars and trucks under the name of Lila.
1925: Company Renamed DAT Jidosha & Co., Ltd.
In 1925, Kaishinsha Motorcar Co., Ltd. was renamed DAT Jidosha & Co., Ltd. (DAT Motorcar Co.).
1928: Nihon Sangyo Holding Company Founded
In 1928, Yoshisuke Aikawa founded the holding company Nihon Sangyo (Japan Industries).
1929: DAT Automobile Manufacturing Inc. Merges with IHI Corporation
In 1929, DAT Automobile Manufacturing Inc. merged with a separated part of the manufacturing business of IHI Corporation to become Automobile Industries Co., Ltd.
1931: DAT Jidosha Seizo Affiliation with Tobata Casting
In 1931, DAT Jidosha Seizo became affiliated with Tobata Casting.
1931: Introduction of Datsun Type 11
In 1931, DAT introduced a new smaller car called the Datsun Type 11, initially named "Datson".
1932: DAT Jidosha Seizo Co., Ltd. operations
DAT Jidosha Seizo Co., Ltd. Automobile Manufacturing Co., Ltd. operated in Osaka until 1932.
1933: Merger into Tobata Casting
In 1933, DAT Jidosha Seizo was merged into Tobata Casting, a Nissan company, marking the beginning of Nissan's automobile manufacturing.
1933: Aikawa Enters Automobile Manufacturing
In 1933, Yoshisuke Aikawa entered automobile manufacturing after Nissan Group zaibatsu took control of DAT Motors.
1933: Name Change to Datsun
In 1933, after Nissan Group zaibatsu took control of DAT Motors, the last syllable of Datson was changed to "sun", because "son" also means "loss" in Japanese, hence the name "Datsun".
1933: Company Name Nipponized and Relocation to Yokohama
In 1933, the company name was Nipponized to Jidosha-Seizo Co., Ltd. and moved to Yokohama.
June 1934: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. Owned by Nihon Sangyo and Hitachi
In June 1934, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. effectively became owned by Nihon Sangyo and Hitachi after Aikawa bought out all the Tobata Casting shareholders.
1934: Datsun Builds Austin 7s Under License
From 1934, Datsun began to build Austin 7s under license, marking the beginning of Datsun's international success.
1935: Yokohama Plant Completion and First Car Manufactured
In 1935, the construction of Nissan's Yokohama plant was completed and the first car manufactured by an integrated assembly system rolled off the line. Also in 1935, 44 Datsuns were shipped to Asia, Central and South America.
November 1937: Nissan Headquarters Moved to Xinjing
In November 1937, Nissan moved its headquarters to Xinjing, the capital of Manchukuo.
1937: Assembling Larger Vehicles Under the "Nissan" Brand
In 1937, when Nissan started to assemble larger vehicles under the "Nissan" brand, much of the design plans and plant facilities were supplied by the Graham-Paige Company.
1940: First Knockdown Kits Shipped to Dowa Jidosha Kogyo
In 1940, the first knockdown kits were shipped to Dowa Jidosha Kogyo for assembly.
1944: Head Office Moved and Name Changed to Nissan Heavy Industries, Ltd.
In 1944, the head office was moved to Nihonbashi, Tokyo, and the company name was changed to Nissan Heavy Industries, Ltd.
1949: Nissan Heavy Industries, Ltd. Name Retained
In 1949, Nissan retained the name Nissan Heavy Industries, Ltd.
1952: Agreement with Austin
In 1952, Nissan entered into a legal agreement with Austin, for Nissan to assemble 2,000 Austins from imported partially assembled sets and sell them in Japan under the Austin trademark.
1953: Assembly and Sale of British-Built Austins
In 1953, British-built Austins were assembled and sold in Japan by Nissan under license from Austin.
1955: Union Contract and Productivity
Between 1955 and 1973, Nissan expanded rapidly on the basis of technical advances supported by the union. In 1955, A new labor union was formed, with Shioji Ichiro one of its leaders. Ichiro's idea was made part of a new union contract that prioritized productivity.
1955: Austin A50 Production
By 1955, the Austin A50, completely built by Nissan and featuring a new 1489 cc engine, was on the market in Japan.
1957: Entry into Middle East Market
Nissan entered the Middle East market in 1957 when it sold its first car in Saudi Arabia.
1958: Datsun Bluebird Showcased at Los Angeles Auto Show
In 1958, Nissan first showcased the Datsun Bluebird at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
1959: End of Austin Production
From 1953 to 1959, Nissan produced 20,855 Austins.
1960: Formation of Nissan Motor Corporation U.S.A.
Nissan formed a US subsidiary, Nissan Motor Corporation U.S.A., in Gardena, California in 1960 headed by Yutaka Katayama.
1964: Establishment of Nissan Gallery and Miss Fairladys
In 1964, Nissan established a gallery in Ginza, Tokyo, and introduced the Nissan Miss Fairladys, modeled after "Datsun Demonstrators" from the 1930s, to market the Datsun Fairlady 1500.
1964: Development of Six-Cylinder Variation of L Series Engine
In 1969, Nissan introduced the Datsun 240Z sports car which used a six-cylinder variation of the L series engine, developed under Nissan Machinery (Nissan Koki Co., Ltd. 日産工機) in 1964.
1966: Introduction of A series engine
In 1966, Nissan leveraged the Austin patents to further develop its own modern engine designs and introduced the new design A series engine.
1966: Nissan Merges with Prince Motor Company
In 1966, Nissan merged with the Prince Motor Company, bringing more upmarket cars, including the Skyline and Gloria, into its selection.
1967: Introduction of Nissan L engine
In 1967, Nissan introduced its new highly advanced four-cylinder overhead cam (OHC) Nissan L engine, which powered the new Datsun 510.
1969: Introduction of the Datsun 240Z
In 1969, Nissan introduced the Datsun 240Z sports car which used a six-cylinder variation of the L series engine, developed under Nissan Machinery in 1964.
1970: Establishment of Teocar
In 1970, Teocar was established, which was a Greek assembly plant created in cooperation with local Nissan distributor Theocharakis.
1973: Nissan's Expansion
Between 1955 and 1973, Nissan expanded rapidly on the basis of technical advances supported by the union. In 1955, A new labor union was formed, with Shioji Ichiro one of its leaders. Ichiro's idea was made part of a new union contract that prioritized productivity.
1986: Halberstam's Book on Gorham
In his 1986 book The Reckoning, David Halberstam wrote of Gorham's significant impact on the founding and technology of Nissan Motor Company.
2004: Nismo Featured at the World Series by Nissan Concludes
In 2004, Nismo's feature at the World Series by Nissan concluded.
2007: Nissan Red Stage Replaced
As of 2007, Nissan Red Stage has been replaced as a Nissan dealership.
2007: Nissan Sponsorship of Los Angeles Open Concludes
In 2007, Nissan's sponsorship of the Los Angeles Open golf tournament ended, concluding a 20-year partnership.
April 2008: Additional Miss Fairlady Candidates
In April 2008, 14 more Miss Fairlady candidates were added, for a total of 45 Nissan Miss Fairlady pageants.
April 2012: Additional Miss Fairlady Candidates
In April 2012, 7 more Miss Fairlady candidates were added, for a total of 48 Nissan Miss Fairlady pageants.
2012: Nissan Technical Center 30th Anniversary
In 2012, at its 30th anniversary, Nissan Technical Center (NTC) employed 9,500 employees in product development, design, production engineering, and purchasing.
April 2013: Additional Miss Fairlady Candidates
In April 2013, 6 more Miss Fairlady candidates were added to Ginza showroom, for a total of 27 48th Ginza Nissan Miss Fairlady pageants.
September 2013: Nissan Leaf Granted License Plate for Autonomous Driving Tests
In September 2013, a Nissan Leaf equipped with a prototype Advanced Driver Assistance System received a license plate allowing it to be driven on Japanese public roads for testing autonomous driving software.
January 2014: Nissan LEAF Sales Reach 100,000
In January 2014, global sales of the Nissan LEAF reached 100,000 units, capturing a 45 percent market share of worldwide pure electric vehicles sold since 2010.
2015: Nissan Becomes Naming Rights Sponsor for Nissan Stadium
Beginning in 2015, Nissan became the naming rights sponsor for Nissan Stadium, the home of the Tennessee Titans and Tennessee State University football teams in Nashville, and also became the official sponsor of the Heisman Trophy and UEFA Champions League.
June 2016: Nissan Announces Range Extender Car
In June 2016, Nissan announced its plan to introduce its first range extender car in Japan before March 2017. The series plug-in hybrid system, dubbed e-Power, debuted with the Nissan Gripz concept crossover showcased at the September 2015 Frankfurt Auto Show.
October 2016: Nissan controlling stake in Mitsubishi Motors
In October 2016, Nissan held a 34% controlling stake in Mitsubishi Motors as part of the Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance.
December 2016: Nissan Global Electric Vehicle Sales Pass 275,000 Units
In December 2016, Nissan's global electric vehicle sales surpassed 275,000 units, marking a significant milestone for the company's electric vehicle program.
2017: Nissan Sixth Largest Automaker
In 2017, Nissan was the sixth largest automaker in the world, following Toyota, Volkswagen Group, Hyundai Motor Group, General Motors and Ford.
2019: Nissan Sponsors Nissan Arena in Brisbane
Since 2019, Nissan has been the naming rights sponsor for Nissan Arena, the home of the Brisbane Bullets basketball team and Queensland Firebirds netball team in Brisbane, Australia.
December 2020: Nissan LEAF Reaches 500,000 Global Deliveries
By December 2020, 10 years after its introduction, cumulative global deliveries of Nissan LEAF cars had reached 500,000 units, marking a significant milestone.
2022: Nissan Ninth Largest Automaker
With a revenue of $78 billion in 2022, Nissan was the ninth largest automobile maker in the world.
November 2023: Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance
As of November 2023, Renault holds a 15% voting stake in Nissan, while Nissan holds the same stake in Renault, as part of the Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance.
November 2023: Nissan to Build Electric Versions of Qashqai and Juke in Britain
In November 2023, Nissan announced its intention to build electric versions of the Qashqai and Juke at its plant in Britain, expanding its electric vehicle lineup.
November 2024: Nissan reduces stake in Mitsubishi Motors
In November 2024, Nissan reduced its stake in Mitsubishi Motors from 34% to 24%.
November 2024: Nissan executive quoted about company's future
In November 2024, a Nissan executive was quoted as saying that the company had as little as 12 months left to live, barring any major events.
December 2024: Nissan planned merger with Honda
Nissan planned to merge with Honda Motor Company in 2026, after an announcement in December 2024.
February 2025: Nissan abandoned merger plans with Honda
By February 2025, Nissan announced it would abandon merger plans as the automaker stated that it wanted to become an equal partner to Honda rather than a subsidiary.
2026: Planned Merger with Honda
Nissan had planned to merge with Honda Motor Company in 2026, but later abandoned the merger plans.
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