Guest Article

Datsun, Nissan, and Infiniti: One Automaker’s Progress

Most motorists are unaware of the history of the company that produces their vehicle. Oh, sure, if you own a Ford, you know that Henry Ford was behind the company’s launch. You may have also known that Walter P. Chrysler was the man who gave one automaker its name too. How about the foreign brands? Who was Daimler? How did Saab get its name? Where oh where did the Nissan name come from? Well, there isn’t enough room to discuss all the different brands out there, so let’s take a look at one Japanese automaker that has a rich and interesting history all of its own.

What company am I talking about? Why, that would be Nissan. Unknown to many Americans, the Japanese auto building industry can be traced back nearly one hundred years. During the First World War, several Japanese companies began to produce cars and one company, the forerunner of the Datsun Company, released its first model. The DAT part of the name comprised the first letter of the last names of each of its founders and by the early 1930s, the company’s name was officially named Datsun, or son of DAT.

Soon thereafter, Datsun merged with Nissan and the Nissan name took hold. However, as far as the marketing of its cars the Datsun name was used exclusively for cars that were exported [beginning in the early 1950s] and it was the name that stuck with American drivers for several decades. As with the growth of any company, Nissan took a hard look at the Datsun name and decided to get rid of it in favor of Nissan. Citing a desire to unify the company under one brand, the Datsun name was terminated in favor of Nissan beginning with the 1983 model year.

For consumers, the change took some time to accept, but with reassurances from Nissan that Datsun parts and nissan parts were the same, the new name was gradually accepted. Today, few younger drivers are even aware of the Datsun name. Soon after the transition from Datsun to Nissan, the company decided to bring a line of luxury cars to the U.S. market. With the new name in place, internal discussions were held as to the viability of selling luxury cars under a brand name associated with standard models.

With the recent launch of Honda’s luxury brand, Acura, in mind Nissan officials decided to come up with a new brand one that they called Infiniti. With Infiniti, Nissan was able to sell upscale Nissan models that shared much with other vehicles. For example, an Infiniti clutch could be found in any number of Nissan models, saving the company money in development costs.

The aftermarket parts industry took notice too and began to produce quality parts such as an aem cold air intake and performance exhaust parts that were specific to Infiniti models. While Nissan managed to successfully make key changes during the 1980s, the company stumbled badly during the 1990s due to severe financial problems. Eventually, controlling interesting in Nissan was purchased by French automaker Renault who then helped to turn the company around.

Today, Nissan is stronger than ever and both the Infiniti and Nissan brands are praised for their high quality vehicles and undisputed value. So, that’s it. Datsun, Nissan, and Infiniti are important names in automotive history. Thanks to the makers of the first DAT automobile, we now have two brands, which are capably serving consumers worldwide.