Nissan

Nissan is a brand of cars produced by the Japanese company of the same name, headquartered in Yokohama. Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. is one of the three largest Japanese automakers along with Toyota and Honda. It is engaged in the manufacture of cars, commercial and trucks, auto components, as well as communication satellites, sports boats.

Nissan was founded in 1925 by the merger of Kwaishinsha Co., which made Dat cars, and Jitsuo Jidosha Co. The first name was Dat Jidosha Seizo Co. The official date of birth of the automaker is December 26, 1933, when Jidosha Seizo Co., Ltd. was formed. with President Yoshisuke Aikawa. On June 1, 1934, the company was renamed Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.

Soon she built the first car factory in Yokohama. Its design capacity was 15 thousand units per year. However, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. there was no experience, no personnel, no technology for the manufacture of their own cars. The Americans had the most advanced experience at that time, and Yoshisuke Aikawa began to look for a partner to create a joint venture.

The choice fell on the concern General Motors, but when the deal was almost concluded, the Japanese government imposed a ban on it. Luckily, William R. Gorham, the American who became chief designer of Dat and later Nissan, appeared. He went to the United States and bought auto production equipment from the bankrupt Graham-Paige. In addition, Gorham offered jobs to the automaker’s most promising employees, killing two birds with one stone.

When the American auto company’s equipment and highly trained specialists arrived in Yokohama, Nissan focused on the development and production of its own cars. For a long time, the company assembled its models under the Datsun brand. Only in the name of some of them did the prefix Nissan appear, and very rare copies were sold only under this name.

In 1934, the Nissanocar was released, which was called the “most economical and reliable” small car. It was equipped with a 748 cc engine. cm and a power of 8.8 kW. The car accelerated to 75 km / h and was a good example of a combination of power and original design.



Nissan car (1934)

Since 1935, Nissan has been intensively improving the technology of manufacturing cars. One of the innovations introduced in 1935 was the transition to special presses for processing metal sheets and the rejection of manual labor for this operation. In addition, the company is starting to use only Japanese-made components.

After such a serious technological transformation, it is time to start promoting the brand. To do this, in May 1935, a new marketing policy of the company was developed, which, among other things, provides for the introduction of corporate symbols.

The emblem of the corporation was a combination of a red circle, symbolizing the rising sun, and a blue stripe, which denoted the sky. The slogan was the phrase: “Sincerity brings success.” At this time, the company is working on expanding the geography of sales, in particular, sales of its models begin in Australia.

Nissan’s first own car was the Type 70, based on designs from Graham-Paige cars. Standard and luxury sedans rolled off the assembly line, selling for 4,000 yen and 4,500 yen, respectively. The car received an attractive design and a spacious interior with large seats. At the rear of the model, seats for three more passengers could be placed, making the car a seven-seater. The body was made entirely of steel and safety glass was used for the windshield.

Under the hood was a 3670 cc inline six-cylinder engine. see water-cooled. He developed 85 hp. at 3400 rpm and aggregated with a three-speed transmission.

Nissan Type 70 (1937)

At this time, Type 90 buses and Type 80 vans also come out. The latter was produced on the basis of the Graham Paige truck. It was distinguished by a well-thought-out streamlined body structure, which provided the driver with excellent visibility. In addition, he

characterized by high ride comfort, small turning radius, high load capacity. It was equipped with an in-line six-cylinder engine with a maximum power of 85 hp, which was paired with a four-speed gearbox.

With the outbreak of hostilities, the production of civilian vehicles was completely stopped. In 1940, Nissan becomes a major zaibatsu which included Tobata Casting and Hitachi. It included 74 firms. It was the fourth largest unification of Japan during the war years.

During the Second World War, the brand focused on the production of military equipment. In addition, it produced engines for military aircraft and motor boats.

In 1943, the construction of the Yoshiwara plant was completed, which, due to hostilities, did not work for too long. In September 1944, the company moved its head office to Tokyo and took a different name – Nissan Heavy Industries Ltd., which lasted until 1949.

In 1945, the company resumed the production of trucks, but the post-war recovery was slow. Despite the fact that the Yokohama plant was not damaged by the bombing, most of the capacity was under the control of the occupying authorities for 10 years. Moreover, many car dealers have moved to Toyota Motor.

Despite the difficulties, the company headed for the restoration of pre-war positions. In 1947, the production of cars under the Datsun brand was resumed.

In the 1950s, Nissan was looking for ways to gain access to advanced vehicle and engine technology. As a partner, the company has chosen Austin from the UK. They entered into an agreement under which Nissan assembled about 2,000 Austin models from imported units, some of which were sold in Japan under the British brand.

Nissan produced and sold cars under the Austin brand for seven years. From 1953 to 1959, 20,855 cars were produced. The agreement also gave Nissan the rights to use the British marque’s patents. The Japanese successfully applied the extracted technologies in the production of their own engines.

In 1950, Nissan buys shares in Minsei Diesel Motor Co. Ltd., which will enter the corporation as a division of Nissan Diesel Motor Co., Ltd.

In 1951, using the experience of manufacturing military vehicles, the brand produces the Patrol all-wheel drive SUV. It was equipped with a powerful six-cylinder engine, a reinforced frame and solid axles. This principle of building a model is used to this day.

The 3.7-liter engine produced 75 hp, and the torque was transmitted to all four wheels through a four-speed manual gearbox. Later, the engine range was replenished with a 92-horsepower power unit, and then a 4-liter engine with 105 hp.

In 1960, the second generation Nissan Patrol was released, which was so successful that it was produced for 20 years without any major modifications. Cars of the third generation, which appeared in 1980, were used by the UN mission.

Nissan Patrol (1951)

In 1953, as a result of disagreements between management and workers at Nissan factories, the largest 100-day strike began. Negotiations with then-union leaders stalled, several hundred workers were laid off, and union leaders were arrested by the US occupation authorities.

After that, a new union was formed in the company, which agreed to a reduction in wages in exchange for the preservation of 2,000 jobs. Nissan Motor develops corporate principles for employees, which is still followed.

In 1958, the company began exporting passenger cars to the United States. In 1960, the first official branch in the North American market, Nissan Motor Corporation USA, opens in California. In 1962, deliveries of cars to European countries begin.

In 1960, the Nissan Cedric was released, which at that time was the largest Japanese car. The model was distinguished by high comfort and a spacious interior. The car was presented in several trim levels, offered with a cabin for six and eight people, and also received a line of engines with power from 70 to 87 hp. In addition, the model was equipped with diesel engines.

The six-seater Cedric was the first Nissan car to use a monocoque body. The second generation of the model, which was produced from 1965 to 1971, used a body designed by the Pininfarina design studio.

In 1961, Nissan becomes the leading car exporter in the United States and forms Nissan Mexicana, S.A. de C.V.

In 1966, Nissan Motor took over the Prince motor company. This merger has brought only benefits to the already successful automaker: the company’s staff has been replenished with highly qualified specialists, the quality of cars has increased significantly, and advanced models – Skyline and Gloria – are being released.

In 1965, the luxurious Nissan President limousine appears, which is intended mainly for senior corporate executives and government employees. Initially sold only in the Japanese market, it then made its way to Singapore and Hong Kong in limited numbers. Later, a North American version of the car appeared.

Released in 1973, Nissan President with body number 000002 was made specifically for Brezhnev. Car number 000001 was delivered to the Prime Minister of Japan as a service car.

The first generation of the model replaced the premium Cedric Special. It was an expensive car, not only to buy, but to maintain. It was distinguished by its large size and powerful volumetric engine (from 3.0 to 4.4 liters). Since 1971, an anti-lock braking system has been offered as an option for the Nissan President.



Nissan President (1965–2010)

In 1969, the legendary 240Z was released for the North American market. It was equipped with a 2.4-liter engine with a cast-iron block, an aluminum alloy head, two valves per cylinder and seven crankshaft bearings. Its power was 151 hp. at 5600 rpm, and the torque was at the level of 198 Nm at 4400 rpm. Initially, the engine was aggregated with a four- or five-speed manual transmission, and from September 1970 a three-speed automatic transmission appeared.

The 240Z received MacPherson strut front suspension, telescopic shock absorbers, anti-roll bar. The maximum speed was 201 km / h. Compared to its main competitor – Porsche – 240Z was half the price, not inferior in dynamics. In the 70s, it was recognized as the best-selling sports car in the world: in less than 10 years, 500,000 cars of the model were sold.

In 1983, the company decided to drop the Datsun brand. The fact is that outside of Japan, the Nissan brand was practically unknown – Datsun was the first violin. This forced the corporation’s management to reconsider the marketing strategy. Gradually, the Datsun brand was phased out in all markets.

In 1990, the Nissan Primera appeared – a family of cars with a sedan, station wagon and liftback body. The model was intended mainly for the European market and was assembled in the UK.

Nissan Primera (1990–2007)

In the mid-1990s, the company experienced financial difficulties. This led to the fact that in 1999 its controlling stake was bought out by the French automaker Renault. The new leader, Carlos Ghosn, successfully implemented the Nissan recovery program, which made him very popular in Japan.

In 1995, the production of the Almera model begins, a joint venture is formed in Indonesia. In 1997, a CVT was installed on the Primera and Bluebird to improve fuel economy. In addition, the company’s first development in the field of hybrid technologies appears – HEV (hybrid electric vehicle).

Since December 2006, the Nissan Qashqai, the most popular brand car in Russia, has been produced. This model was the first designed by Nissan Design Studio in London. A year after the release, sales of the model in Europe reached 100,000 units, with 15,376 sold in Russia.

In 2014, the second generation of the car was released, which is produced at the Nissan plant in St. Petersburg.

In 2004, Nissan Motor RUS LLC was opened in Moscow, which is wholly owned by the Japanese brand. Already in 2006, car sales reached 75,000 units, and Nissan became the fourth best-selling automaker in the Russian market.

In the spring of 2007, in the Kamenka industrial zone near St. Petersburg, construction began on a Nissan full-cycle plant with a capacity of 50,000 vehicles per year. The volume of investments in the construction of the enterprise amounted to 200 million dollars. The plant opened on June 2, 2009. By 2012, the company launched the production of such models as X-Trail, Teana and Murano.

In 2012, AvtoVAZ started assembling the Almera model.

In 2010, the company’s electric car, the Nissan Leaf, appeared in the body of a compact five-door hatchback, which in 2014 was already sold in 35 countries around the world. It is the best-selling electric car with 158,000 model units sold as of December 2014.

The Nissan Leaf has won numerous awards including European Car of the Year (2011), World Car of the Year (2011) and Japanese Car of the Year (2011, 2012).

When developing the car, the designers paid attention not only to the environmentally friendly transmission, but also to other elements that reduce energy consumption to a minimum. So, the car is equipped with LED headlights, which consume less energy than halogen lamps. The model’s aerodynamics are also well thought out, with a drag coefficient of 0.29, which has been reduced to 0.28 for the 2013 model year.

Now Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. is one of the largest car manufacturers in the world. In 2013, over 5 million vehicles were sold worldwide. It has several factories in Japan, as well as manufacturing plants in China, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Mexico, Spain, UK.