Datsun Story: An Ambitious Brand That Remains in the Backyard of Nissan

2023 Author: Charles Youmans | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-20 18:41

The Datsun car brand is a subsidiary of the Japanese car giant Nissan. The first Datsun car appeared in 1931, but the history of production began long before that - in 1911. In 1986, the brand went through difficult times when the management of Nissan decided to close the brand, but revived it again in 2013. At the moment, cars of this brand are supplied to most developing countries.

The beginning of history - 1911

The history of Datsun begins in 1911 with the birth of the Kwaishin-sha company, the founder of which is the Japanese engineer Masujiro Hashimoto. The first cars received an absolutely different name - DAT. The name is an abbreviation for the names of the creator's partners - Den Kenjiro, Aoyama Rokuro, Takeuchi Meitaro. In addition, it also used its own philosophy, which decoded the name as Durable Attractive Trustworthy, which meant reliable, attractive and trustworthy. In general, the word "dat" is translated from Japanese as a fast (flying) hare.

As a result, by 1914 the model range of the brand consisted of a four-seater DAT-31. Two years later, the 41st model appeared on the market, which was later replaced by DAT-31. The first cars were equipped with 2.0-liter engines. Later, starting with the 41st model, the 2, 3-liter engines were used. Note that the cars had limited small batches, but with great pleasure they were bought up by local residents. Buy Datsun every middle-income Japanese could, which made him popular.

Like most automobile companies of those years, Kwaishin-sha was forced to engage in the production of military equipment to meet the needs of the army. In 1919, another company appears in the city of Osaka, which will become the progenitor of Datsun - Jitsuyo Jidosha Seizo Kaisha. The efforts of this organization were aimed at the development and production of auto rickshaws on three and four wheels. The company had at its disposal the developments of the American designer Gorham. 7 years later, the two companies merge, merging under the common name DAT Automobile Manufacturing Co., Ltd., while maintaining their headquarters in Osaka. Five years later, Tobata Casting joined them. Eventually, this leads to the birth of Nissan Motor Co, founded in 1933.

First cars - 1930-1940

In 1930, the Japanese government officially confirms the right of citizens to drive cars with engines less than 500 cc. cm without a driver's license, which was the beginning of a new segment. The new niche has opened the door for DAT Automobile to take it to the next level. As a result, the company began to develop an engine that could be installed on light cars with a volume of 495 cc. As a result, the novelty was named "son of DAT", which sounded like Datson. However, the name could not catch on, since the prefix "son" also stands for "loss", so one letter had to be replaced. This is how Datsun was born.

The first prototype was ready by the summer of 1931. He managed to get into a series called Datson Type 10. A year later, he managed to sell 150 units of equipment. At this time, the government issues a new decree increasing the permissible engine displacement to 750 cc. for drivers without a license. The company launches a new Datsun, where a large motor appears, and releases it under the name Type 12.

The first export model was introduced in 1934, when the merged companies were already named Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. After that, the brand begins to actively develop. Sales volumes are increasing due to the arrival of new technologies. Following the example of Ford Motor, the car brand is building an assembly line. A novelty appears on it, as much as possible similar to the popular at that time Austin 7, which was produced by Austin Motor Cars.

The influence of several wars on the development of the company - 1937-1960

In 1937, Japan starts a war with China, which naturally leaves an imprint on production. The production of passenger cars is limited. The capacities that were previously involved in the production of "cars" are being transferred to the creation of military equipment: trucks, motors for aircraft, torpedo boats. In the post-war years, the personnel are working to restore the industry. They take an active part in the reconstruction of railways, revive shipping and the steel industry. Of course, all production resources were devoted to the creation of trucks.

It was possible to return to the previous rhythm only by 1947. Then, the development of their own models was beyond the strength of the engineers, so copies of the brands already available abroad - Devon and Somerset - began to descend from the assembly line. However, the production did not have time to get into a rhythm, as new troubles happened - disagreements between the company's administration and employees lead to a large-scale 100-day strike. This protest became the main point for the development of new rules for workers and management. The code of practice was developed on the basis of full trust. These rules continue to apply today.

Despite the past crises, the company still fails to revive the old Datsun. The lineup is not being replenished. Then, the management takes a decisive step and concludes an agreement between Nissan and Austin Motor Co., the cars of which begins to be produced at their own factories. At this time the Austin A40 and A50 Cambridge “local bottling” appeared on sale.

For a long time Nissan - Datsun could not design original models. Only in 1955, when the occupation authorities gave the plant back under Japanese control, two models appeared - the 110 sedan and a derivative of it - the 120 pickup, called the "pickoupe".

At that time, the manufacturer did not have its own developments in the power unit, so the Nissan D10 engine was used to create new cars. It was installed in the Datsun 110 produced at that time. It is noteworthy that the design of this model was developed in-house, although it was based on the pre-war Austin models. The Datsun owners were comfortable with a 25-horsepower four-cylinder engine and 860 cc. He managed to become a sensation at the Tokyo Motor Show.

In 1957, an updated model Datsun 210 entered the market, which is visually similar to its predecessor. But, there were also noticeable elements of its own, identifying the brand. This model was the first passenger car produced from a foreign factory in Taiwan.

In 1958, the 210th model succeeds incredibly - it becomes the champion in the Australian rally, although it participates in the most grueling ones. A year later, the Datsun S211 appears on the market, which is the fruit of the development of Hiro Ohto. It is known that the engineer was an ardent fan of sports modifications.

In the same year, the company manages to establish production in America. The first Datsun dealer in the States was based in California. Later, the distribution network grew to a huge scale and supplied not only S211, but also 113 and 310. The latter was also known as Bluebird. The latter was equipped with a liter engine previously installed in the 210th. At first, it was produced exclusively in the sedan body, but later it was converted into a station wagon, and the engine volume increased to 1.2 liters. Together with it, a 3-speed manual transmission and a double-wishbone front suspension with independent struts were installed. The father of this development is Teichi Hara. In length, the station wagon stretched to 3.91 meters, and the wheelbase was modest 2.28 meters.

A new round in the history of the Japanese brand - 1960

The flourishing of the brand allows for the construction of new production sites. In 1960, a new plant opens in Oppama. The first cars go down from its facilities already in 1962. The same year becomes the starting point for the production department of Nissan, where the production of modern "cars" will begin five years later. In 1962, the company starts exporting its own machines to Europe.

In 1966, a new model, the Datsun 1000, was presented. This car is destined to become the winner of the Safari East African Rally. At the same time, negotiations are underway with Prince Motors. After the signing of the agreement, the Datsun model range is expanding. The country meets a new car - Skyline, and the company takes over the test track in Murayama.

A successful “find” for the company was the B10 model, which filled the company's gap in subcompact cars. The name Sunny contributed to its popularity, so it became the starting point for the development of cars with small engine displacement. A year later, another Bluebird modification entered the market, which received an index of 510. By this time, the consumer becomes more demanding, so the manufacturer has to be sophisticated to please. Many modifications are entering the market, including 2- and 4-door sedans, a 2-door coupe and a 5-door station wagon. All of them are eaten by a 1.6-liter Datsun engine. The automatic machine makes driving a car easier, which also leads to an increase in demand for these models.

The company is raising the bar and trying to create a sports car for the masses. As a result, the legendary 240Z enters the market. Subsequently, he won the East African Rally twice. In mid-1971, the 610 series or Bluebird-U from Datsun appears. The price was as affordable as possible, since the manufacturer focused on the buyer. At the same time, the interior was ergonomic and thoughtful as much as possible, which outperformed the 510. As a result, 2- and 4-door hardtops and a 5-door station wagon appear on the market. Despite the innovations, some elements, such as the transmission and suspension, are taken from the 510. This model also appears in Europe with the names 160V and 180V, differing in engine size. Popularity in the UK paved the way for Datsun's popularity as a leading Japanese importer.

Termination of the Japanese brand - 1981-present

1981 was a fatal year for the Datsun brand. The management decided to abandon the brand in favor of Nissan vehicles. It is worth noting that the transformation process lasted for five years, since the company did not want to lose groundwork in the United States. All this time, buyers were prepared by a special advertising company - Datsun by Nissan. The global transformation cost $ 500 million.

The main reason for the changes that have taken place is the desire to optimize costs and the need for rebranding to strengthen our own positions in the market. During this time, the positions of the main competitors Honda and Toyota led to a drop in demand for Nissan. Despite the intensified efforts, some markets refused to accept the new brand, nostalgic for Datsun.

The reverse "rollback" began in 2001, when a new Datsun D22 pickup truck entered the domestic market of Japan. Despite the similarity of the name, there was no talk of reviving the brand. The release of this model continued until 2002.

That all changed in 2012 when Nissan decided to revive the once popular brand. This time, Datsun is being launched as a subdivision for the production of budget models, which are planned to be supplied to the market of developing countries. The list includes Indonesia, India, Africa and Russia.

The first model after the revival of the brand was Datsun On Do 2019, which was presented in the summer of 2013. At that time, the front-wheel drive sedan was being developed together with AvtoVAZ, and the domestic Grant was used as a donor. It was she who would later become the main competitor of the "Japanese". At the moment, the assembly is carried out at the Togliatti plant. The Datsun website offers to buy one of the modifications with a 1.6-liter engine, giving out a choice of 82 or 87 horsepower.

In early 2015, the Japanese announced the appearance of a new model Datsun Mi Do in the back of a hatchback, which became the main competitor for Kalina, on whose basis it was developed. The manufacturer has retained the technical characteristics, supplementing them with a 5-speed "mechanics" and a 4-range "automatic".