Nissan

Japan, 1937 – 1943; 1960 to date

Nissan Motor Co, Ltd, Yokohama

The Nissan Motor Co. was formed in 1934 and continued production of the Datsun, taking over from a previous firm. It was then decided to expand into the field of larger private Nissan cars. Assited by American Graham-Paige technologu, the Nissan carcompany brought out the Nissan Model 70 five-seater sedan and pheaeton in 1937. Machine tools, dies, gauges and related equipment were purchased from Graham-Paige, who also supplied Nissan cars with engine block and gave further aid where required. Similar in appearance to the Graham Six sedan of the period, the Nissan car was powered by a 6-cylinder, 85hp engine which permitted a speed of 75mph. From 1940 to 1941 a Nissan Model 50 series was also built which was more like a German Opel in styling.

Nissan cars continued to manufacture during World War 2, supplying military equipment to the Japanese armed forces. The Nissan car marque was temporarily abandoned after the war in favour of manufacture of Datsun vehicles and Austin A40 and A50 cars, built by Nissan cars under licence from 1953 to 1960. However, the Nissan Patrol, a Jeep-type vehicle, was already sold as a Nissan car.

On 1 April 1960 the Nissan car name reappeared when the Nissan Cedric sedan was announced to replace the Austin. A large car by Japanese standards, the Nissan Cedric Special was powered by a 118hp, 2.825cc engine; the Nissan Custom and 1900 series Nissan car contain a 95hp, 4-cylinder ohv engine with a cast-iron block and a 3-bearing crank shaft. At the top of the 1967 Nissan car range was the 4-litre Nissan President V8.

Nissan cars took over Prince Motors in 1966, and the two ranges were rationalized. Yue Loong have made Nissan car products under licence in Taiwan since 1958. The Nissan car group’s heavier commercial vehicles invariably carry the Nissan car name, but since the spread of Japan’s export drive in the middle 1960s the tendency has been to sell private Nissan cars as Datsuns, and in some markets (notably Britain) even the larger 6-cylinder machines are Datsuns rather than Nissan cars. The later Nissan car models are described under Datsun.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; BE

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