Nissan

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. is a big Japanese company that makes cars and other vehicles. It is based in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan, and sells cars under the Nissan and Infiniti names. In the past, Nissan also used the Datsun name for some of its cars. Nissan also makes special, fast versions of cars under the Nismo and Autech brands.

Nissan has been around since the early 1900s and is part of a big group of car companies called the Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance. This group includes Nissan, Mitsubishi Motors from Japan, and Renault from France. Renault owns a part of Nissan, and Nissan owns a part of Renault too.

In 2017, Nissan was one of the biggest car makers in the world. But in 2024 and 2025, the company had big money losses. The new leader of Nissan said the company will close some factories and make fewer kinds of cars to save money and focus on cars that sell better.

History

Beginnings of Datsun brand name from 1914

Masujiro Hashimoto founded the Kwaishinsha Motor Car Works on 1 July 1911 in Azabu-Hiroo district of Tokyo. In 1914, the company produced its first car, called the DAT. The new car's model name was an acronym of the company's investors' surnames: Kenjiro Den, Rokuro Aoyama, and Meitaro Takeuchi. It was renamed to Kaishinsha Motorcar Co., Ltd. in 1918, and again to DAT Jidosha & Co., Ltd. in 1925. DAT Motors built trucks in addition to the DAT and Datsun passenger cars. Beginning in 1918, the first DAT trucks were produced for the military market.

In 1926, DAT Motors merged with Jitsuyo Jidosha Co., Ltd. to become DAT Jidosha Seizo Co., Ltd. In 1931, DAT came out with a new smaller car, called the Datsun Type 11, the first "Datson". Later in 1933, after Nissan Group took control of DAT Motors, the name was changed to "Datsun".

Nissan name debut

In 1928, Yoshisuke Aikawa founded the holding company Nihon Sangyo. The name 'Nissan' originated during the 1930s as an abbreviation used on the Tokyo Stock Exchange for Ni hon San gyo. This company was Nissan "[Zaibatsu]" which included Tobata Casting and Hitachi. In 1931, DAT Jidosha Seizo became affiliated with Tobata Casting and was merged into Tobata Casting in 1933. As Tobata Casting was a Nissan company, this was the beginning of Nissan's automobile manufacturing.

Nissan Motor

In 1934, Aikawa separated the expanded automobile parts division of Tobata Casting and incorporated it as a new subsidiary, which he named Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. In 1935, the construction of its Yokohama plant was completed. 44 Datsuns were shipped to Asia, Central and South America. Nissan built trucks, airplanes, and engines for the Imperial Japanese Army. In November 1937 Nissan moved its headquarters to Xinjing, the capital of Manchukuo. In December the company changed its name to Manchuria Heavy Industries Developing Co.

American market and expansion

DAT had inherited Kubota's chief designer, American engineer William R. Gorham. This, along with Aikawa's 1908 visit to Detroit, was to greatly affect Nissan's future. When Nissan started to assemble larger vehicles under the "Nissan" brand in 1937, much of the design plans and plant facilities were supplied by the Graham-Paige Company.

Austin Motor Company relations (1937–1960s)

From 1934, Datsun began to build Austin 7s under license. This operation became the greatest success of Austin's overseas licensing of its Seven and marked the beginning of Datsun's international success.

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. The agreement called for Nissan to make all Austin parts locally within three years, a goal Nissan met. Nissan produced and marketed Austins for seven years. The agreement also gave Nissan the rights to use Austin patents, which Nissan used in developing its own engines for its Datsun line of cars. In 1953, British-built Austins were assembled and sold, but by 1955, the Austin A50 – completely built by Nissan and featuring a new 1489 cc engine — was on the market in Japan. Nissan produced 20,855 Austins from 1953 to 1959.

Nissan leveraged the Austin patents to further develop its own modern engine designs beyond what Austin's A- and B-family designs offered. The apex of the Austin-derived engines was the new design A series engine in 1966. In 1967, Nissan introduced its new highly advanced four-cylinder overhead cam (OHC) Nissan L engine, which while similar to Mercedes-Benz OHC designs was a totally new engine designed by Nissan. This engine powered the new Datsun 510, which gained Nissan respect in the worldwide sedan market. Then, in 1969, Nissan introduced the Datsun 240Z sports car which used a six-cylinder variation of the L series engine.

Merger 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. The Prince name was eventually abandoned, and successive Skylines and Glorias bore the Nissan name. "Prince" was used at the Japanese Nissan dealership "Nissan Prince Shop" until 1999, when "Nissan Red Stage" replaced it.

Expansion into foreign markets

In the 1950s Nissan decided to expand into worldwide markets. Nissan management realized, that its Datsun small car line would fulfill an unmet need in markets such as Australia and the world's largest car market, the United States. Nissan first showcased the Datsun Bluebird at the 1958 Los Angeles Auto Show. Nissan had entered the Middle East market in 1957 when it sold its first car in Saudi Arabia. The company formed a US subsidiary, Nissan Motor Corporation U.S.A., in Gardena, California in 1960 headed by Yutaka Katayama. Nissan continued to improve the Sedan series with the latest technological advancements and chic Italianate styling for sporty cars such as the Datsun Fairlady roadsters, the race-winning 411 series, the Datsun 510 and the Datsun 240Z. By 1970 Nissan had become one of the world's largest exporters of automobiles.

Nissan Mexicana was established in the early-1960s and commenced manufacturing in 1966 at the Cuernavaca assembly facility, making it Nissan's first North American assembly plant. In the wake of the 1973 oil crisis, consumers worldwide, especially in the lucrative US market, began turning to high-quality small economy cars. To meet the growing demand the new Nissan Sunny, the company built new factories in Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, United States, and South Africa.

Project 901

Project 901 was an initiative in the mid-1980s, and it represented a desire for Nissan to offer technologically advanced cars by 1990. Known by various names such as P901 Activity, 901 Activity, 901 Plan, 901 Operation, and Project 901, the project began under the leadership of Nissan President Yutaka Kume (1985–1992). Project 901 was initiated in early 1985 in response to the growing demand for new, technically advanced cars from all Japanese manufacturers.

Alliance with Renault

In 1999, facing severe financial difficulties, Nissan entered an alliance with Renault of France. In June 2001, Renault executive Carlos Ghosn was named chief executive officer of Nissan. Under CEO Ghosn's "Nissan Revival Plan" (NRP), the company has rebounded in what many leading economists consider to be one of the most spectacular corporate turnarounds in history, catapulting Nissan to record profits and a dramatic revitalization of both its Nissan and Infiniti model line-ups.

Financial difficulties

Starting in late-July 2019, Nissan laid off 12,500 employees over three years, citing a 95% year on year net income fall. In May 2020, Nissan cut production capacity by 20% due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It further announced that its chief operating officer Ashwani Gupta was to be in charge of rebuilding the Japanese carmaker's brand in the US, the company also decided on cutting its model line-up and closing plants around the globe. In mid-2020, the company shut down factories in Indonesia and Spain, and exited the South Korean car market.

Attempted merger with Honda

On 23 December 2024, Nissan officially announced an MOU had been entered to merge with fellow Japanese automaker Honda to become the 3rd largest auto company by sales. In February 2025, Honda and Nissan announced that their boards had voted to end talks to merge. In March 2025, Nissan announced that Chief Planning Officer Ivan Espinosa would take over as chief executive officer from 1 April 2025.

Turnaround plans

After making a ¥671 billion loss in the 2024/2025 financial year, CEO Ivan Espinosa announced that Nissan will by 2027 close seven factories globally, with the loss of 20,000 jobs, reducing the number of factories from 17 to 10. In April 2026, he announced the number of car models would be reduced from 56 to 45, to focus investment on more profitable models. He reaffirmed the commitment to hybrid cars, and announced plans to work toward providing autonomous driving in 90% of vehicles.

Nissan technologies

In 1982, Nissan started using robots to help build cars at their Murayama plant, making the new March/Micra. Soon after, in 1984, they began adding robots to their Zama plant too.

Nissan has made electric cars since 1946. In 2010, they introduced the Nissan Leaf, a plug-in battery electric vehicle that became the world's best-selling electric car for many years. Before the Leaf, Nissan made the Altra and the Hypermini. At one point, Nissan was the biggest maker of electric cars in the world. In 2022, Nissan announced plans to develop new types of batteries for future electric vehicles.

Relationships with other car companies

In Australia, from 1989 to 1992, Nissan Australia worked with Ford Australia to share car models. This was part of a government plan called the Button Plan. For example, a Nissan Pintara was sold as the Ford Corsair, and a Ford Falcon was sold as the Nissan Ute. In North America, Nissan and Ford worked together from 1993 to 2002 to sell minivans like the Mercury Villager and the Nissan Quest. These minivans looked almost the same but had small design differences.

Nissan also worked with other companies. For example, in Europe, Nissan and Ford Europe made a popular SUV called the Nissan Terrano II. In 2023, Nissan and Honda talked about working together on electric car parts and smart car software.

Alliance with Renault and Mitsubishi

Main article: Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance

In 1999, Nissan faced big money problems and joined forces with Renault from France. This was the first time a Japanese and a French car company worked so closely together. Renault bought a part of Nissan, and later Nissan bought a part of Renault too. They shared ideas and technology to make better cars together.

In 2010, Daimler AG also joined this group, sharing some of their car technology with Nissan and Renault. This helped all three companies save money and work better together.

Other alliances and joint ventures

Nissan has also worked with many other companies around the world. For example, in 2003, Nissan joined with Dongfeng Motor Group in China to make many types of vehicles. In 2026, Nissan, Uber, and Wayve planned to test self-driving taxis in Tokyo.

Branding and corporate identity

Brands

Nissan sells most of its cars worldwide under the Nissan brand. Before 1983, in many places outside Japan, these cars were sold under the Datsun brand. In 1984, Datsun was replaced by Nissan, and by 1985, the Datsun name was no longer used. In 2013, Nissan brought back the Datsun name for cars sold in growing markets, but stopped this in 2022 because sales were slow.

Since 1989, Nissan has sold its more expensive cars under the Infiniti brand. In 2012, Infiniti moved its headquarters to Hong Kong. From 2014 to 2020, certain cars in Japan that were also sold as Infiniti models used the Infiniti logo.

Nismo is Nissan’s special performance team, short for “Nissan Motorsport International Limited.” It is now Nissan’s performance brand.

For many years, Nissan used a red logo for the company and badges for the “Nissan” and “Infiniti” brands. In 2013, Nissan showed a new blue-gray logo that showed the company name and the brand names underneath. In July 2020, Nissan introduced new logos for the company and its brands as part of updating its look for the launch of the Ariya.

Since 2007 in Japan, Nissan has used a simple chrome circle with the word “Nissan” on the front of its cars.

Previously, Nissan had different dealership names like “Nissan Blue Stage,” “Nissan Red Stage,” and “Nissan Red and Blue Stage,” which started in 1999 after Nissan joined with Renault. Renault also sold cars in Japan at “Nissan Red Stage” locations and still sells them at Nissan’s Japanese dealerships.

Leadership

Nissan has had many leaders over the years. Some of the important leaders include Yoshisuke Aikawa from 1933 to 1939, Carlos Ghosn from 2000 to 2017, and Makoto Uchida from 2019 to 2025. Each leader helped guide the company during their time in charge.

Products

For a more comprehensive list, see list of Nissan vehicles and list of Nissan engines.

Automotive products

Nissan makes many types of cars and trucks. They started making cars for people in Japan and then began selling them all over the world in the 1950s. Some famous cars they made include sports cars like the Datsun Fairlady 1500, 1600 and 2000 Roadsters, the Z-car, and the powerful GT-R. In 1985, Nissan started a special group called Nismo to make faster versions of their cars for racing.

Nissan also makes small cars called kei cars, working with other companies like Suzuki. They have worked with many other car makers, such as Mazda, Subaru, and Isuzu. In China, Nissan works with the Dongfeng Motor Group to make cars.

In 2016, Nissan shared its Nissan Intelligent Mobility ideas at a big car show. Many of their cars, like the Dayz, Rogue, and Leaf, use this smart technology.

Trucks

Nissan makes pickup trucks and light trucks under the name Nissan Cabstar in Japan. These trucks are also known by other names in different places, like Renault Maxity and Samsung SV110. The Nissan Titan is a big pickup truck made for North America since 2004.

Electric vehicles

Nissan made its first electric car, the Nissan Altra, in 1997. In 2010, they launched the first-generation LEAF, which became very popular. By 2020, Nissan had sold over 500,000 Leaf cars around the world. They also made other electric vans and planned more electric cars.

In 2023, Nissan said they would start making electric cars with new kinds of batteries by 2028.

Autonomous cars

In 2013, Nissan said they wanted to make cars that could drive themselves by 2020. They made a special test track in Japan and put their self-driving technology into a Nissan Leaf to show how it works. By 2025, Nissan planned to add smart systems from Wayve to their cars.

Non-automotive products

Nissan has tried other things besides cars, like a mobile phone service called Tu–Ka in the 1990s. They also have a service called CarWings that helps drivers in Japan. Nissan also makes motors for small boats with Tohatsu and built rocket parts before selling that part of the business in 2000.

Marketing activities

Nismo is Nissan's special racing team, started in 1984. Their cars have raced in many exciting competitions around the world, like the All Japan Sports Prototype Championship, Super GT, and FIA World Endurance Championship.

Nissan has also helped support big sports events. From 1987 to 2007, they helped sponsor the Los Angeles Open golf tournament. Starting in 2015, Nissan gave its name to Nissan Stadium in Nashville, where football games are played. They also support the Heisman Trophy and the UEFA Champions League. Since 2019, Nissan has been the naming rights sponsor for Nissan Arena in Brisbane, Australia, where basketball and netball games happen.

Global sales figures

Research and development

Nissan does most of its research at the Oppama Plant in Yokosuka, which started in 1961. In 2012, Nissan brought together its technical centers in Suginami, Tokyo and Tsurumi, Yokohama into one big center called the Nissan Technical Center (NTC) in Atsugi, Kanagawa. By 2012, NTC had 9,500 workers helping to design and build cars.

Nissan works with teams around the world, including in North America, Mexico, Silicon Valley, and Europe. In 2007, Nissan opened the Nissan Advanced Technology Center (NATC) near NTC to help with new technology. Nissan also has test tracks in Tochigi, Yokosuka, and Hokkaido.

Nissan Digital Hubs

In 2018, Nissan started its first software development center in Thiruvananthapuram, India.

Manufacturing locations

Data extracted from Nissan's international corporate website.

East Asia

• Japan
  • Yokosuka, Kanagawa (Oppama Plant & Research Center)
  • Kaminokawa, Tochigi (Tochigi Plant)
  • Kanda, Fukuoka (Nissan Motor Kyushu & Nissan Shatai Kyushu Plant)
  • Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa (Yokohama Engine Plant, Nissan's oldest factory)
  • Iwaki, Fukushima (Iwaki Engine Plant)
  • Hiratsuka, Kanagawa (Nissan Shatai Shonan Plant)
  • Nagoya, Aichi (Aichi Machine Industry Atsuta & Eitoku Plants)
  • Matsusaka, Mie (Aichi Machine Industry Matsusaka Plant)
  • Tsu, Mie (Aichi Machine Industry Tsu Plant)
  • Uji, Kyoto (Auto Works Kyoto)
  • Ageo, Saitama (Nissan Diesel Motor, currently owned by the Volvo Group)
  • Samukawa, Kanagawa (Nissan Machinery)
  • Zama, Kanagawa (Assembly lines in the Zama Plant were closed in 1995, currently Global Production Engineering Center and storage unit for its historic models. Automotive Energy Supply Corporation (AESC), a joint-venture between Nissan and NEC, produces lithium-ion batteries in Zama.)
  • Musashimurayama, Tokyo (Assembly lines at the Musashimurayama facility were closed in 2001, and the facility has been repurposed as the Carest Murayama Megamall. It was formerly operated by the Prince Motor Company until 1966 when it merged with Nissan). It is now a museum called Carest Murayama Megamall occupying a 213,252 square foot facility.
• China mainland
  • Wuhan, Hubei (Dongfeng Motor Co., Ltd., a joint venture)
  • Huadu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong (Dongfeng Nissan Passenger Vehicle Company)
  • Xiangyang, Hubei (Dongfeng Motor Co., Ltd.)
  • Zhengzhou, Henan (Zhengzhou Nissan Automobile Co., Ltd., a joint venture)
  • Dalian, Liaoning (Dongfeng Nissan Passenger Vehicle Company)
• Taiwan
  • Miaoli

Southeast Asia

• Malaysia
  • Segambut, Kuala Lumpur (Tan Chong Motor Assemblies Sdn Bhd)
  • Serendah, Selangor (TCMA)
• Vietnam
  • Hanoi, Hanoi
• Indonesia
  • Cikampek, West Java
• Philippines (defunct 2021)
  • Santa Rosa City, Laguna (defunct 2021)
• Thailand
  • Bangna, Samutprakarn (Nissan Motors (Thailand))

Americas

• United States
  • Smyrna, Tennessee
  • Canton, Mississippi
  • Decherd, Tennessee
• Mexico
  • Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes (2 plants)
  • Cuernavaca, Morelos
• Brazil
  • São José dos Pinhais, Paraná (Renault-Nissan plant)
  • Resende, Rio de Janeiro
• Argentina
  • Santa Isabel (Renault-Nissan plant)

Africa

• Morocco
  • Tangier
• Egypt
  • 6th of October City, Giza Governorate
• Kenya
  • Thika, Kiambu County
• South Africa
  • Rosslyn, Pretoria, Gauteng

Europe

• Spain
  • Ávila, Castilla y León
• United Kingdom
  • Sunderland, North East England
• Russia (defunct 2022)
  • St. Petersburg, Russia (defunct 2022)
• France
  • Flins (Renault factory)