The automaker Nissan has hinted that it will be discontinuing the production of automobiles under the Datsun name. The name holds a century-long history of some memorable classic cars.
History of Datsun
A lot of us have seen an old Datsun that belonged to our grandfather eating dust in the garage. Let’s see how it got there. The origin of Datsun dates back to 1914, when a car named DAT was built by Kaishinsha Motorcar Works in Tokyo. The company had three initial investors with family names Den, Aoyama, and Takeuchi. The name DAT was an acronym for these three names. It was a great play on words as the word DAT literally means “lightning fast” in the Japanese language. The company also marketed the car as “Durable, Attractive, and Trustworthy, ” another long form of DAT.
Later, in 1933, the founder of Nissan, Yoshisuke Aikawa, took over the Kaishinsha Motorcar Works. This gave Nissan complete ownership of DAT.
Nissan later launched an affordable and lightweight car named “DAT-son” or “the son of DAT” as a successor of the DAT. this name later evolved into Datsun.
This was the brand that allowed the Japanese automakers to make a name for themselves globally after the Second World War. Nissan marketed the Datsun along with its other Nissan models and its luxury brand Infiniti.
Nissan especially focused on the Datsun brand during the 1970s. It marketed Datsun as a fuel-efficient vehicle that was superior to its competitors running on gas. This allowed Nissan to sell 20 million Datsun all over the world in 190 countries.
However, during the 1980s, Nissan shifted its focus away from Datsun and emphasized primarily on the Nissan cars. This led to the gradual disappearance of Datsun from the automobile markets around the world.
Rebirth
In 2012, Nissan tried to revive Datsun in developing countries where it would face less competition in the market. Despite its low price, Datsun was unable to bring in huge numbers. Since its revival, Datsun has not gained its prior status and prestige; because of this, Nissan is letting the brand rest for good.
Nissan said that it will now focus on “core models and segments that bring the most benefit to customers, dealer partners and the business” as part of a global transformation strategy.
Are you sad about Datsun coming to an end? Do you have a Datsun in your family? Let us know in the comments below!
