On December 26, 1933 Jidosha-Seizo Kabushiki-Kaisha, Automobile Manufacturing Co. Ltd., was established and took over the Datsun division from Tobata Casting Co. Ltd. Less than a year later, they changed their name to Nissan Motor Company Ltd. Under Yoshisuke Aikawa, the first Datsun passenger car was produced in April of 1935. That same year, the company was able to export their vehicles.
They suffered serious production set backs due to both World War II and constant labor-management problems. They formed technical alliances with Aston Martin to recover from their set backs and by 1960 they were the first Japanese automaker to receive the Deming Prize for engineering excellence.
Nissan cars were a major force behind the rapid growth of the small car market in Japan in the sixties. Two energy crises in the 1970s brought them to the attention of the world, rapidly increasing exports because of their amazing fuel economy. Although they, like many automotive manufacturers, have faced financial difficulties, they have formed alliances with other car companies and have exceeded the profit and time goal of their comprehensive restructuring plan and are now working to increase their sales globally even more. They have also worked with Toyota on hybrid technology and were able to release a hybrid truck in Japan, the Atlas 20. More environmental friendly models are expected in the future.
