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A few words about the DATSUN and NISSAN Names & Corporations

In order to understand the over-all concepts behind the "Z" Car...one needs  to have some knowledge of   the history of the DATSUN and NISSAN names, as well as the Corporations that they represent, then and now.

In 1912 a young man by the name of Masujiro Hashimoto founded the Kwaishinsha  Motor Car Company, and produced an automobile called the DAT. Each letter of DAT  was the first initial of a man's family name; i.e., "D" was for Kenjoro Den, "A" was for Rokuro Aoyama, and the "T" was for Meitaro Takeuchi. These three men  financed Masujiro Hashimoto when he started his automobile manufacturing  company, and the DAT name was given to the cars produced there in honor these financiers.

A merger between Kwaishinsha Motors and Jidosha Seizo took place in 1926. The  new company was named "DAT Jidosha Seizo Company Limited; and it continued to  produce the DAT line of cars.

In 1930 a reorganization took place and the Directors decided a new name was needed for their cars; the name DATSON was chosen, being  "the son of DAT". The spelling of the name was later changed to DATSUN.

n 1931 the assets and shares of the DAT Jidosha Seizo company were acquired  by THE TOBATA IMONO COMPANY (a foundry company). Thus making it a division of  Tobata Imono. Two years later it was separated from the parent company and  established as an independent company named Jidosha Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha, and  moved to a new 32 acre site at Yokohama. Funding for the new firm came from a holding company managed by Yoshisuke Ayukawa (the owner of TOBATA IMONO), and  that holding company was named Nihon Sagyo. That holding company was already  known to the financial community as "Ni-San" (ed. stock exchange listing  letters).

In May of 1934 the name of the now independent auto company, was changed to  NISSAN MOTOR COMPANY LIMITED.

Throughout the mergers and acquisitions the name of the car remained DATSUN. One of the major benefits that the merger with Tobata Imono yielded was the fact that they brought with them needed cash-flow, derived from contracts from FORD and CHEVROLET for the production of spare parts!

It is also significant to note here that the first exports of automobiles by NISSAN were to Australia in 1935.

Another consideration to always keep in mind when thinking about Nissan  Motors Ltd. is the fact that the company had to be completely rebuilt as an automotive company after World War II. This was a long and difficult path for Nissan. First they rebuilt their Manufacturing and Production facilities and capabilities, then they reestablished their design and design engineering  capabilities. The "Z" Car was a wake-up call to the rest of the automotive world that NISSAN was fully back in the game.

Datsun In World Class Competition / Enter Mr. Yutaka Katayama:

In 1957 a young marketing manager by the name of Yutaka Katayama convinced NISSAN Corporate Management that a racing or competition program would be a good way to build name recognition around the world for Nissan Motors and their line of  Datsun automobiles. (Note - he convinced Corporate Management - after his direct chain of management had turned the idea down as being too risky. This becomes  important to know, later in the life of Nissan and Mr. Katayama).

He was allowed to enter a couple of cars in the "1958 Around Australia Mobilgas Trial". A grueling Pro-Rally tour around Australia. If Datsun did not do well, there would be no harm done, as the rally was considered to be very  hard on cars, and very few competitors finished each year. If on the other hand Datsun did show well, the publicity would be world wide and would improve the  image of the Datsun Automobiles and the NISSAN Corporation that produced them. So the chance was taken.

Mr. Katayama was assigned as Team Manager, and given drivers: Mr. K. Okuyama,  Mr. Y. Namba, Mr. Y. Oya and Mr. Y. Minawa. At that time they knew they were off  to the races, but we know they were off to the history books as well!

DATSUN WON the 1958 Around Australia Mobilgas Trial, Mr. Katayama's career was advanced, and his association with DATSUN COMPETITION was firmly established.

Coming To America!

Being somewhat threatened, by this young upcoming and globe trotting marketing manager, the executives in charge of Mr. Katayama's career, within NISSAN MOTORS of JAPAN at that time, gave the young  Mr. Katayama an assignment that they felt would keep him out of the corporate  lime light, and which had a high potential for failure... (he had after all taken his ideas around them to their boss once and that posed a risk for them and their idea's)

In 1960 they made him the Datsun Marketing Manager for North America. Not  wanting to bet the NISSAN name on a very risky venture... (who in North America  shortly after WW-II would want to buy a car from Japan after all?) ...they  decided to use the name DATSUN on all cars and trucks sold in North America.

Mr. Katayama was glad to return to the U.S. A. as DATSUN Marketing Manager For North America. Having briefly attended college here, he knew what his  American Customers wanted or expected in their cars. Mr. Katayama was also aware  of the unique requirements placed on automobiles by the expansive landscape of  North American and the high speed Federal Highway System that crisscrossed it.

With this customer knowledge, he began to lobby the Corporate fathers in Japan, for cars specifically designed for and built for this market. (Something no other foreign manufacturer was willing to do, or was capable of understanding at that time). He also wanted to assure that DATSUN Customers received the parts and service they deserved.

Return to Nissan

During 1980/81 Nissan decided that they should be known around the world as one name, that name was to be Nissan, so during that period the Datsun name was slowly dropped. You will notice on some ‘W’ or “X” registered cars they have both badges or some have “Datsun by Nissan”.

So they are one and the same!

As the old advert said;

“YOU CAN IN A NISSAN, BECAUSE YOU DID IN A DATSUN!”