Nissan History: Nissan Goes Worldwide
(This post is the second in a two part series of posts on the history of Nissan cars. To read this series from the beginning, check out Nissan Cars: Where It All Began.)
It’s the mid fifties. The Second World War is long over, and Japan has recovered from much of the damage caused by the war. The Nissan Motor Company is looking to expand its market share and look for other places to sell their compact cars. The United States was the largest car market in the world, and Nissan wanted a piece of the action.
Originally, Nissan planned to expand into the Australian market prior to making a move to the United States. They released their first car in the Los Angeles Auto Show in 1959, selling a handful of cars in the process. In the same year, Nissan created a US subsidiary to smooth the transition into the American market.
Although the initial reception was a cool one, Nissan’s continued improvements in technology soon made the cars a hit. The sporty Datson Fairlady roadster, the racing 411 series, and the Datsun 2407 roadster made Nissan cars a more and more popular choice for American car owners. By the early seventies, Nissan was one of the largest automobile exporters in the world.
Nissan truly solidified their presence in the American market during the 1973 oil crisis. It was costing Americans too much money to fill their gas tanks and consumers jumped ship from the bigger car companies and set out in search of a more compact alternative. Nissan, having made high quality compact cars all along, was happy to fill the need of US customers.
If you’re in the market for a new Nissan car of your own, stop by Classic Nissan to take your favorite car for a test drive or check out the new inventory and specials.
Filed Under: Nissan Cars
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