Nissan History

 Nissan Motor Company

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. is a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer known for producing passenger cars, trucks, electric vehicles, and performance cars.

Early History

Founded: 1933

Headquarters: Yokohama, Japan

The company began as Jidosha-Seizo Co., Ltd., later renamed Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.

The name “Nissan” comes from Nippon Sangyo (Japan Industries), the holding company that backed the automaker.

Growth and Global Expansion

In the 1950s and 1960s, Nissan started exporting vehicles globally, especially under the Datsun brand.

Datsun became popular in the U.S. and other markets for being affordable, reliable, and fuel-efficient.

By the 1980s, Nissan phased out the Datsun name and unified its branding under Nissan worldwide.

Innovation and Technology

Nissan is known for strong engineering and innovation, including:

VQ engines, widely praised for performance and reliability

Early adoption of electric vehicles, especially the Nissan LEAF (launched in 2010), one of the world’s first mass-market EVs

Advanced safety and driver-assist technologies like ProPILOT Assist

Alliance and Modern Era

In 1999, Nissan formed the Renault–Nissan Alliance (later including Mitsubishi).

This partnership helped Nissan recover financially and expand global development and manufacturing.

Nissan now operates factories and research centers across Asia, Europe, and the Americas.

Performance and Popular Models

Nissan is known for a wide range of vehicles, including:

Nissan Altima – midsize sedan

Nissan Rogue/X-Trail – popular SUV

Nissan Patrol – full-size SUV

Nissan GT-R – high-performance sports car

Nissan LEAF – electric vehicle pioneer

Today

Today, Nissan focuses on:

Electrification and hybrid technology

Sustainable mobility

Advanced autonomous driving systems

Nissan products to date, grouped by category. (Availability can vary by country, but these are Nissan’s main global models over time.)

🚗 Passenger Cars (Sedans, Hatchbacks, Compacts)

Nissan Sunny / Versa

Nissan Micra (March)

Nissan Tiida

Nissan Sentra

Nissan Altima

Nissan Maxima

Nissan Bluebird

Nissan Teana

Nissan Skyline (non-GT-R variants)

Nissan Pulsar

Nissan Primera

Nissan Note

🚙 SUVs & Crossovers

Nissan Rogue / X-Trail

Nissan Qashqai (Dualis)

Nissan Murano

Nissan Pathfinder

Nissan Patrol

Nissan Armada

Nissan Terrano

Nissan Juke

Nissan Kicks

Nissan Magnite

Nissan Ariya (electric SUV)

🛻 Pickup Trucks & Commercial Vehicles

Nissan Navara (Frontier)

Nissan Frontier

Nissan Titan

Nissan Hardbody (D21)

Nissan NP200 / NP300

Nissan Urvan

Nissan Caravan

Nissan Atlas

Nissan Cabstar

⚡ Electric & Hybrid Vehicles

Nissan LEAF

Nissan Ariya

Nissan e-NV200

Nissan Note e-POWER

Nissan Serena e-POWER

Nissan X-Trail e-POWER

🏎️ Sports & Performance Cars

Nissan GT-R

Nissan 370Z

Nissan 350Z

Nissan Z (2023–present)

Nissan Silvia

Nissan 240SX

Nissan Fairlady Z (historic Z-cars)

Nissan Skyline GT-R (R32, R33, R34)

🚐 Vans & MPVs

Nissan Serena

Nissan Elgrand

Nissan Quest

Nissan Lafesta

Nissan Presage

🚜 Special / Off-Road & Utility

Nissan Safari

Nissan Terrano II

Nissan Patrol Pickup

Military & utility vehicles (limited production)