Nissan traces its roots back to 1911 in Tokyo. Its first car, called a DAT, followed in 1914. DAT would soon become Datsun, the name by which the company’s cars were mostly known until the early 1980s. One early Datsun model was a local version of the UK-engineered Austin 7. In fact, Nissan kept assembling Austins for the Japanese market until the 1960s.
The Nissan name itself goes back to 1934 when it became the title of the car making group. It became the company’s main customer facing brand when the Datsun name was withdrawn.
An electric car pioneer, maker of one of the world’s most celebrated high-performance cars, and now one of the biggest car makers in the UK, Nissan has a history and a model portfolio that’s as diverse as it is intriguing.
Its Leaf was the world’s first modern mass-market electric car, launched two years before the Tesla Model S. Nissan’s legendary sports cars include the GT-R, regarded as the world’s most technically advanced high-performance car when it was unveiled in 1989. Its performance was so fearsome it was nicknamed Godzilla. The Z car – from 240Z to the 370Z – is also a sporting and design icon.
Meanwhile, the Qashqai was a pioneer in the ‘crossover’ sector (essentially a blend of SUV and hatchback). Made at Sunderland in the UK, it has frequently been the UK’s best-selling car.
Famous models show the massive historic scope of Nissan. From the popular little Micra to fearsome GT-R. From the sporty Z coupé to the tough Nissan Patrol 4x4, famous from the African savannah to the Australian Outback. It’s well-known for vans too, from the first pre-war van to the fully electric e-NV200 which set the template for small electric vans (now replaced by the Townstar EV).
In 1999, Nissan entered a technical alliance with Renault, which continues.
UK production began at Sunderland in 1986. Since then, more than 11 million Nissan vehicles have been built in the UK. It recently confirmed that the electric replacements for the Juke and Qashqai, and the new electric Leaf, will be built in Sunderland.
Hendy currently represents Nissan at 4 outlets.
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