Birth of a legend: How the very first Nissan car appeared

Many car enthusiasts are wondering which car can be considered the very first in history. Nissan. The answer to this question is not as simple as it seems at first glance, because the path to creating the famous brand was long and thorny. Initially, the company did not produce cars under the Nissan name, but began its journey by producing trucks and cars under the brand Datsun.

To understand what exactly constitutes a “first,” it is necessary to consider the historical context of the early 1930s. It was during this period that the two companies merged, which laid the foundation for the future giant. If you want to learn about the roots of the Japanese auto industry, you need to delve into the details of how the corporation was formed Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.

Prerequisites for creating the first car

At the beginning of the 20th century, Japan actively tried to develop its own automobile industry so as not to depend on imports. A group of investors led by Yoshisuke Aikawa established Jidosha Seizo Co., Ltd. in 1911. Their goal was to produce affordable vehicles for the population and the army.

The first product of this company was a car DAT, named after the first letters of the three founders' names: Den, Aoyama and Takeuchi. It was a small car, which, however, did not become widespread due to difficulties with production and quality of parts. First Nissan would have been impossible without these early attempts.

• 🚗 Car DAT became the progenitor of the entire line.
• ⚙️ The use of imported components held back development.
• 💡 In 1925 the brand was changed to Datsun.

Consolidation and birth of the Nissan brand

The situation changed dramatically in 1933, when the Tobata Casting company, part of the holding Nissan, began production of automobiles at a new plant in Yokohama. This event was a turning point for the entire industry. It was then that the decision was made to use the abbreviation Nissan (Nippon Sangyo), which originally stood for the name of the parent company.

It is important to understand that the name Nissan was not originally the name of a car brand. It was used as the name of the holding, and only later, in 1935, was officially assigned to the machine itself. The first car produced under the Nissan name rolled off the assembly line in 1935 and was named Nissan 1.

This car was a copy of the American Graham-Paige, since Japanese engineers did not yet have sufficient experience in independently developing complex structures. Nevertheless, it was a step forward for the country. You need to take into account that the technological level of that time dictated its conditions.

• 🏭 The Yokohama plant became the main production center.
• 🇺🇸 The production license was taken from American companies.
• 📅 The official start date of sales is 1935.

Technical specifications Nissan 1

The very first car under the brand Nissan, known as Nissan 1 (or Model A), was an open-top sedan. It was equipped with a 3.7-liter 4-cylinder engine that developed about 50 horsepower. For those times it was quite a worthy decision.

The car's body was made of steel, which was new for the Japanese market, which had previously been dominated by wooden frames. The suspension was stiff but reliable, which made it possible to operate the car even on the bad roads of Japan in the 1930s. Technical Parameters Those cars may seem modest today, but back then they were cutting-edge.

Below is a table with the main characteristics of the first model:

Evolution from Datsun to Nissan

Until 1935, the company's cars were called Datsun. This brand was created in 1931 and became the first mass-produced Japanese car. However, after the merger with Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., management decided to unify the names. The transition process was gradual and took several years.

In 1933, a project was launched to create a new plant, which was supposed to produce cars under a new name. Engineers studied American designs, trying to adapt them to local conditions. Transition period was complex, as it required the restructuring of the entire production chain.