Nissan has announced that it would no longer produce automobiles under the Datsun brand, which has a more than century-long heritage.
It was one of the brands that helped Japan’s automakers gain international recognition following WWII.
The Datsun name was phased away in the 1980s, despite selling millions of automobiles throughout the world.
Three decades later, Nissan resurrected the name, calling the new lineup “an significant part of Nissan’s DNA.”
Nissan spokeswoman Azusa Momose told the BBC on Monday that the company will continue to sell Datsun automobiles and provide aftermarket services to its customers.
“All current and prospective Datsun owners may rest assured that customer satisfaction remains our top concern,” she continued.
The Kaishinsha Motorcar Works in Tokyo manufactured a car called the DAT before the Datsun brand was created in 1914.
Den, Aoyama, and Takeuchi were three of the company’s early investors, and the abbreviation DAT stood for Den, Aoyama, and Takeuchi. In Japanese, it literally means ‘lightning swift.’ At the same time, it was marketed as DAT (Durable, Attractive, and Trustworthy).
Nissan’s founder, Yoshisuke Aikawa, took over the company in 1933.
The business also introduced the “DAT-son” or “the son of DAT” automobile in the early 1930s, which was a cost-effective and lightweight vehicle. After then, the name was changed to “Datsun.”
After World War II, Datsun was one of the brands that enabled Japanese automakers establish themselves in Europe, the United States, and Asia.
Apart from the mainstream Nissan and the upscale Infiniti, it was one of the key brands Nissan promoted abroad.
In the 1970s, the fuel-efficient Datsun was touted as a viable alternative to unreliable gas-guzzlers for the ordinary motorist. Datsun automobiles were sold in 190 countries throughout the world, totaling over 20 million.
However, the name was phased away from 1981, with Nissan being the company’s major brand internationally.
Nissan announced the resurrection of the Datsun brand in 2012, and began selling automobiles under the name in India and Indonesia.
Nissan, like many of its competitors, was facing sluggish sales in Europe and the United States at the time, and was focusing on new countries with lower-cost models. Despite this, the models’ sales have been declining in recent years.
As part of a worldwide transformation plan, Nissan announced on Monday that it will now focus on “core models and areas that deliver the most benefit to consumers, dealer partners, and the company.”