History of Nissan | McAllen, TX
We at Bert Ogden McAllen Nissan in McAllen, Texas, are proud to be a small part of the much larger Nissan story, a story that goes back more than a century. Buckle up in your Nissan as we drive back in time to the origins of your and our favorite car company, Nissan.
Nissan History: The early years
Before Nissan was even a company, Datsun vehicles began to be built in Japan back in 1914, though these models did not appear here in the U.S. until the late 1950s. Meanwhile, Yoshisuke Aikawa was busy becoming president of Nihon Sangyo in 1928. This company was focused on auto parts and foundries but eventually evolved into the Nissan Company we know and love today.
Nihon Sangyo was the name of the holding company for Jidosha Seizo Co., which took over operations and manufacturing of Datsun cars in 1933.
It was also in 1933 that Nihon Sangyo first landed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The name of the company appeared as NISSAN, where it would go on to gain great fame, eventually coming to the U.S. in the 1950s (under the Datsun name).
Not long after, the Datsun Type 15 first became the country’s first mass-produced vehicle in 1937. It was produced at the Nishi-ku, Yokohama headquarters. For 20 years, the automaker’s Datsun vehicles enjoyed success in Japan, but the company’s leaders had their sights set on an even bigger market: the U.S.
Nissan History: Coming to America
Nissan eventually found its American home in Gardena, California, incorporating as Nissan Motor Corporation. As luck would have it, that same year (1960), the automotive giant launched its very first sports car, the Datsun SPL 201. Remarkable for the time, this four-seat roadster channeled 48 horsepower from its engine through a “4 on the floor” transmission; eventually, Nissan retooled the engine to deliver 85 horsepower.
To keep up with demand in the Americas, Nissan eventually built a production facility in Mexico. This was the very first Japanese production facility on North American soil.
During this decade, Nissan introduced legendary models like the Datsun Fairlady 1200 Roadster in 1961 (the first sports car imported to the United States) and the Datsun 320 Truck (offering up 60 horsepower). Other popular models include the Datsun 2000 Roadster and the Datsun Z. Nissan-named models included the Nissan 411 4-Door Sedan and Nissan Patrol.
Nissan History: Finding success in the states
In the 1970s, Nissan sold its 1 millionth Datsun globally, became the nation’s number one vehicle importer, and established Nissan Design America in La Jolla, California.
A decade later, Nissan founded its manufacturing plant in Smyrna, Tennessee, where you can still find it today. Over this decade, we saw several highly successful vehicles, including the automaker’s first American-built truck and the first Nissan Sentra built in America.
By the 1990s, Nissan had carved out a spot as an environmental leader, earning awards from the EPA. (It’s unsurprising that Nissan paved the way to electric vehicles with the Nissan LEAF). During this decade, Nissan also introduced the Nissan Altima and its Frontier compact four-door truck.
At the turn of the century, Nissan was known for its diverse lineup of fuel-efficient EVs, heavy-hauling pickup trucks, and futuristic supercars, including the return of the iconic Z model, leading to the 370Z that defines the performance segment.
Nissan History: Today’s lineup
Nissan continues to achieve success even as we navigate this strange new decade. Iconic vehicles like the Nissan Rogue dominate the SUV market while the Nissan TITAN often outranks American trucks like the Silverado and F-150.
Interested in seeing what Nissan has to offer? Come explore the heritage and the excellence of Nissan with a test drive at Bert Ogden McAllen Nissan in McAllen, Texas.