Datsun was born 81 years ago when Nissan’s founder, Yoshisuke Aikawa, bought over DAT Jidosha Seizo in 1933 and renamed it Datson. Not long after, the company was renamed Datsun because “son” in Japanese sounded similar to the word for “loss”.
DAT’s origins, however, are actually a century old. In 1914, Masujiro Hashimoto established Kwaishinsha Motor Works, which produced a model called the DAT-Go. The name DAT, which means “lightning-quick” in Japanese, also contains the first letters of the surnames of the three financiers (Den, Aoyama and Takeuchi) who invested in the firm then.
Under Nissan’s ownership, Datsun made rapid progress. By 1935, models such as the Datsun 14 were rolling out of the company’s Yokohama plant, which churned out 10,000 units a year – making it one of Japan’s first mass-produced automobiles.
But Datsun wasn’t just advanced when it came to production; it was also ahead of other carmakers when it came to advertising.
For instance, Nissan frequently sponsored Datsun models as set pieces in what were known in Japan as “musical reviews”. Datsun also roped in popular actresses to further enhance the cars’ appeal to audiences. In 1937, Nissan even had Datsun commercials filmed in colour – an expensive move considering that, at the time, the majority of movies and newspapers were in black and white!
Datsun also attracted keen drivers thanks to its motorsport victories. During the 1936 All Japan Automobile Competition (the country’s first official motor race), the brand emerged victorious with its specially built NL-75 racecar. In 1958, a Datsun 210 won in its class at the Australian Rally – a brutal 16,000km race around the continent.
Far less racy, on the other hand, was the 1967 Datsun Bluebird, designed for family men. This mid-size saloon was not only spacious and handsomely styled, it also boasted advanced features (by 1960s standards) such as an independent rear suspension. The Bluebird became the first Japanese worldwide bestseller, with 1.3 million units sold in a span of four years.
The most iconic Datsun model by far is the 1969 Fairlady coupe. As the grandfather to today’s 370Z and 350Z, it captured the imagination of motorists worldwide with its blend of sporty performance and affordability.
From 1981, however, Nissan began phasing out the Datsun badge in the interest of growing the company by using the Nissan brand alone. But the Datsun name has risen again – it’s now a budget-car brand with sales in Indonesia, India, Russia and South Africa.
