All you need to know about Nissan.
DATE OF BIRTH: 1914 NATIONALITY: Japanese
THE STORY: The first Datsun car was produced in 1914 in Tokyo, and the car's name, the Dat, came
from the family names of the founder's three backers. That company merged with an Osaka-based maker
of three-wheelers to form the Nissan Motor Company in 1933. Car production was suspended during the second World War while the company made engines for aircraft and torpedo boats. After a shaky re-start following the war, the company produced Austin cars under licence from 1953. Rally successes in the late 1950s put Nissan on the road to recognition for engineering excellence and, through the 1960s, the brand developed a number of overseas markets, especially with its Sunny and Bluebird cars. Nissan cars were sold in Ireland by the Brittain Group until 1977 when the privately-owned Nissan Ireland was formed. After serious financial problems through the mid-1990s, Nissan entered a global alliance with Renault in 1999 which has effectively relaunched the brand as a dynamic and progressive motoring name.
BEST CAR: The 240Z, which became the best-selling sports car in the world in the early 1970s and established a cult for the 'Z' cars
WORST CAR: The 120Y, which tried to put American-inspired styling on a diminutive platform but didn't have the staying power.
WEIRDEST CAR: The Chappo concept at the 2001 Geneva Motor Show was maybe the best motoring idea on a cubist theme, but we're not sure if anyone would buy one.