Grew from a
prototype develped by engineer
Masujiro Hashimoto of Tokyo, and funded by K.
Den, R. Aoyama and A. Takeuchi (the first letter
from each last name making the acronym DAT). Went into production as a DAT 31 in 1915, powered
by a 122ci 2 litre 4 cylinder engine. Concentrated
on truck manufacture from 1926, although the
Lila light car became increasingly popular,
particularly with cab drivers.
Acquired in 1931,
the new owners quickly set about mass producing
vehicles for the export market, their first
attempt being an almost identical copy of the
Austin Seven. Wanting to use the Japanese rising
sun as part of its trademark, added the word
SUN to DAT, creating DATSUN and having the rising
sun as a background to their emblem. Turned
again to Austin for inspiration after World
War 2, the Bluebird's quickly gaining popularity
for robustness and reliability.
Also see: Datsun Heritage |
Nissan Car Reviews
