Nissan Motor Corporation is a Japanese automaker that markets vehicles under the Nissan, Datsun, and Infiniti brands. The company is headquartered in Yokohama and is a key member of the transcontinental alliance known as Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi. The Nissan logo history is particularly intriguing and interconnected with its subsidiary, Datsun. For further insights, please continue reading.
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Nissan Motor Corporation Information
Founded | 26 December 1933 |
Founder | Masujiro Hashimoto Kenjiro Den Rokuro Aoyama Meitaro Takeuchi Yoshisuke Aikawa William R. Gorham |
Headquarters | Yokohama, Japan |
Other brands | Datsun Infiniti |
Corporate owner | Renault |
Official website | www.nissan-global.com |
Slogan | Innovation that excites |
Nissan Logo Meaning and History
Nissan’s precursor, Jidosha Seizo Company, was founded in December 1933. However, the history of the companies it acquired and merged with stretches back to 1910. These include entities like Kwaishinsha Motor Car Works and Tobata Casting Company.
During its early years, the company manufactured cars under the DAT name, derived from the initial letters of three investors who had contributed to Kwaishinsha Motor Car Works. In 1931, the name was formally established as “DATSON,” signifying “son of DAT.” However, it was quickly changed to “DATSUN” as “SON” also held the meaning of “loss” in Japanese, making the new name more favorable.
During that era, it wasn’t uncommon for Japanese companies to operate without an official logo. Mazda and Toyota are two other examples of companies that followed a similar practice.
In 1934, the company officially changed its name to Nissan Motor Company, although it persisted in providing cars under the Datsun brand for export markets. They adopted a straightforward logo that paid tribute to the “land of the rising sun.” This logo featured a blue rectangle with the word “DATSUN” in white letters and a red circle in the background.
Nissan Logo History and Evolution
The logo remained in use until 1984, when Nissan made the decision to discontinue the Datsun brand. They replaced the “DATSUN” wording in the emblem with “NISSAN.” In 1988, a new logo was introduced, featuring silver and grey colors instead of the original red and blue.
In 1990, Nissan made another alteration to its logo. It adopted a black and white color scheme, and the circle merged with the horizontal rectangle, resulting in a new design.
The most recent update to the Nissan emblem in 2012 introduced shades of silver and grey without making any significant design changes.