Nissan
Nissan: shift the way you move
Nissan, the badge formerly better known as Datsun, has had fingers in a number of automotive pies over the years from motorsport to sportscars for the road such as as the 300Z through to military vehicles, SUVs such as the mighty Nissan Patrol, affordable market leaders such as the Qashqai and more recently the Juke and now eco-friendly cars with the groundbreaking all-electric LEAF.
Early models that were a big success for Nissan include the Datsun Bluebird (which has undergone numerous reinventions and first rolled out of the Sunderland factory in 1986) as well as economical little saloons such as the 120Y and 180B. In 1969, the legendary 240Z was launched – it had a 2.4-litre inline six which offered Porsche performance at half the price.
While it is a Japanese brand, Nissan has played a vital role in the British manufacturing industry with the plant in Sunderland, north-east England, creating thousands of much-needed jobs from 1984 onwards. With the Juke, Qashqai, Note and LEAF models being built, as well as a lithium battery production plant, the Sunderland operation is very busy indeed.
As well as supporting the UK economy via the Sunderland factory, Nissan also has a design centre in London.
