West County Nissan

Nissan was born in Japan, and like other marques from its homeland, the brand is known for crafting vehicles that place an emphasis on edgy styling and performance. The company's lineup of vehicles is broad, and includes sporty coupes, family sedans, minivans, trucks and SUVs.

The automaker got its start in 1933 as the Jidosha Seico Co., Ltd. The following year, this outfit merged with another Japanese manufacturer, and the new company was christened Nissan Motor Company, Ltd. Nissan initially marketed its vehicles under the Datsun brand, with the first Datsuns being built in 1934. Postwar, the brand made its presence felt worldwide, building a partnership with the U.K.-based Austin Motor Co. and establishing a presence in the United States. The first Datsuns hit American shores in 1958. Vehicles like the Datsun 1000 were based on Austin platforms.

The '60s witnessed Nissan's merger with Prince Motor Company, a union that helped the Asian manufacturer create more luxury-focused vehicles. In the U.S. it began offering its first vehicle styled for the U.S. market, the Datsun 510 sedan. By the end of the decade, Datsun had exported more than 1 million vehicles. Datsun rose to prominence in the 1970s on the popularity of its 240Z sports car. Powered by an inline six-cylinder engine, the car was coveted for its blend of style, performance and affordability. By the time the '70s drew to a close, the automaker's cumulative vehicle exports had surpassed the 10 million mark.

In 1981, Nissan shelved the Datsun name and began selling vehicles worldwide under the Nissan moniker. The '80s also saw Nissan's launch of a tuning division called Nismo for the development of performance-oriented vehicles and accessories. Nissan also brought its production to American shores, with the construction of a Tennessee-based plant.

The early '90s saw Nissan's fortunes rise in the U.S. thanks to fun-to-drive cars like the 300ZX, Maxima and Sentra. But this trend didn't last long and by the late '90s Nissan's offerings consisted of anonymous vehicles. The company's future was uncertain.

After the turn of the new century, however, Nissan bounced back. Its redesigned Sentra and Altima were well-received, as were new models like the Titan and Armada. A 1999 alliance with Renault, a European automaker, also helped to shore up the company's finances. Today the manufacturer is known for offering a wide range of vehicles capable of going head to head with the best of the best when it comes to overall quality, dependability and performance.

Presidents and Chief Executive Officers of Nissan:
               1933-1939 Yoshisuke Aikawa
               1939-1942 Masasuke Murakami
               1942-1944 Genshichi Asahara
               1944-1945 Haruto Kudo
               1945 ----- Takeshi Murayama
               1945-1947 Souji Yamamoto
               1947-1951 Taichi Minoura
               1951-1957 Genshichi Asahara
               1957-1973 Katsuji Kawamata
               1973-1977 Tadahiro Iwakoshi
               1977-1985 Takashi Ishihara
               1985-1992 Yutaka Kume
               1992-1996 Yoshifume Tsuji
               1996-2000 Yoshikazu Hanawa
               2000-present Carlos Ghosn

Carlos Ghosn: Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, President & Chief Executive Officer of Renault, Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.

BIOGRAPHY
Carlos Ghosn serves as Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. Mr. Ghosn served as Financial Director of Nissan Motor Co. Ltd., since March 19, 2005. He served as Chief Executive Officer of North America at Nissan North America Inc. until March 16, 2007. He served as the Chief Operating Officer of Nissan from 1999 to 2001. He served as Chairman of Renault SA since May 2005 and as its Executive Vice President from 1996 to ... 1999, where he was responsible for advanced research, car engineering and development, car manufacturing, power train operations and purchasing. He joined Renault SA in 1996. He served as Chief Operating Officer of Michelin-BRAZIL since 1985. From 1979 to 1996, he served in various capacities with Compagnie Générale des Éstablissements Michelin in the U.S. and Brazil, including Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Michelin North America Inc. from 1990 to 1996. He joined Michelin in 1978 as Plant Manager in Le Puy (France), and served as Head of Research and Development for industrial tires in Ladoux (France). Mr. Ghosn presided over the restructuring of Michelin North America after the acquisition of Uniroyal Goodrich Tire Company in 1990. He served as a Co-Chairman of Nissan Motor Company Ltd., since March 17, 2003. He has been Director of Renault SA since May 2005. He serves as an Executive Director of Nissan Motor Company Ltd. Mr. Ghosn has been a Director of Alcoa Inc., and Alcoa of Australia Limited since 2002. He has been a Director of Alcoa Automotive Inc. since 2002 and Closure Systems International Inc. since 2002. He serves as a Director of Mirant Corporation, Public Joint Stock Company AVTOVAZ and Public Joint-Stock Company "AVTOVAZ". He serves as a Member of International Advisory Board at Itaú Unibanco Holding S.A. Mr. Ghosn served as a Director of International Business Machines Corp. from March 1, 2004 to April 1, 2005. He served as a Director of Sony Corporation since 2003. He is the author of the book, Renaissance, which describes the turnaround of Nissan. Mr. Ghosn holds an Engineering degrees from the Ecole Polytechnique and the Ecole des Mines de Paris in France.

source Businessweek.com

NISSAN CONCEPT VEHICLES
OF THE PAST AND FUTURE

     Concepts of the Past

1963 - 1900 Sprint - 1

1962-64 NISSAN 2000GT - The pictures of the Clay Model and Metal Prototype of the Nissan 2000GT Concept Development Effort. The project was stopped at the end of 1964. - 1 2

    Future Concept Vehicles

NV2500 A true business pioneer. (Unveils on 3-10-2010 in St. Louis, Missouri & live on WebCast)

Denki Cube The Cube goes electric.

Forum The minivan that goes beyond.

Bevel The workshop on wheels.

Azeal Fun. Affordable. Performer.

Sport Coupe Tuned for the first time.

Urge Gamers meet your match.

Pivo A fashion-inspired electric car.

Sales: 866-536-3768

The History of Nissan Motor Company, Ltd.