It’s Back! Datsun Makes a Comeback

My first car was a Datsun Cherry. It was an amazing vehicle that seemed to defy its age and mileage. It just went on and on - and probably still is. I wasn’t alone in owning one - for decades, Nissan continued using the Datsun brand everywhere but in Japan. Then, in 1981, the company resolved to rebrand all Datsuns as Nissans, as part of a global strategy to strengthen the company name, Datsun seemed to be gone for good - until now!

BusinessWeek reports that Nissan is reintroducing the Datsun marque, although we’ll be unlikely to see it here in the UK. Nissan is planning to sell new Datsun models only in Russia, India, and Indonesia - three of the fastest growing emerging markets. They are looking for a lower-cost, budget brand to build market share in those markets which won’t damage the image of their higher-priced luxury models.

According to Reuters, the relaunch of Datsun is part of a significant investment in Indonesia by Nissan:

Nissan plans $400 million in investment in Indonesia over two years and will double hiring by 2014 and triple its outlets to 90,000 in the country, which has the largest economy in Southeast Asia.