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93-602: It has been built with rear-, middle-, as well as front-mounted engines. It also formed the basis for the long-running Kia Bongo range. It is named for the African Bongo , a type of antelope . Mazda first introduced its small van , the Bongo, in May 1966. It featured a rear-mounted 782 cc water-cooled OHV SA 4-stroke engine driving the rear wheels . The rear-engined Bongo was produced in two versions from 1968, as

186-580: A $ 421 million loss in the last quarter due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the scandal concerning Ghosn. According to a spokesperson of Nissan North America, the company had suffered from a strategy of "volume at any cost", which has been attributed by analysts to Ghosn. In January 2023, Renault said it intended to transfer almost 30% of its controlling stake in Nissan to a French trust (pending approval by both companies), reducing its shares with voting rights to

279-527: A 17% cut earlier this year. Nissan also said that they would slash 9,000 jobs and cut global production capacity by a fifth. Nissan shares fell 6% on November 8, 2024 after it announced 9,000 job cuts and slashed profit forecasts due to weak sales in China and the U.S. In 1982, Nissan's first final assembly robots were installed in the Murayama plant, where the then-new March/Micra was assembled. In 1984,

372-400: A 2.5-litre turbocharged engine that delivers 130 PS (96 kW), or an optional, more old-fashioned 2.7-litre engine that pushes out just 80 PS (59 kW) and another 3.0 liter that adds five more horsepower from the 2.7 litre. It provides all the sufficient loading capabilities, also they have three cab options: standard, super and double cabin. There is another model that is called

465-730: A 25 percent tax on commercial vans imported to the United States. Nissan Motor Manufacturing Corporation USA was established in 1980. Nissan, Toyota Motor Corp. , and Honda Motor Co. began establishing manufacturing plants in the US in the early-1980s. Nissan's initial assembly plant Smyrna assembly plant broke ground in 1980 and at first only built trucks such as the Datsun 720 and the Nissan Hardbody Truck , but has since expanded to produce several car and SUV lines, including

558-536: A column mounted shifter. This generation was also manufactured by Kia in South Korea, as the Kia Bongo and Ceres. The Bongo/Ceres underwent a number of facelifts, and was still available as late as 1999. The original version has round headlights, and no grille; after a January 1981 facelift the second generation Bongo/E-series had rectangular headlights, and a more traditional grille. The first generation of

651-700: A dramatic revitalization of both its Nissan and Infiniti model line-ups. Ghosn has been recognized in Japan for the company's turnaround in the midst of an ailing Japanese economy . Ghosn and the Nissan turnaround were featured in Japanese manga and popular culture. His achievements in revitalizing Nissan were noted by the Japanese government, which awarded him the Japan Medal with Blue Ribbon in 2004. In February 2017, Ghosn announced he would step down as CEO of Nissan on 1 April 2017, while remaining chairman of

744-559: A facelifted version appeared, with a revised body style and different engines, although the 2.5 turbo-diesel continued unchanged. Air conditioning and climate control was fitted as standard, and electronic blinds, and electric side door were commonly fitted options. Petrol Diesel The Bongo was reintroduced in July 2020 in Japan and based on the Daihatsu Gran Max . It is available in van and truck model. The Bongo Brawny

837-583: A legal agreement with Austin, for Nissan to assemble 2,000 Austins from imported partially assembled sets and sell them in Japan under the Austin trademark. The agreement called for Nissan to make all Austin parts locally within three years, a goal Nissan met. Nissan produced and marketed Austins for seven years. The agreement also gave Nissan the rights to use Austin patents, which Nissan used in developing its own engines for its Datsun line of cars. In 1953, British-built Austins were assembled and sold, but by 1955,

930-707: A manufacturing facility in Chennai , catering to the Indian market as well as a base for exports of small cars to Europe. Nissan sold nearly 520,000 new vehicles in China in 2009 in a joint venture with Dongfeng Motor . To meet increased production targets, Dongfeng-Nissan expanded its production base in Guangzhou , which would become Nissan's largest factory around the globe in terms of production capacity. Nissan also has moved and expanded its Nissan Americas Inc. headquarters, moving from Los Angeles to Franklin, Tennessee in

1023-553: A minority 15% and, in doing so, making Nissan shares in Renault to gain voting rights. The shareholding and voting ratio of both companies is set to be fixed in the future. The agreement also included Nissan investing in Ampere (a proposed Renault subsidiary for electric cars) and projects in various markets. In February 2023, both companies approved the going-ahead for the shareholding changes. Final details and regulatory clearances for

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1116-575: A new generation of Bongo vans and trucks went on sale, which were also rebadged as the Mazda E-series, Ford Econovan, Mitsubishi Delica Van/Truck , and Nissan Vanette . This model adopted the SK platform which was based on the previous generation SS/SE model. This was sold at various Mazda, Mazda Anfini and Mazda Autozam dealers. On August 20, 2010, an upgraded Bongo truck/van were officially released in Japan. Mazda's difficult business environment at

1209-517: A partnership between Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors of Japan, with Renault of France. As of November 2023 , Renault holds a 15% voting stake in Nissan, while Nissan holds the same stake in Renault. Since October 2016 Nissan holds a 34% controlling stake in Mitsubishi Motors. In 2017, Nissan was the sixth largest automaker in the world, after Toyota , Volkswagen Group , Hyundai Motor Group , General Motors and Ford . In 2014, Nissan

1302-641: A total of 48 Nissan Miss Fairlady pageants (26 in Ginza, 8 in Sapporo, 7 in Nagoya, 7 in Fukuoka). In April 2013, 6 more Miss Fairlady candidates were added to Ginza showroom, for a total of 27 48th Ginza Nissan Miss Fairlady pageants. In the 1950s Nissan decided to expand into worldwide markets. Nissan management realized, that their Datsun small car line would fulfill an unmet need in markets such as Australia and

1395-689: A two-year hiatus, the next Bongo van appeared in September 1977. It was a mid-engine rear wheel drive vehicle. Ford sold this version of the van as the Ford Econovan , while Mazda sold it for export as the E1300 , E1400 , and E1600 , depending on engine size. Beginning in October 1979 a 2.2-litre diesel engine was also available in commercial versions, sold in export as the E2200 . This appeared in

1488-434: A video of Ghosn alleging this 2018-19 Nissan scandal is itself evidence of value destruction and Nissan corporate mismanagement. In September 2019, Saikawa resigned as CEO, following allegations of improper payments received by him. Yasuhiro Yamauchi was appointed as acting CEO. In October 2019, the company announced it had appointed Makoto Uchida as its next CEO. The appointment would be made "effective" by 1 January 2020 at

1581-835: Is branded as the Kia K-Series or the Kia Frontier , which includes the K2400 and K2700. In Taiwan, it is known as the Kia Kaon , while in Vietnam, it is manufactured under license by THACO and sold as the THACO Kia New Frontier . Production of the truck started in 1980 and the van started in 1981. Early Bongos had round headlights, although these were changed for square units in 1981. The first Bongos also used "Kiamaster" logos rather than simply "Kia"; this

1674-583: Is named the Kia " BestA " (or "HiBesta"), usually referred to as 'Besta'—which means "beast" in many Romance languages including Portuguese. This did not stop the Besta from immediately becoming the highest selling minivan in the Brazilian market. The Besta name was also used for cargo van versions in many countries. The Besta originally had the 2.2 liter Mazda R2 diesel engine with 62 PS (46 kW), but at

1767-667: The Austin A50 – completely built by Nissan and featuring a new 1489 cc engine — was on the market in Japan. Nissan produced 20,855 Austins from 1953 to 1959. Nissan leveraged the Austin patents to further develop its own modern engine designs beyond what Austin's A- and B-family designs offered. The apex of the Austin-derived engines was the new design A series engine in 1966. In 1967, Nissan introduced its new highly advanced four-cylinder overhead cam (OHC) Nissan L engine , which while similar to Mercedes-Benz OHC designs

1860-1049: The Button Plan , with a version of the Nissan Pintara being sold as the Ford Corsair and a version of the Ford Falcon as the Nissan Ute . A variant of the Nissan Patrol was sold as the Ford Maverick during the 1988–94 model years. In North America, Nissan partnered with Ford from 1993 to 2002 to market the Ohio-built Mercury Villager and the Nissan Quest . The two minivans were virtually identical aside from cosmetic differences. In 2002, Nissan and Ford announced

1953-587: The Ford Spectron name as high-roof eight-seaters. The Bongo was redesigned in 1983 with new engines. It was also sold by Ford in Asia as the "Spectron" (passenger version) or as the "J80" (cargo model). In Australia, the Bongo was sold by Mazda as the E-series, with Ford also retailing the commercial version as the "Ford Econovan" and the passenger version as the "Ford Spectron" (1983–1990). From 1994 onwards,

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2046-640: The Kia Travello . The Travello was discontinued in 2019. This resulted in the coachvan variant becoming limited to custom builds from coachbuilders. European sales of the Kia K-Series (with an exception of Russia and Turkey) has been discontinued in late 2007. Kia Bongo was updated in 2014, with new gearbox 6-speed engine and much more efficient Euro IV standards, new body design that includes different front and added grille, and wheels increased in size to 15 inches. The K2500, K2700 and K3000S have either

2139-672: The Kwaishinsha (Kaishinsha) Motor Car Works ( 快進社自働車工場 , Kwaishinsha jidōsha kōjō , A Good Company Automobile Manufacturer ) on 1 July 1911 in Azabu-Hiroo district of Tokyo. In 1914, the company produced its first car, called the DAT . The new car's model name was an acronym of the company's investors' surnames : It was renamed to Kaishinsha Motorcar Co., Ltd. in 1918, and again to DAT Jidosha & Co., Ltd. (DAT Motorcar Co.) in 1925. DAT Motors built trucks in addition to

2232-629: The Nissan and Infiniti brands, and formerly the Datsun brand, with in-house performance tuning products (including cars) under the Nismo and Autech brands. The company traces back to the beginnings of the 20th century, with the Nissan zaibatsu , now called Nissan Group . Since 1999, Nissan has been part of the Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance (Mitsubishi joining in 2016),

2325-843: The Nissan Altima , the Nissan Maxima , as well as the Rogue, Pathfinder, Infiniti QX60, and the Nissan Leaf all-electric car . The addition of mass-market automobiles was in response to the 1981 Voluntary Export Restraints imposed by the US Government. An engine plant in Decherd, Tennessee followed. Most recently a second assembly plant was established in Canton, Mississippi . By the early-1980s, Nissan Datsun had long been

2418-606: The Prince Motor Company , bringing more upmarket cars, including the Skyline and Gloria , into its selection. The Prince name was eventually abandoned, and successive Skylines and Glorias bore the Nissan name. "Prince" was used at the Japanese Nissan dealership " Nissan Prince Shop " until 1999, when "Nissan Red Stage" replaced it. Nissan Red Stage itself has been replaced as of 2007. The Skyline lives on as

2511-552: The holding company Nihon Sangyo (日本産業 Japan Industries or Nihon Industries). The name 'Nissan' originated during the 1930s as an abbreviation used on the Tokyo Stock Exchange for Ni hon San gyo. This company was Nissan " Zaibatsu " which included Tobata Casting and Hitachi . At this time Nissan controlled foundries and auto parts businesses, but Aikawa did not enter automobile manufacturing until 1933. The zaibatsu eventually grew to include 74 firms and became

2604-526: The 1.2-ton and 1.4-ton variants were discontinued in November 2006. The coachvan, van and trucks except the 1-ton and 1.3-ton models were ceased in production on December 31, 2007, due to low demand. The Bongo III went on hiatus between October 2011 and January 2012, due to tighter emissions rules, but reemerged with a Euro V compliant engine. The Bongo III was exclusively available in the Philippines as

2697-491: The 1930s who introduced cars. The Fairlady name was used as a link to the popular Broadway play My Fair Lady of the era. Miss Fairladys became the marketers of the Datsun Fairlady 1500 . In April 2008, 14 more Miss Fairlady candidates were added, for a total of 45 Nissan Miss Fairlady pageants (22 in Ginza, 8 in Sapporo, 7 in Nagoya, 7 in Fukuoka). In April 2012, 7 more Miss Fairlady candidates were added, for

2790-415: The 1977 Mazda Bongo BA2). The third Bongo had the same JS series 2.7 litre engine with 80 PS (59 kW) as used in the previous model, although an optional 3 litre JT engine with 90 PS (66 kW) was also made available from the beginning. In August 2001 this engine received an additional four horsepower. A facelifted Bongo was introduced in 2000. The truck was discontinued in late 2003, while

2883-445: The 2.0-litre petrol or a 2.2-litre diesel, both with five-speed manual and as steel-sided vans. The 4.7-metre (15.4 ft) long Econovan Maxi van was also high roofed, but steel-sided only. Powertrain and rear wheel setups were the same as the 4.4-metre Maxi. In 1986, four-wheel drive became an option for the 4.7-metre long model in conjunction with the windowed body work, manual transmission, and 2.0-litre engine. A cab chassis version

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2976-510: The 4.4-metre Maxi had its petrol engine increased from 1.8 to 2.0 litres. The 4.0- and 4.4-metre Econovan also gained the availability of four-speed automatic, previously fitted only to the Spectron vans. The 4.7-metre Maxi van, previously available only with dual rear wheels, was now also available with single rear wheels, although crew cab and cab chassis models remained as dual rear wheel propositions. Ford stated that all petrol manuals and

3069-549: The 4.4-metre petrol automatic Maxi were designed to run on both leaded and unleaded fuel, although the 4.0-metre petrol automatic will run only on unleaded. At the same time as these powertrain updates, Ford also made some cosmetic changes to the Spectron. The low-roof Spectron added colour-keyed bumpers and a new side stripe, matched to a new beige cloth interior trim, and on the XLT the old beige interior colour switched to grey. Petrol Diesel A new long- wheelbase version known as

3162-522: The Bongo Brawny was also introduced, three months before the regular Bongo. The Brawny was larger than the regular Bongo in by all key measures (wheelbase, length, width, height, and weight). In export markets this model was again sold as the E-series. In Australia, Ford differentiated the long-wheelbase versions with the "Econovan Maxi" identifier. In Korea, it is also known as Kia Wide Bongo for truck variant and Kia Besta for van variant In June 1999,

3255-602: The Bongo was also sold by Nissan as the Vanette . In South Korea this was built as the Kia Wide Bongo . In South Africa, it was sold as the Ford Spectron. During the 1980s, Toyota , Nissan , and Mitsubishi all sold versions of their utility vans in the United States, but only Toyota's had any market success and as Mazda was a smaller company than the others, they were more risk-adverse and decided localizing

3348-486: The Bongo was the best-selling Mazda vehicle from its introduction until 1981, when it was surpassed by the front-wheel drive Mazda Familia . In Australia, rebadged versions were sold as the Ford Econovan as a SWB petrol van (with and without side windows), LWB petrol van (with and without side windows), and LWB diesel van guises (windowless). SWB and LWB window petrol vans also sold in passenger-carrying Ford Econowagon form. Luxury-oriented passenger models were sold under

3441-659: The Bongo wasn't worthwhile. Instead, they created the more passenger car-like MPV for the American market. In Australia, it was sold as the Mazda E-series and the Mazda Traveller and also as the Ford Econovan and Ford Spectron. The entry-level Econovan offered a 4-metre (13.1 ft) length, 1.8-litre petrol engine, five-speed manual of four-speed automatic, single rear wheels, in three-seater steel-sided or six seater XL window-sided forms. Prior to 1986, there

3534-545: The Bongo, the Bongo Brawny was released in June 1999. This model also adopted the SK platform which is based on previous generation SS/SE model. Like the previous generation, the Bongo Brawny was larger in all key dimensions. It was available in both regular 2400 mm and long 2600 mm wheelbases. The Brawny retained many of the parts of the previous generation, such as the sliding side doors, and looks rather similar to

3627-515: The DAT and Datsun passenger cars. The vast majority of its output were trucks, due to an almost non-existent consumer market for passenger cars at the time, and disaster recovery efforts as a result of the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake . Beginning in 1918, the first DAT trucks were produced for the military market. At the same time, Jitsuyo Jidosha Co., Ltd. (jitsuyo means practical use or utility) produced small trucks using parts, and materials imported from

3720-657: The F800 was joined by the bigger-engined F1000. This has a 987 cc PB overhead valve inline-four engine with 48 PS (35 kW) at 5500 rpm. The chassis code for the 1-litre model is FPA. Its dimensions were 3,770 mm (148 in) long, 1,500 mm (59 in) wide, 1,700 mm (67 in) height, with a wheelbase of 2,000 mm (79 in), and Vehicle weight of 885 kg (1,951 lb) (commercial delivery van) 910 kg (2,006 lb) (passenger coach), and 775 kg (1,709 lb) (cab-over truck). Mazda also showed an electrically powered version of

3813-541: The G Series of Infiniti . To capitalize on the renewed investment during 1964 Summer Olympics , Nissan established the gallery on the second and third floors of the San-ai building, located in Ginza, Tokyo . To attract visitors, Nissan started using beautiful female showroom attendants where Nissan held a competition to choose five candidates as the first class of Nissan Miss Fairladys, modeled after "Datsun Demonstrators" from

Mazda Bongo - Misplaced Pages Continue

3906-817: The K2700, from May 2005 to August 2018. It was later replaced by the K2500 in September 2018, which it gained a driver airbag. The K2700 Panoramic was replaced in 2019 by the K2500 Karga , "karga" is the Filipino word for "carry". In Thailand, the Bongo III is known as the Kia Jumbo since 2005. In Indonesia, the Bongo III is known as the Kia Big-Up since 2004. It was also available as a coachvan variant, known as

3999-459: The K400S and K4000G, which is the bigger van version of the K2500, the K2700 and the K3000II. In January 2020, an EV version was launched in South Korea. It can go up to 211 km (131 mi) on a charge. Nissan Nissan Motor Corporation ( 日産 自動車 株式会社 , Nissan Jidōsha kabushiki gaisha ) is a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Yokohama, Kanagawa , Japan. The company sells its vehicles under

4092-400: The Nashville area. Project 901 was an initiative in the mid-1980s, and it represented a desire for Nissan to offer technologically advanced cars by 1990. Known by various names such as P901 Activity, 901 Activity, 901 Plan, 901 Operation, and Project 901, the project began under the leadership of Nissan President Yutaka Kume (1985-1992). Project 901 was initiated in early 1985 in response to

4185-407: The Nissan Mistral. Nissan licensed the Volkswagen Santana . Production began in 1984, at Nissan's Zama, Kanagawa plant, and ended in May 1990. From 1983 to 1987, Nissan cooperated with Alfa Romeo to build the Arna . The goal was for Alfa to compete in the family hatchback market segment, and for Nissan to establish a foothold in the European market. After Alfa Romeo's takeover by Fiat, both

4278-547: The United States. Commercial operations were placed on hold during Japan's participation in World War I , and the company contributed to the war effort. In 1926, the Tokyo-based DAT Motors merged with the Osaka -based Jitsuyo Jidosha Co., Ltd ( Jitsuyō Jidōsha Seizō Kabushiki-Gaisha ) a.k.a. Jitsuyo Jidosha Seizo (established 1919 as a Kubota subsidiary) to become DAT Jidosha Seizo Co., Ltd Automobile Manufacturing Co., Ltd. ( ダット自動車製造株式会社 , DAT Jidōsha Seizō Kabushiki-Gaisha ) in Osaka until 1932. From 1923 to 1925,

4371-427: The Van and Coach models continued to be built until May 2005. With stricter emissions controls coming into effect in South Korea in 2006, the 4x4 dump truck model was discontinued at the same time. The fourth generation, known as the Kia Bongo III , was introduced in 2005, engines were modernized, featuring a common rail option, which is gradually becoming more environmentally friendly. Due to tighter emissions rules,

4464-419: The Zama plant began to be robotized; this automation process then continued throughout Nissan's factories. Nissan electric vehicles have been produced intermittently since 1946. In 2010, the Nissan Leaf plug-in battery electric vehicle was introduced; it was the world's most sold plug-in electric car for nearly a decade. It was preceded by the Altra and the Hypermini . Until surpassed by Tesla, Nissan

4557-545: The best selling Japanese brand in Europe. The Greek manufacturing plant itself was closed. A joint venture with Italy's then state-owned Alfa Romeo was also entered in 1980, leading to Italian production of the Nissan Cherry and an Alfa-badged and motorized version, the Alfa Romeo Arna . In 2001 Nissan established a manufacturing plant in Brazil. In 2005 Nissan added operations in India, through its subsidiary Nissan Motor India Private Limited . With its global alliance partner Renault , Nissan invested $ 990 million to set up

4650-410: The biggest customers of domestic automakers. In late-July 2019, Nissan announced it would lay off 12,500 employees over the next 3 years, citing a 95% year on year net income fall. Hiroto Saikawa, CEO at the time, confirmed the majority of those cuts would be plant workers. In May 2020, Nissan announced that the company would cut production capacity by 20% due to the COVID-19 pandemic . In mid-2020,

4743-414: The car and cooperation were discontinued. In Europe, General Motors (GM) and Nissan co-operated on the Nissan Primastar , a light commercial vehicle. The high roof version is built in the NMISA plant in Barcelona , Spain; while the low roof version is built at Vauxhall Motors / Opel 's Luton plant in Bedfordshire , UK. In 2013, GM announced its intentions to rebadge the Nissan NV200 commercial van as

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4836-557: The company announced it would shut down factories in Indonesia and Spain, and would exit the South Korean car market. Nissan announced that the Infiniti brand will be pulled out from South Korea as well alongside the Nissan brand by December due to worsening business environment amidst the pandemic and the 2019 boycott of Japanese products in South Korea . Nissan announced that service centers will be managed to provide after-sales services such as vehicle quality assurance and parts management for eight years. In November 2020, Nissan announced

4929-429: The company produced light cars and trucks under the name of Lila. In 1929, DAT Automobile Manufacturing Inc. merged with a separated part of the manufacturing business of IHI Corporation to become Automobile Industries Co., Ltd. In 1931, DAT came out with a new smaller car, called the Datsun Type 11 , the first "Datson", meaning "Son of DAT". Later in 1933, after Nissan Group zaibatsu took control of DAT Motors,

5022-454: The company took a hard line. Workers were locked out, and several hundred were fired. The Japanese government and the U.S. occupation forces arrested several union leaders. The union ran out of strike funds and was defeated. A new labor union was formed, with Shioji Ichiro one of its leaders. Ichiro had studied at Harvard University on a U.S. government scholarship. He advanced an idea to trade wage cuts against saving 2,000 jobs. Ichiro's idea

5115-430: The company. He was replaced as CEO by his then-deputy Hiroto Saikawa . On 19 November 2018, Ghosn was fired as chairman following his arrest for the alleged under-reporting of his income to Japanese financial authorities. After 108 days in detention, Ghosn was released on bail, but after 29 days he was again detained on new charges (4 April 2019). He had been due to hold a news conference, but instead, his lawyers released

5208-423: The discontinuation of the arrangement. In Europe, Nissan and Ford Europe partnered to produce the Nissan Terrano II and the badge-engineered Ford Maverick, a mid-size SUV produced at the Nissan Motor Ibérica S.A (NMISA) plant in Barcelona , Spain . The Maverick/Terrano II was a popular vehicle sold throughout Europe and Australasia. It was also sold in Japan as a captive import , with the Nissan model marketed as

5301-426: The domestic market. Certain export markets with more rugged conditions, such as the Philippines, Latin America, Australia, and Turkey, received the Ceres model rather than the Bongo (in some places, both were available). The Ceres utilized the original BA2 cabin, except it uses a unique front clip. It was facelifted in 1995 when it received a new front clip with round headlights and the then-new Kia logo. In January 1990

5394-455: The end of 1994 the 80 PS (59 kW) 2.7 liter J2 unit was placed in the Besta as well. This version can reach 128 km/h (80 mph). The Bongo J2 also formed the basis for the new Kia Pregio , which replaced the Kia Besta (the coach version of the Bongo). The Besta 2.7 did continue in production alongside the Pregio until at least the summer of 1997 for markets where this lower priced model retained some popularity. Export models of

5487-510: The first car manufactured by an integrated assembly system rolled off the line at the Yokohama plant. Nissan built trucks, airplanes, and engines for the Imperial Japanese Army . In November 1937 Nissan moved its headquarters to Xinjing , the capital of Manchukuo . In December the company changed its name to Manchuria Heavy Industries Developing Co (MHID). In 1940, the first knockdown kits were shipped to Dowa Jidosha Kogyo (Dowa Automobile) , one of MHID's companies, for assembly. In 1944,

5580-485: The fourth-largest in Japan during World War II . In 1931, DAT Jidosha Seizo became affiliated with Tobata Casting and was merged into Tobata Casting in 1933. As Tobata Casting was a Nissan company, this was the beginning of Nissan's automobile manufacturing. In 1934, Aikawa separated the expanded automobile parts division of Tobata Casting and incorporated it as a new subsidiary, which he named Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. ( 日産自動車 , Nissan Jidōsha ) . The shareholders of

5673-623: The growing demand for new, technically advanced cars from all Japanese manufacturers. With a market share of around 25% then, Nissan saw a decline to less than 20%, prompting the company to address its shortcomings. Under the banner of 'Aiming to be the world's best in technology by the 1990s,' the plan focused on the technological development of chassis, engines, suspensions, handling, design, and quality improvements for all car models to be introduced before 1990. In 1999, facing severe financial difficulties, Nissan entered an alliance with Renault of France. In June 2001, Renault executive Carlos Ghosn

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5766-437: The head office was moved to Nihonbashi, Tokyo , and the company name was changed to Nissan Heavy Industries, Ltd., which the company kept through 1949. DAT had inherited Kubota 's chief designer, American engineer William R. Gorham . This, along with Aikawa's 1908 visit to Detroit, was to greatly affect Nissan's future. Although it had always been Aikawa's intention to use cutting-edge auto making technology from America, it

5859-406: The last syllable of Datson was changed to "sun", because "son" also means "loss" in Japanese, hence the name " Datsun " ( ダットサン , Dattosan ) . In 1933, the company name was Nipponized to Jidosha-Seizo Co., Ltd. ( Jidōsha Seizō Kabushiki-Gaisha , "Automobile Manufacturing Share Company") and was moved to Yokohama . In 1928, Yoshisuke Aikawa (nickname: Gisuke/Guisuke Ayukawa) founded

5952-399: The latest technological advancements and chic Italianate styling for sporty cars such as the Datsun Fairlady roadsters, the race-winning 411 series , the Datsun 510 and the Datsun 240Z . By 1970 Nissan had become one of the world's largest exporters of automobiles. In 1970 Teocar was established, which was a Greek assembly plant created in cooperation with Theoharakis. Nissan Mexicana

6045-419: The latest. On 1 December 2019, Uchida became CEO. In the United States, Nissan has been increasing its reliance on sales to daily-rental companies like Enterprise Rent-A-Car or Hertz . In 2016, Nissan's rental sales jumped 37% and in 2017 Nissan became the only major automaker to boost rental sales when the Detroit Three cut back less profitable deliveries to daily-rental companies, which traditionally are

6138-407: The market in Korea since at least the late 1980s, and these were equipped with a four-cylinder diesel engine. The Kia Bongo Frontier was originally available in RV or pickup trucks . It was replaced by the Kia Bongo III in 2004. The Bongo Frontier was one of the first Kia cars to be exported to Europe and South America . In some markets, such as Europe, Australia and South America, the Bongo

6231-422: The new company; however, were not enthusiastic about the prospects of the automobile in Japan, so Aikawa bought out all the Tobata Casting shareholders (using capital from Nihon Industries) in June 1934. At this time, Nissan Motor effectively became owned by Nihon Sangyo and Hitachi . In 1935, the construction of its Yokohama plant was completed. 44 Datsuns were shipped to Asia, Central and South America. In 1935,

6324-403: The passenger version "Bongo Multi Wagon" in February 1980. The Bongo Multi Wagon had originally been sold with a 1.8-liter petrol engine only. As the E1600, this model went on sale in Great Britain in 1982, only a year before being replaced. The British market only received the long wheelbase 1-tonne panel van version with small, twinned rear wheels. The UK model has a five-speed manual gearbox with

6417-523: The previous generation model. The E-series label continued to be used in export markets, although they were now fewer than before. The Bongo Brawny was discontinued in August 2010. The Bongo Friendee was introduced in June 1995, based on the SG platform . It was an eight-seater minivan , and was also sold on the Japanese home market as the Ford Freda . It was usually, but not exclusively, available with an automatic transmission, and came in 2WD (SGL3), and 4WD (SGL5) versions. The 2.5-litre turbo-diesel

6510-459: The same body shape for its 10-year production life, the later models fitted with inertia-reel seat belts , and separate front parking indicator lights. The rear-engined Bongos had a full chassis (using the same Mazda 1000 engine as other variants mounted to a four-speed transaxle at the rear), and were very strong, and due to the low gearing, able to carry half a ton. Due to rust and poor maintenance, these Bongos are now rare. The 1000 pickup which

6603-443: The second generation Bongo Wide (sold as plain "Bongo" in most export markets) appeared. It was largely a rebadged SR-series Mazda Bongo Brawny . In 1993, a 2.7-litre engine was introduced. In October 1994, Kia's new logo replaced the old "chimney" design. In 1995 a reengined and lightly facelifted version called the "Bongo J2" appeared; this reflected the name of the new engine. The second generation Bongo model for passengers (coach)

6696-582: The second generation Bongo often used the K2400 or K2700 labels. The third generation Bongo appeared in April 1997, now with the " Bongo Frontier " name. The related van version, Pregio , was introduced in November 1995 and continued in production until 2006. A four-wheel drive version ("Bongo Frontier All Terrain") appeared in December 1999, this meant the final end of the Ceres trucks (with origins dating back to

6789-483: The smaller units used previously. The first generation Bongo was removed from production in December 1994, although the tougher Ceres version continued for another seven years. The Kia Ceres was a special agricultural version. It was a one-ton truck that shared a slightly longer front end with the Kia Titan. From 1987, it was also available with four-wheel drive; eventually the rear-wheel drive models were cancelled in

6882-476: The time meant they could not afford to build a full brand new platform. A petrol 1.8-litre EGI F8-E with 90 PS (66 kW) and a diesel 2.2-litre R2 with 79 PS (58 kW) were available. Mazda announced that this is the last generation of in-house designed Bongo vans and trucks in March 2012. Mazda discontinued the Bongo in 2020 and it will focus on fuel efficient passenger cars. The longer version of

6975-446: The transaction were set to be completed by the first quarter of 2023 and it would be done by the fourth quarter. The companies also approved joint projects and Nissan's Ampere investment. The share transfer was completed in November 2023. In November 2024, Nissan announced an emergency turnaround plan which saw it cut its annual operating profit forecast by 70% to 150 billion yen ($ 975 million), marking its second downward revision after

7068-442: The van, which could reach 75 km/h (47 mph), and with a 60 km (37 mi) range. but wasn't put into production, and remained a prototype. The engines were shared with Mazda's Familia small car range. Production ended in 1975, due to Mazda suffering serious economic troubles, and upcoming stricter emissions regulations for 1976, influenced by the original United States Federal Clean Air Act of 1963 . This model retained

7161-704: The world's largest car market, the United States. Nissan first showcased the Datsun Bluebird at the 1958 Los Angeles Auto Show . Nissan had entered the Middle East market in 1957 when it sold its first car in Saudi Arabia. The company formed a US subsidiary, Nissan Motor Corporation U.S.A. , in Gardena, California in 1960 headed by Yutaka Katayama . Nissan continued to improve the Sedan series with

7254-545: Was Gorham that carried out the plan. Most of the machinery and processes originally came from the United States. When Nissan started to assemble larger vehicles under the "Nissan" brand in 1937, much of the design plans and plant facilities were supplied by the Graham-Paige Company. Nissan also had a Graham license under which passenger cars, buses, and trucks were made. In his 1986 book The Reckoning , David Halberstam states "In terms of technology, Gorham

7347-412: Was a totally new engine designed by Nissan. This engine powered the new Datsun 510 , which gained Nissan respect in the worldwide sedan market. Then, in 1969, Nissan introduced the Datsun 240Z sports car which used a six-cylinder variation of the L series engine, developed under Nissan Machinery (Nissan Koki Co., Ltd. 日産工機 ) in 1964, a former remnant of another auto manufacturer Kurogane . The 240Z

7440-446: Was also a 1.4-litre engine and five-speed manual option available as a steel-sided van with single- or dual-rear wheels, and as a passenger-carrying XL van with single-rear wheels. The 4.4-metre (14.4 ft) long Econovan Maxi offered a high roof, 2.0-litre petrol engine with five-speed manual or four-speed automatic, single rear wheels, and three-seater steel-sided or six seater XL window-sided forms. Dual rear wheels were available for

7533-528: Was an immediate sensation and lifted Nissan to world-class status in the automobile market. During the Korean War , Nissan was a major vehicle producer for the U.S. Army. After the Korean War ended, significant levels of anti-communist sentiment existed in Japan. The union that organized Nissan's workforce was strong and militant. Nissan was in financial difficulties, and when wage negotiations came,

7626-463: Was built for commercial uses, and the cargo and passenger vans all used a double wishbone and coil spring suspension for the front wheels, and a trailing-arm suspension and coil springs at the rear wheels. Due to the popularity of the Bongo, Mazda decided to manufacture a minibus, called the Mazda Parkway starting in 1974 until 1997, shared with the larger Mazda Titan truck platform. After

7719-516: Was changed in February 1986. The Bongo originally came with the 2.2 liter "S2" diesel engine of Perkins origins, producing 70 PS (51 kW). The 1.4 liter "UC" petrol engine became an option in 1985. 'Wide Bongo' production started in 1987. Between 1987 and 1990 the Bongo was sold as the "Power Bongo", to reflect an upgrade to the 80 PS (59 kW) 2.4 litre "SF" diesel engine. The Power Bongo also has wide rectangular headlights, rather than

7812-610: Was common in Japan, although there a 2.5-litre V6 petrol version was available. The Mazda Bongo Friendee was an eight-seater minivan . Some had Mazda factory-fitted kitchens. Many were imported to the UK, and converted to camper vans . All of them had fold-down seats downstairs to make a double bed, and on many models there was an "Auto Free Top" elevating roof which could sleep two more people. Flat-top versions were also available in Hong Kong, and sold by official dealer. In September 2001,

7905-618: Was established in the early-1960s and commenced manufacturing in 1966 at the Cuernavaca assembly facility , making it Nissan's first North American assembly plant. In the wake of the 1973 oil crisis , consumers worldwide, especially in the lucrative US market, began turning to high-quality small economy cars. To meet the growing demand the new Nissan Sunny , the company built new factories in Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, United States, and South Africa. The " Chicken Tax " of 1964 placed

7998-580: Was first launched in 1980 under the name Bongo . In 1997, the third generation Bongo Frontier was launched. As of 2004, the Kia Bongo was in its fourth version, confusingly sold as the Kia Bongo III. "Frontier" was dropped from the name with this revision. Kia has produced small and large trucks for the South Korean market for at least 25 years. Rear-wheel-drive Bongo trucks have been on

8091-461: Was made part of a new union contract that prioritized productivity. Between 1955 and 1973, Nissan "expanded rapidly on the basis of technical advances supported – and often suggested – by the union." Ichiro became president of the Confederation of Japan Automobile Workers' Unions and "the most influential figure in the right wing of the Japanese labor movement." In 1966, Nissan merged with

8184-407: Was named chief executive officer of Nissan. In May 2005, Ghosn was named president of Nissan's partner company Renault. He was appointed president and CEO of Renault on 6 May 2009. Under CEO Ghosn's "Nissan Revival Plan" (NRP), the company has rebounded in what many leading economists consider to be one of the most spectacular corporate turnarounds in history, catapulting Nissan to record profits and

8277-586: Was offered on the 4.7-metre chassis, with 2.0-litre petrol engine with five-speed manual. It was available as a two-door, three-seater model with 1.5-tonne (3,300 lb) payload and as a four-door, six-seater "Crew Cab" with 1.4-tonne (3,100 lb) payload. In December 1985, Ford updated the Econovan in Australia to upgrade the engines for unleaded petrol. The petrol engine fitted to 4.0-metre Econovan increased in displacement from 1.4 to 1.8 litres, and

8370-427: Was reintroduced in April 2019 in Japan as a badge engineered fifth-generation Toyota HiAce . Unlike the previous model, it is intended to be a larger commercial van as opposed to a passenger van. Kia Bongo The Kia Bongo ( Hangul :기아 봉고), also known as the Kia K-Series or Kia Besta , is a cabover pickup truck and van produced by the South Korean automobile manufacturer Kia since 1980. The Bongo

8463-517: Was the founder of the Nissan Motor Company" and that "young Nissan engineers who had never met him spoke of him as a god and could describe in detail his years at the company and his many inventions." From 1934, Datsun began to build Austin 7s under license. This operation became the greatest success of Austin 's overseas licensing of its Seven and marked the beginning of Datsun's international success. In 1952, Nissan entered into

8556-478: Was the largest car manufacturer in North America. With a revenue of $ 78 billion in 2022, Nissan was the ninth largest automobile maker in the world, as well as being the leading Japanese brand in China, Russia, and Mexico. As of April 2018 , Nissan was the world's largest electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer, with global sales of more than 320,000 all-electric vehicles. Masujiro Hashimoto ( 橋本増治郎 ) founded

8649-401: Was the world's largest electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer, with global sales of more than 320,000 all-electric vehicles as of April 2018. In 2022, it was announced that Nissan was intending to create solid-state batteries for electric vehicles. In Australia, between 1989 and 1992, Nissan Australia shared models with Ford Australia under a government-backed rationalisation scheme known as

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