Auto Industry Timeline
Japanese Auto Industry:
Honda:
Nissan:
1911: Masujiro Hashimoto founds the Kwaishinsha Motor Car Works in Tokyo.
1914: Hashimoto introduces his first car, the DAT.
1918: The Datson model is first produced.
1932: The Datson brand is changed to Datsun.
1933: The manufacturing and sale of Datsun cars is taken over by the Jidosha Seizo Company, Ltd.
1934: Jidosha Seizo changes its name to Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
Early 1940s:During World War II, the company makes military trucks and engines for airplanes and torpedo boats.
1951: Nissan becomes a publicly traded company.
1952: Nissan enters into a license agreement with U.K.-based Austin Motor Company Ltd.
1958: Export of cars to the U.S. market begins.
1966: The company merges with Prince Motor Company Ltd.
1981: The company begins changing its name from Datsun to Nissan in the U.S. market.
1989: The Infiniti line of luxury automobiles is introduced.
1992: The company posts the first pretax loss in its history as a public company; Nissan introduces the Altima small luxury sedan and the Quest minivan, the latter a joint development with Ford Motor Company.
1994: Nissan posts a loss of nearly US$2 billion.
1999: Nissan and Renault S.A. enter into a global alliance, with Renault taking a 37 percent stake in Nissan. A massive restructuring begins.
<<Toyota:>>
1918: Sakichi Toyoda establishes Toyota Spinning & Weaving Co., Ltd.
1933: Automobile Department is created within Toyoda Automatic Loom Works.
1935: First Model A1 passenger car prototype is completed.
1937: Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. is formed.
1950: Toyota Motor Sales Co., Ltd. is established.
1956: Toyota creates the Toyopet dealer network.
1957: Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. is formed.
1962: Toyota Motor Thailand Co., Ltd. begins operations.
1982: Toyota Motor Company and Toyota Motor Sales merge to form Toyota Motor Corporation.
1995: Hiroshi Okuda becomes company president.
1997: The Prius, Toyota's first 'eco-car,' is launched.
1998: Toyota acquires majority share in Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd.
