Our Winston-Salem used car dealership always has a few Nissans in stock, though keeping them in stock can be a challenge. The bottom line is that people want to buy Nissans! They’re reliable, dependable cars that have iconic looks depending on which model you’re after and we just can’t keep them on our lot. So what’s the history behind these cars? What made Nissan what it is today? Well…
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- 1933 Datsun 12 Phaeton
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- 1947 Tama Truck
Before The 1950s
In 1914, the first-ever Nissan Datsun was built and in 1933 Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. was established in Japan. These two events, despite being years apart, led up to the creation of the Datsun Type 15. The Datsun Type 15 was the first mass-produced Japanese vehicle and the model came as both a mini-pickup and a delivery van. The vehicle had an engine that was capable of 15 horsepower and had a 3-speed transmission type. It’s a start!
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- 1959 Datsun 1000
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- 1966 Bluebird 1300SS
The 1950s And 1960s
The Nissan Skyline, predecessor to the Nissan GT-R, was introduced in 1957. The Skyline has been a highly sought-after import and finally made its way over to America in 2009! 1958 brought about the Datsun 1200 Sedan, which was similar to the 1930s Datsun and, unlike the Skyline, was introduced in America. A compact pickup version of the Datsun was also introduced in the U.S. a year later!
In the 1960s, Nissan built a much stronger reputation in both the American and Japanese markets. Nissan opened up its Nissan Motor Corporation U.S.A. in Gardena, CA and began manufacturing vehicles here! The brand also introduced vehicles like the Datsun 2000 Roadster and the Datsun “Z,” the latter of which got Nissan into the performance vehicles market!
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- 1973 Skyline H/T 2000GT-R
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- 1985 Pulsar EXA Convertible
The 1970s And 1980s
In the 1970s, Nissan sold its one-millionth Datsun model and became the top U.S. vehicle importer! Nissan also debuted the King Cab, which was the first extended cab pickup, in 1977, and in 1979 opened Nissan Design International in La Jolla, CA, to bring American styles to the brand.
Then in the 1980s, Nissan built its first truck in the United States down in Smyrna, TN, and even got into off-roading! The brand ultimately brought home 19 trophies between 1982 and 1992 for off-roading and won some races as well. Nissan also launched Infiniti, which is yet another brand our used car dealership in Winston-Salem carries, in 1989.
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- 1991 President Electric Car
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- 2002 Skyline GT-R
1990s To Today!
Being an eco-friendly company, Nissan won its first Environmental Protection Agency award in 1991 celebrated several sales milestones with the Nissan Sentra, Altima and Maxima models, all of which hit several million sold. In 1997 the company was named Best of the Best by the Environmental Protection Agency, and NMMC is lauded as the most productive plant in North America in “The Harbour Report” for a fourth consecutive year since 1994.
In the 2000s, the brand introduced vehicles like its first hybrid, the Nissan Altima Hybrid, in 2007, the now legendary Nissan GT-R in 2009 and even the world’s first mass-produced 100% electric, zero emission automobile, the Nissan Leaf, 2011!
So what are you waiting for? Contact us today about one of our great Nissans!
