Nissan Heritage

Historically, Nissan has consistently been Australia's most popular full-rangeJapanese importer with a history dating back to 1934 when Datsun Phaetons were sold locally.

Nissan has won the hearts and minds of Australian drivers with stunning sports coupes such as the 200SX, 300ZX, the 350Z as well as its legendary off-road line-up.  Nissan vehicles have been renowned for excellent engineering and searing handling and dynamics technology.

The roaring sixties

The famous Australian automotive industry figure Sir Lawrence Hartnett initially secured distribution rights for Datsun (Nissan) vehicles in Australia after being so enthused by the Datsun 1200 model which was displayed at the 1960 Melbourne Motor Show.

Nissan subsequently reached agreement with the Hartnett Organisation and commenced local assembly of Bluebird models in 1966 at Sydney's Pressed Metal Corporation plant.

The famous Datsun 1600 SSS - which sparked countless rally careers - was launched in 1967 and drove Nissan to spectacular sales successes.  Australian production exceeded 20,000 vehicles for the year and Nissan was the seventh-biggest name in the Australian market.

The turbocharged seventies and eighties

Nissan entered genuine Australian manufacture in 1972, with the installation of a highly automated engine plant and Nissan vehicle assembly line at Clayton in Victoria and the opening of a new Australian Nissan HQ in Dandenong.

In 1977, Nissan's local production exceeeded 127,750 vehicles.

By 1984 Nissan had gained a reputation as a sports car company with the turbocharged 300ZX selling well, supported by the Gazelle, Exa and Pulsar turbo.

Further change came in 1986 with the release of two Australian produced sedan models - the 6-cylinder Skyline and 4-cylinder Pintara. The good-looking new Navara Ute - designed by Nissan Design International in San Diego - was making a strong challenge for supremacy in the light commercial segment. Nissan's all-new Patrol 4WD line-up boasted all-round coil suspension and it collected numerous awards as well as enormous sales figures.

The award-winning nineties

Australian manufacturing ceased in 1992 and Nissan Australia replaced the Skyline with an all-new model called the Maxima - a contemporary, stylish V6 sedan which was already selling in big numbers in large international markets, particularly North America.

Nissan's change to full-line importer saw a host of new models introduced during 1994-95 including a new 200SX sports car and the new mid-size V6 Pathfinder 4WD.

Sales grew well in 1996-97 with Pulsar priced from $19,990, setting a very strong standard in the small car value-for-money equation. Patrol, Maxima and Pathfinder also consistently topped their sales targets.

1998 saw the release of the all-new GU model Patrol 4WD and within months the new-comer had a host of magazine awards and was challenging the previously dominant Toyota Land Cruiser for market leadership in the full-size 4WD segment.

The legend continues

The Nissan N16 model Pulsar, released in July 2000, scored great sales results, while the European designed Pulsar Hatch released in July 2001 further boosted sales since release.

Nissan updated its entire four-wheel drive range in October 2001, and added the compact four-wheel drive X-TRAIL to the model line-up. It has had phenomenal success.

The rugged GU model Nissan Patrol range also received a facelift and a powerful new 4.8-litre petrol engine making it the most powerful 4WD wagon in its class.

This new Nissan engine has been a real winner with the public and the media alike, and recently collected 4x4 Australia magazine's 4x4 Of The Year Award for the ST model.

In 2006 the small car range saw a close to the Pulsar name, with the new Tiida being the latest small car to carry the Nissan badge. With advanced engine and design features it represents a huge step forward.

The workhorse Nissan Navara range has received a substantial update with a new look and the addition of a 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engine with class-leading power and torque outputs. With the addition of the Nissan D40 Dual Cab Navara in 2005, Nissan topped the market with a 4X4 product that leads in towing, power and torque.

Nissan has repeatedly proved its popular place as a fully-imported Japanese automotive brand in Australia, offering outstanding levels of features, quality and design that represent extraordinary value.

Maxima is uniquely distinguished by being the only V6 engine in the world to win a place in Ward Auto's 10 Best Engines List - 12 years in a row.  This record moved the judges to call it the “best V6 on the planet!”

The Nissan future also looks very bright, with stylish products such as Nissan's stunning Z (roadster and coupe), a potent remix of pure sports car DNA and ultra-modern thinking. 

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