Nissan Bringing Back Datsun?

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

The Nikkei [sub] says that Nissan is bringing back the Datsun brand as the badge for its low-cost offerings in emerging markets. The Nikkei is talking about cars “with a price tag of around 5,000 dollars.” The Nikkei makes this announcement without quoting sources.

We are unable to get any comments on that story. Not because The Nikkei put it on the wire at 5:34 pm in the evening – at that time, most people still work in a Japanese company.

However, this is the first day of July, and from July through September, automakers in Japan will not work on Thursdays and Fridays, but over the weekend instead. We’ll see whether we can get a comment.

Bertel Schmitt
Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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  • Old Guy Old Guy on Jul 01, 2011

    Maybe they'll bring back my 2-door 1972 510 five-speed. Once you replaced the cheap-o rim protectors with radials, that car was a ball to drive. Cost about $2,200, as I recall, but I'd be willing to as high as $5,000. The sheet metal was as thin as an oilcan and the seat belts had no retractors.

    • See 1 previous
    • Frozenman Frozenman on Jul 01, 2011

      @frozenman Now that I think about it, this is why i dumped the gas hog truck and bought a 2011 Forester (green) with a 5spd manual. I guess I've come full circle?

  • Bryce Bryce on Jul 01, 2011

    Bring back the 1600/510 Ill have one

  • Ltcmgm78 Just what we need to do: add more EVs that require a charging station! We own a Volt. We charge at home. We bought the Volt off-lease. We're retired and can do all our daily errands without burning any gasoline. For us this works, but we no longer have a work commute.
  • Michael S6 Given the choice between the Hornet R/T and the Alfa, I'd pick an Uber.
  • Michael S6 Nissan seems to be doing well at the low end of the market with their small cars and cuv. Competitiveness evaporates as you move up to larger size cars and suvs.
  • Cprescott As long as they infest their products with CVT's, there is no reason to buy their products. Nissan's execution of CVT's is lackluster on a good day - not dependable and bad in experience of use. The brand has become like Mitsubishi - will sell to anyone with a pulse to get financed.
  • Lorenzo I'd like to believe, I want to believe, having had good FoMoCo vehicles - my aunt's old 1956 Fairlane, 1963 Falcon, 1968 Montego - but if Jim Farley is saying it, I can't believe it. It's been said that he goes with whatever the last person he talked to suggested. That's not the kind of guy you want running a $180 billion dollar company.
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