For much of the 20th century, Nissan sold its vehicles internationally under the Datsun brand name.
Datsun grew from Nissan’s early automobile operations and became the name most export customers encountered. Nissan promoted Datsun passenger cars and trucks in markets such as the United States, Australia, and the Middle East, while the Nissan corporate name was less visible on the vehicles themselves.
The brand was especially important during Nissan’s postwar international expansion. Models such as the Datsun Bluebird, Datsun 510, and Datsun 240Z helped establish a reputation for affordable, economical, and increasingly sporty Japanese cars. The name also connected Nissan’s products to the older DAT automobile lineage.
The changeover to Nissan began in the early 1980s as the company sought one global identity. Datsun badges were progressively replaced between 1982 and 1984, although some vehicles carried both names for several years. Nissan briefly revived Datsun in 2013 for selected emerging markets, but ended new Datsun sales in 2022. Infiniti, by contrast, has been Nissan’s luxury marque since 1989.