Difference between revisions of "Auto Industry Timeline"

Revision as of 03:47, 9 October 2007

Japanese Auto Industry:

Locomobile Company of America Agency: 1901 first car dealership in Japan

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.