Datsun was formed as a division under Nissan Motors with official production starting in 1931. Their first vehicle, the Datsun Type 10, only sold 10 models. The next year saw them change the name to Type 11, and they sold around 150 models. It was only in 1935 that Datsun developed its first production line which saw them produce and export vehicles to New Zealand and Australia.
Nissan phased out the Datsun name in 1986 but relaunched it in 2013. The aim was to introduce low-cost vehicles to emerging markets such as India, Russia, Indonesia, and South Africa. Datsun hoped to lean on the reliability of Nissan products to help them garner a name in these markets.
Today, Datsun models are built in the Nissan-Renault-owned plant in Chennai, India, with plans to expand production into other countries, such as Indonesia and Russia.
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