Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.

Japanese automaker. Headquartered in Tokyo, Nissan manufactures cars, trucks, and commercial equipment. Formed from the merger of two smaller firms in 1925, it adopted its present name in 1934. In World War II the company produced military vehicles; seized by Allied forces in 1945, it did not return to full production until 1955. Nissan's sales grew rapidly after it entered the world market in the 1960s, and it established assembly plants in several countries, including Australia, Germany, Mexico, and the U.S. In 1999 the French automaker Renault bought a 37% stake in the company and later increased its share.