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From Inception to Rise: The Arduous Struggles in the Early Stages of Nissan's Entrepreneurship
Views: 1 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2025-03-10 Origin: Site
From Inception to Rise: The Arduous Struggles in the Early Stages of Nissan's Entrepreneurship
In the brilliant constellation of the global automotive industry, Nissan Motor shines with its unique development trajectory. Looking back at its early days of entrepreneurship, it was a period full of hardships and arduous efforts, laying a solid foundation for Nissan's current glory.
In the early 20th century, the global automotive industry was still in the initial stage of vigorous development. In 1911, Tetsujiro Odagiri and others in Japan established the Kwaishinsha Motor Car Works in Tokyo, which was the predecessor of Nissan Motor. At that time, Japan had a relatively weak industrial base, and the automotive manufacturing industry faced numerous challenges. When Kwaishinsha Motor Car Works was founded, it was extremely small in scale, had limited funds, and was severely lacking in technology. Compared with the automotive industry powerhouses in Europe and America, Japan's automotive manufacturing almost started from scratch. However, the founders such as Tetsujiro Odagiri, with their enthusiasm for the automotive business, resolutely plunged into this field full of unknowns.
Early on, Nissan Motor faced great difficulties in technological research and development. At that time, automotive manufacturing technology was mainly in the hands of European and American countries, and Japan lacked the experience and capabilities for independent research and development. Nissan's engineers could only explore technology by disassembling and studying imported cars. In 1915, when disassembling an advanced German car model, the engineers were attracted by its precise gear transmission system. They spent several months researching and mapping it repeatedly, attempting to apply the relevant principles to their own car models. Although they encountered numerous failures during the process, such as problems like poor gear meshing and high power transmission losses, the team did not give up. After hundreds of experiments and improvements, they finally optimized the transmission system of the Datsun model in 1917, making its power output more stable and significantly improving its driving performance.
In 1914, Nissan launched its first mass - produced model, the Datsun (Datsun) A - type car. The birth of this car condensed the painstaking efforts of countless Nissan people. Although it still had a large gap in technology and performance compared with the European and American cars at that time, for Nissan, it was a crucial step forward. The Datsun A - type car adopted a simple and reliable design to adapt to the road conditions and consumer needs in Japan at that time. Its appearance gave the Japanese people hope for local automotive manufacturing and opened the door to the local market for Nissan.
However, the road to entrepreneurship was not smooth. After the launch of the Datsun A - type car, Nissan faced fierce market competition. At that time, European and American automotive brands flooded into the Japanese market with their advanced technology and mature marketing strategies. Nissan cars were at a disadvantage in terms of price, performance, and brand awareness. In order to survive in the competition, Nissan began to focus on product quality and after - sales service. In 1920, Nissan specially established an after - sales service team that went deep into various parts of Japan. The team members carried simple repair tools and provided on - site inspection and repair services for users who purchased Datsun models. They carefully recorded the usage conditions of each vehicle and brought back user feedback to the factory in a timely manner. Based on this, the engineers made targeted improvements to the vehicles. For example, according to users' feedback that the shock absorption effect of the vehicle was poor when driving on rugged mountain roads, Nissan's engineers redesigned the shock springs, improving the comfort of the vehicle.
With the outbreak of the First World War, the domestic industry in Japan ushered in a short - term development opportunity. Nissan seized this opportunity to expand production scale and increase production. In 1918, Nissan reached a cooperation agreement with a local small steel factory. The steel factory provided customized high - quality steel for Nissan for the manufacturing of car frames and bodies. This cooperation not only ensured the stable supply of raw materials for Nissan cars but also enhanced the safety and durability of the vehicles due to the improvement in steel quality. At the same time, Nissan actively developed new car models to meet the diverse needs of the market. In 1926, Nissan merged with Toda Foundry to form a new company, Nissan Motor Manufacturing Co., Ltd., further integrating resources and enhancing the company's strength.
Entering the 1930s, the global economy fell into a great depression, and the automotive market was severely hit. Nissan was no exception, with a sharp decline in sales and facing huge crises. However, the management of Nissan did not flinch in the face of difficulties. They keenly realized that in order to survive and develop in the crisis, technological innovation and product upgrading were necessary. Therefore, Nissan increased its investment in research and development, introduced advanced foreign technology and equipment, and trained local technical talents. In 1933, Nissan launched the Datsun 12 - type car. This car had significant improvements in design and performance, adopting an advanced suspension system and a more efficient engine. Once launched, it was well - received by the market and helped Nissan gain a firm foothold in the difficult market environment.
In 1934, Nissan Motor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. was officially renamed Nissan Motor Company. Since then, Nissan has continuously expanded its business scope, not only striving for excellence in automotive manufacturing but also venturing into fields such as automotive parts production. Through vertical integration of the industrial chain, Nissan reduced production costs and improved product quality and competitiveness. For example, in 1935, Nissan established its own engine production workshop, achieving independent engine production. This measure not only ensured the stability of engine supply but also enabled flexible adjustment of engine performance parameters according to the needs of vehicle models, further enhancing the overall quality of the vehicle.
The journey of Nissan Motor in its early days of entrepreneurship was full of hardships and challenges. From the initial difficult start to struggling to break through in the face of numerous difficulties such as technological research and development, market competition, and economic crises, Nissan gradually achieved a rise from nothing to something and from weakness to strength with its firm belief, unremitting efforts, and spirit of innovation. This experience in the early days of entrepreneurship not only accumulated valuable technological, management, and market experience for Nissan but also forged Nissan's indomitable corporate spirit, laying a solid foundation for its brilliant development in the global automotive market in the future. In today's highly competitive automotive industry, the story of Nissan Motor in its early days of entrepreneurship still inspires countless enterprises to forge ahead bravely in the face of difficulties.
