The end of the road for Datsun automobiles has been signaled by Nissan.

Nissan has announced that it will no longer produce automobiles under the Datsun brand, which has a more than century-long heritage.

It was one of the brands that helped Japan's automakers gain international recognition following WWII.

The Datsun name was phased away in the 1980s, despite selling millions of cars around the world.

Three decades later, Nissan resurrected the name, calling the new lineup "a significant part of Nissan's DNA."

Nissan spokeswoman Azusa Momose told the BBC on Monday that the company will continue to sell Datsun automobiles and provide aftermarket services to their customers.

"We can reassure all existing and future Datsun owners that customer satisfaction remains our priority," she added.

The Kaishinsha Motorcar Works in Tokyo manufactured a car called the DAT before the Datsun brand was created in 1914.

Den, Aoyama, and Takeuchi were three of the company's early investors, and the acronym DAT stood for Den, Aoyama, and Takeuchi. In Japanese, it means 'lightning-swift.' At the same time, it was marketed as DAT (Durable, Attractive, and Trustworthy).

Nissan's founder, Yoshisuke Aikawa, took over the company in 1933.

The business also introduced the "DAT-son" or "the son of DAT" car in the early 1930s, which was a cost-effective and lightweight vehicle. After that, the name was changed to "Datsun."

After World War II, Datsun was one of the brands that enabled Japanese automakers to establish themselves in Europe, the United States, and Asia.

Apart from the mainstream Nissan and the upscale Infiniti, it was one of the key brands Nissan marketed abroad.

In the 1970s, the fuel-efficient Datsun was touted as a viable alternative to unreliable gas-guzzlers for the ordinary motorist. Datsun automobiles were sold in 190 countries around the world, totaling around 20 million.

However, starting in 1981, the name was phased out, and Nissan became the company's major global brand.

1968

Nissan announced the resurrection of the Datsun brand in 2012 and began selling automobiles under the name in India and Indonesia.

Nissan, like many of its competitors, was facing sluggish sales in Europe and the United States at the time and was focusing on new countries with lower-cost models. Despite this, the models' sales have been declining in recent years.

As part of a worldwide transformation strategy, Nissan announced on Monday that it will now focus on "core models and areas that deliver the most benefit to customers, dealer partners, and the business."