
Nissan came from a Tokyo stock exchange abbreviation for Nippon Sangyo, a holding company that owned the auto manufacturer. Nissan took control of DAT Motors (makers of the Datsun) in 1933.
The name "Nissan" was first used in 1933 when Tobata Casting's automobile parts department merged with DAT Motors. The following year, Nissan Motor Company, Lts. was named. Thereafter, the company began manufacturing trucks, airplanes and engines for the Japanese military, aiding the war effort until the Nissan plant was captured by American and Russian

forces. It became known as Nissan Heavy Industries Corporation from 1947 to 1948.
Nissan expanded into foreign markets beginning in the 1950s, including Australia, the United States, Mexico, Taiwan and South Africa.
By the early 90s, Nissan started a partnership with Ford to market the Mercury Villager and the Nissan Quest.