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CARS - LATE SIXTIES | |
| Japanese Invasion | |
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Japanese Invasion In many ways, the modern Japanese motor vehicle industry was the creation of the Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI). In the mid-fifties, it provided strong incentives to manufacturers to produce a "people's car". In the mid-sixties, in order to increase Japan's competitiveness in the world car market, MITI engineered a number of mergers of car manufacturers. Nissan acquired the Prince Motor Company and Toyota merged with Hino and Daihatsu. The results were spectacular - in 1962, Japan was the sixth largest vehicle manufacturer in the world and by 1967 it was the second largest. (Japan surpassed the US in 1980, to become the largest manufacturer.) Nissan
As each new model of Bluebird became larger, Nissan saw a need for a smaller car which it filled with Sunny (called the 120Y in Australia and some other countries) in 1967.
Toyota
Other Japanese Manufacturers The export drive by Nissan and Toyota was soon followed by other Japanese car makers. Isuzu began exporting to the US in 1966, Subaru in 1969, Honda and Mazda in 1970 and Mitsubishi in 1971.
See also |
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| The Menzies Era | Japanese |
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Nissan/Datsun cars had been imported into both Australia and America in small
numbers since the 1930s but the company had not achieved significant volume
sales - despite concerted attempts with the large, luxury Nissan Cedric (the
failure of which many blamed on its ridiculous name). Following the acquisition
of Prince, which brought it superior engineering skills, Nissan began to have
success with Bluebirds manufactured in America as the 510 and assembled in
Australia as the 1600 (neither country wanted another "Cedric").
Capitalizing
on the engineering skills acquired from Prince (now Nissan's Skyline Division),
Nissan introduced the sleek, powerful 240-Z in America in 1969 and in Australia
in 1970. The car was an enormous success with demand outstripping supply and
used vehicles selling for more than the list price of (almost unobtainable) new
models.
Toyota's
Publica, introduced in 1961, was the most successful of the "people's
cars" in Japan. Its successors were the Corolla and the larger Corona. Both
the Corolla and Corona were successfully in overseas markets. More than 24
million Corollas have been sold. Assembly of Toyota Corolla's in Australia began
in 1968.
Like Nissan, Toyota followed its success in small sedans with a sports coupe,
the Celica. The first Celicas were anything but sporty in performance but what
they lacked in this area, they made up in looks. 
