Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site cvl.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!cbdkc1!desoto!cord!ihnp1!ihnp4!zehntel!dual!amdcad!decwrl!decvax!genrad!panda!talcott!harvard!seismo!umcp-cs!cvl!hsu From: hsu@cvl.UUCP (Dave Hsu) Newsgroups: net.auto Subject: Origins of 'Datsun' Message-ID: <144@cvl.UUCP> Date: Thu, 7-Mar-85 21:01:17 EST Article-I.D.: cvl.144 Posted: Thu Mar 7 21:01:17 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 11-Mar-85 07:26:27 EST References: <2061@drutx.UUCP> <1500001@umn-cs.UUCP> Organization: Computer Vision Lab, U. of Maryland, College Park Lines: 25 > > The reason for the change to Nissan is not due to lawsuits but due to > the fact that the parent corporation has been Nissan for a couple of decades. > ... > The name Datsun came from the original company. It was named DAT (as I > remember the story). They produced a car which was called DAT-son meaning > > son-of-DAT. That became Datsun (with the 'u') in the west which I understand > has uncomplimentry meanings in Japanese. > ... > Ken Hoyme > Honeywell Systems and Research Center Actually, if TIME magazine is correct, the original company, Datson, derived its name from the initials of the three founders: Mr D, Mr A, and Mr T :-) Unfortunately, this name apparently meant 'son of rabbit', which involved bad connotations in Japanese. This was verified when, in the 40's, a hurricane in the Pacific came ashore briefly, and accomplished the complete and utter demolition of a Datson factory, while leaving everything else relatively unscathed. Presumably, this convinced the owners that a name change was in order. Gosh, maybe this belongs in net.games.trivia. -dave