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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