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Nissan Fun Facts Every Car Salesman Should Know
Discover six interesting facts about Nissan to use in your dealership’s marketing and sales pitches. Your customers will find them mind-blowing!
If your car dealership sells Nissan, you’ve made an excellent choice.
This Japan-based car brand has been attracting and retaining loyal customers for decades with its reliability and quality. So, it’s likely that you’re selling Nissan cars easily, keeping your dealership and your customers happy.
Still, some customers need a bit more persuasion to purchase, so it’s wise to have some extra information ready. Fun facts are perfect for that because they can help you:
- Grab attention
- Build interest
- Make your sales pitch more memorable
Sounds good, right?
If so, keep reading to learn six mind-blowing, fun facts about Nissan you can incorporate into your sales conversations.
Nissan history - Beginnings and brand’s development
Before we dive into Nissan breaking the Guinness World Record for synchronized car dance (yes, seriously!), we’ll first review some essential facts and history.
Like many other automotive companies, Nissan didn’t start as Nissan. Its predecessor was called Datsun, and it was known for the DAT Car.
Source: Nissan
The Datsun 12 Phaeton was produced in December 1933, right around the time when Nissan Motor Co. was established.
This technically makes it the first Nissan car ever made under the Nissan brand!
The company has come a long way since the 1930s.
Over the decades, Nissan has evolved from producing small cars with cloth tops to becoming a major player in the global automotive market.
One of the key areas where Nissan has made huge advancements is the development of electric vehicles.
With the rising share of electric car registrations (which you can see in the chart below), it’s not surprising that Nissan has joined the race with its impressive vehicles.
Source: European Environment Agency
For example, the Nissan Leaf is one of the world’s best-selling electric cars.
It’s Nissan’s dedication to innovation that makes this company stand out in the automotive market, attracting customers and also ensuring the success of car dealerships like yours.
So, now that you can confidently answer questions like “What was Nissan called before?” (it’s Datsun!) or “When did Nissan start?” (in 1933), let’s move on to some truly fun facts about Nissan.
Nissan fun fact #1 - Nissan helped launch a satellite into space
For most people, the first association with Nissan is cars. However, did you know that Nissan used to manufacture other products, like rocket engines?
A Nissan engine powered Japan’s first satellite launch in 1970. This endeavor placed Ohsumi-5, the first Japanese satellite, into orbit.
Sorry Elon, but Nissan was already reaching for the stars long before the Tesla Roadster was even a twinkle in the sky.
Nissan fun fact #2 - Nissan has changed the company logo 17 times (so far)
Quick, grab a sheet of paper and draw the Nissan logo!
If multiple versions come to mind, there’s a good reason for that. Nissan has changed its logo 17 times over the years.
So, whether you’ve sketched this version:
Or perhaps this one…
…you’re absolutely correct.
Either way, the logo’s origin is rooted in Japan, with elements that reflect the rising sun, symbolizing energy, passion, and innovation.
The most recent change happened in 2020, when Nissan updated its logo to a simpler and more modern design. This new look was made to fit the company’s future vision, focusing on simplicity and being digital-friendly while still respecting its rich history.
Nissan fun fact #3 - Nissan holds Guinness World Record for largest synchronized car dance
Alright, participating in space programs is admittedly not that unique for car companies. For instance, Audi has built a space rover.
And logo changes are fairly common in the automotive world, too. But here’s something truly unique: Nissan holds the Guinness World Record for the largest synchronized car dance.
In 2018, as many as 180 Nissan Patrols performed a perfectly coordinated routine in Dubai, creating a figure of a flying falcon and setting a new world record.
But that’s not Nissan’s only world record!
The brand also used to hold the record for the heaviest object pulled by a production vehicle, and that’s the fun fact we’ll talk about next.
Nissan fun fact #4 - Nissan Patrol held the record for the heaviest object pulled by any production vehicle (among other records)
Picture this: the tare mass of a Nissan Patrol is 2,746 kg, or 2.7 tons. In 2013, one such vehicle managed to pull a fully laden cargo plane.
Its weight?
170 tons.
That’s right; a sole Nissan vehicle successfully pulled an object that weighed more than 62 times its own weight. The pull went on for more than fifty meters.
Source: Nissan
The endeavor happened as a part of the Nissan Patrol Challenge, where participants were encouraged to test the vehicle’s capabilities in extraordinary and innovative ways.
However, the record has since been beaten. The title of the heaviest aircraft pulled by a production car now belongs to Porsche, which pulled a 284-ton Airbus in Paris, France.
Still, this does not diminish the fact that folks at Nissan love breaking records. Besides the two we’ve seen, Nissan has also held Guinness records for:
- Creating the largest parade of Nissan cars
- Climbing a sand dune
- Making the biggest glow-in-the-dark painting ever
- Having most car models featured in the game Gran Turismo 5
- Achieving the largest unsupported circle (lap sitting)
We simply have to clarify the last record on the list. In 1982, more than ten thousand employees of the Nissan Motor Company in Tokyo set a record by sitting on each other’s laps, forming the largest unsupported circle of people.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a picture of this event, but we’ll take Guinness’s word for it.
Nissan fun fact #5 - Nissan is part of the powerful Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance
What’s better than a capable car company? Three capable car companies, of course.
That’s why Nissan joined forces with Renault and Mitsubishi, forming the RNM Alliance in 1999.
This was not a merger or an acquisition; the three automotive giants came together to create a strategic partnership. Each company has retained its independence, but they collaborate closely to share technology, research, and resources.
One of the notable results of their collaboration is the financial boost they all get.
The Alliance invests almost €15 billion in research and development (R&D) and capital expenditures (CAPEX) every year. Independently, none of the companies would likely be able to raise such an amount. You can see more facts and figures in the video below.
So, next time you see a Nissan, Renault, or Mitsubishi on the road, remember that they’re all part of this impressive team.
Nissan fun fact #6 - A couple drove Nissan Ariya from the North Pole to the South Pole
We’ll conclude our list with a fun fact that showcases Nissan’s adventurous spirit: in 2023, the Nissan Ariya went on a journey known as the Pole to Pole Expedition.
It took explorers Chris and Julie Ramsey ten months and over 30k kilometers to go from the North Magnetic Pole to the South Pole in Antarctica.
Source: Nissan Global
While this may seem like a fun endeavor for enriching Nissan’s daring stunt portfolio, the feat is actually a testament to the durability and capability of the Nissan Ariya, an all-electric SUV designed to handle extreme conditions.
Note that their Ariya also had a built-in espresso machine. Sadly, this isn’t a standard feature available in all models.
All in all, if your customers are ever worried about the capabilities of EVs, just tell them that an electric Nissan has journeyed from one end of the Earth to the other.
Most popular Nissan models
If you want to boost Nissan sales at your dealership, it’s vital to offer the right models. Identifying the popular models with low depreciation rates and high resale value is key here, as you always want to operate at a profit.
We’ll now show you the four Nissan models that are bound to attract buyers and drive profits.
Nissan Leaf
The Nissan Leaf is a cornerstone in the EV market, with a total of 577,000 global deliveries by 2022.
Europe stands out as the biggest market for this car, as more than 208,000 units of Leaf have been sold in Europe as of September 2021.
These numbers tell us that there’s a demand for this particular model, making the Leaf a highly attractive vehicle for dealerships to stock and sell.
Additionally, the Leaf has won numerous awards, including the 2018 World Green Car of the Year, which can help you win over environmentally conscious buyers.
Nissan Qashqai
Over a five-year period, the Nissan Qashqai has a depreciation rate of 43%–48%. In other words, this model stays valuable and can be sold for a good price as a used car.
Curious about which SUVs offer the best resale value? We've compiled a ranking of the best SUVs that maintain their worth over time.
The car won two awards at the Motor Awards 2021: “The Sun Car of the Year” and “Small SUV/Crossover of the Year”.
So, if you’re trying to cater to customers who value both industry recognition and long-term value, then a used Qashqai is a must in your inventory.
Nissan Micra
You should note that the Nissan Micra was discontinued in 2022. So why include it on this list?
Well, there is nothing wrong with Micra; Nissan stopped its production to focus on newer vehicles. It’s still a popular model though, with more than 32k units of Micra sold in Europe in 2022.
Also, selling used Micra means that you don’t have to compete with new car showrooms, making your dealership more noticeable to customers.
And Micra buyers don’t have to worry about customer service, as Nissan stated that they would continue providing the service parts even after the production of the Micra ends.
Nissan Ariya
The very car that went from Pole to Pole, the Nissan Ariya is a mighty all-electric crossover SUV.
You won’t have to look far to find the buyers for Ariya. The figure of 4,609 Ariya sales in Europe in 2022 indicates that it’s not just explorers and early adopters who love this car; ordinary people are embracing it as well.
Additionally, with an estimated depreciation rate of around 40% over five years, the Ariya promises strong resale value, making it a reliable and profitable option for dealers.
Second-hand Nissan cars available on eCarsTrade
There you have it; now you know plenty of facts to casually slip into your sales pitches, impressing your customers with Nissan’s technology, history, and achievements.
And if you’re looking for used Nissan cars to add to your stock, we’ve got you covered. At eCarsTrade, we handpick ex-lease and ex-rental vehicles, helping you find the right cars for your dealership.
To help you get started, check out our selection of used Nissan models for sale you can bid on:
We’ll provide the cars, and you can focus on selling them to your customers. We hope these fun facts will make your job easier!
eCarsTrade offers online auto auctions of ex-lease vehicles from France, Belgium, The Netherlands and Germany, with a complete maintenance history. We guarantee high quality of our vehicles, and a fast, simple and transparent purchasing process with fixed commission costs. We work with both European and international used car dealers and traders. Your dedicated Account manager is your personal support for any questions or issues!
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