datsun type 11

The Datsun brand of cars came out of the merger of two early Japan car companies, DAT Automobile Co. and Jitsuyo Automobile Co. This new company DAT Automobile Manufacturing Co. eventually created the Datsun brand. Shortly after the first Datsun was produced in 1931, the fledgling Nippon Sangyo holding company, desiring to enter the automobile business, takes over DAT in 1933. The next year Nippon Sangyo names the car company Nissan Motors. The rest is history and today the company is known as Nissan Motor Co., Ltd 

1911 July 1: 橋本増治郎 (Masujiro Hashimoto) forms 快進社 (Kaishinsha or 'Advanced Car') in Azabu district of Tokyo, with backers of Den, Aoyama and Takeuichi. The initials DAT are eventually applied to name the car project.

Masujiro Hashimoto

1912: Hashimoto builds first prototype DAT automobile. In Japanese DAT (pronounced 'datto') is 脱兎, which means 'bounding away' -- a derivation of the word for rabbit/hare -- so it is fitting for a young company's automobile hopes.

1913 October: Second car, the DAT 1, is created

Masujiro Hashimoto is on far right

1914 March: DAT 1 wins a Bronze Medal prize at Tokyo Taisho Expo

V2 engine two-cylinder v-formation

10 HP, top speed 32kph

1914: 快進自動車工場 (Kwaishinsha Automobile Works) is established in Tokyo. Apparently it is the first automobile manufacturer registered with the Japanese government. 快進自動車工場 literally means 'advanced car factory'.

1915: DAT 31 birth, with 2-liter 4-cylinder engine fitting

1916: DAT 41 birth, with bored 2.3-liter engine, 15 HP. Produced until 1926.

1918 August: Reorganized as Kwaishinsha Automobile Co., Ltd. (株式会社 快進社, KK Kaishinsha) with a capital of 600,000 Yen. The purpose was to sell the first generation DAT 41, a full-size five-passenger car for wealthy customers.

Jitsuyo

1919: Kubota (the tractor company) forms a subsidiary to manufacture cars, named it 實用自動車 (Jitsuyo Automobiles) in Osaka. American William R. Gorham previously had approached Kubota with a design for a design for a two passenger three-wheeled car powered by Harley-Davidson motorcycle engine. This is at the time of motorcycle mania around the world.

Yumito Kushibiki and William R. Gorham

1919 December 5: Gonshiro Kuboto, company head, creates Jitsuyo with W.R. Gorham as Chief Engineer and 1,000,000 Yen capitalization.

1919 October: Jitsuyo's first product is the small three-wheeled 'Gorham' car. Production of Gorham 3-wheeler is about 30 units per month. About 150 Gorhams are sold.

The Jitsuyo 'Gorham'

V2 air-cooled engine

7 HP rating

Simple friction drive

Tiller steering

1921 October 24: Gorham 1 car ended (3-wheeler)

1921 November: William R. Gorham and engineer 後藤敬義 (Takayoshi Goto) completes a four-wheel car design by converting the Gorham to four wheels, but then Gorham leaves Jitsuyo to work for Tobata Castings. About 100 of these cars are sold.

1921: Takayoshi Goto creates the Lila Light Car, based on a rework of Gorham's original design.

Jitsuyo Lila

production from 1922-1926, about 200 cars total production

10 HP, top speed 30 mph

both car and truck models offered

popular in Tokyo taxi market due to narrow 40-inch track

1923: 1st Lila completed. It has rear wheel differential drive. It is difficult to complete with Ford and GM, which are building cars in Japan.

1924: Lila modified for worm gear steering by Goto, replacing tiller steering of previous units.

1925: Jitsuyo in difficult situation, repairing Kubota tractors and GM cars in attempt to survive.

The second Gorham was a four wheeler. It was built in 1922 and 1923. It continued to use the 880cc 7.2hp 2cyl engine used in the three wheeler. It's features included a rigid front axle, tiller steering and brakes on the rear wheels only. The car's name was later changed to Lila.

DAT's primary buisness was trucks. Pictured left is a 1920 truck chassis. In 1926 , after merging with Lila, DAT stopped car production, making only trucks until car production began again in 1931. Lila cars were still available during this period.

DAT was formed in 1912 by Mr. Den, Aoyama and Takeuchi, who named their creation after their initials. they were built by the Kwaishinsha Motor Car Works, which changed it's name in 1925 to DAT Automobile Works Ltd. The DAT 41 had a 2300cc 20hp 4cyl engine.