Toyota 50th celebration website....

[daddz]

This is a great website set up by Toyota to celebrate their 50th anniversary in the United States....

http://www.toyota50th.com/

Check out the various links to discover all of the great events that Toyota is planning to be a part of this year.

The question is when is Nissan going to get on board with this type of marketing effort?

[gnosez]

I wouldn't be holding your breath waiting on Nissan to celebrate an event that includes the words "Datsun" anywhere real soon. Maybe by 2010 (50th for the Z) someone in Nashville will figure out how to overcome their collective fear and loathing. A person or a company that actively seeks to run away from their past has serious issues. A simple ad/marketing compaign would allow Nissan to re-connect with their racing and innovative past while moving customers into new vehicles. That they can't embrace their past has me for one unlikely to embrace their future.

[MikeW]

Maybe by 2010 (50th for the Z)

Did you mean 2020?

[dscott@shouri]

Its a damn shame Nissan keeps running from the past. As long as we keep the past in their face. They will have to pay attention to us one day. Keep restoring/pampering your Datsun boys and girls.

[hls30.com]

What was bought in the past doesn't add dollars to todays balance sheet(when you stop supporting past products)-in marketing urgency and recentcy are king-in Retailing, Margin and Turns set shelf realestate.

a small and shrinking number of Old cars don't turn parts...

Nissan is more interested in spun appearance than fact:

"Support" is not demonstrated by indifferent actions-no matter what the marketing folks say..

Will

[daddz]

Will,

I sort of understand what you are saying but just take a look at what Mercedes Benz is doing with its Classic Center:

http://www.mercedes-benz-oldtimerservice.com/content/classic/retailer/classiccenter/en/home/home.html

BMW is attempting to put together something similar. From a business plan viewpoint this type of model can be made to work.

If the Datsun enthusiast wouldn't have such a problem separating him or herself from a few extra dollars every now and then maybe something like this could work.

Toyota is a company with an enormous amount of cash in its coffers and this 50th celebration won't matter to them in a traditional business case model and they won't even miss the money being spent. Their museum in Torrance, Ca. is only open by appointment and yet they seem to find a way to actively display the companys heritage. The allowance for goodwill must be a healthy account over at Toyota. And yet there is no sportscar in the current lineup. The customers are very brand loyal though.

In Japan Nissan seems to be more involved with the old car folks and even welcome the old Fairlady's to take a tour at the proving grounds as well other events. It would be nice if this idea was imported to the U.S.?

[hls30.com]

That is the difference between cars selling for as low as $65,000 with a healthy margin and cars that sell for the cost of an interior refurbishment to one of the afore mentioned cars-with no margin.-not to mention the 240Z was a terrific value when it came out-the Mercades and BMWs had "snob appeal"-not that they weren't well built, but thery were for people who could be conviced that a Mercedes or a BMW could do a better job of getting a buyer from point A to point B. Obviously a healthy number didn't buy their persuasion!

What stops Nissan from that type of plan is:

1) Nissan already knows that the restoration and subsequent sale of an early Z is not a profit maker. To qoute a good friend of mine: "It costs just a much to restore an inexpensive car as it does an expensive one given like condition and parts availability-so save the time and enegry for one you can make some money on."

2)Nissan is no longer made up of "car guys".

Carlos stifles them into hiding, or the accountants let them go.

One of my friends(a Nissan Parts Depratment Manager) says that Nissan moves people through the position that serves him regularly, and refuses to keep anyone who enjoys and accells at the work(a car guy). Nissan wants the typical part counter guys, "if it aint in the book I am too stupid and lazy to help you." They want no investent in people, they want only an investment in flushing cars through the dealers. They want a tupperware sale-either the lid fits or it doesn't.

Carlos would say goodwill doesn't buy groceries.

Will

[gnosez]

Yeah, 2020 is correct. Must be the 79 hr avg work week for the past 6 weeks.

We (the Z community) will not make a small dent in Nissan's approach to how they treat us. Perhaps we should go the Sport Z mag route and band together.

I'll be buying 2 vehicles this year and neither will be a Nissan, I'm afraid due in no small part to Nissan's inability to make me support them.

[CoastGuardZ]

I'll be buying 2 vehicles this year and neither will be a Nissan, I'm afraid due in no small part to Nissan's inability to make me support them.

That seems a little silly, wouldn't it make more sense to purchase the vehicle that suits your needs for the best price? I'm not saying that Nissan is that vehicle, but it sounds like your saying that if is the best vehicle you wouldn't care because you don't want to support them... just sounds silly to me. Of course I'm a loyalist which is probably more silly... I'd buy it just because it's Nissan, but you'd play hell trying to get me to believe that there is a better truck for the money than a Titan... mmmm Titan... soon.

This is a similar topic that has been discussed in the recent dream garage topic. It truly is a shame that a company that has a rich history is so negligent in promoting the past. "You can't know where you're going unless you know where you've been" comes to mind. I just find it hard to believe that between a name change and frenchy in charge that Nissan has turned us away. I've never heard of an avid Renault enthusiast, maybe that's why.?.

[hls30.com]

Nate,

No, it's just because of the cars...A renault is worse than a yugo, and that shares parts with a fiat...

Will

[Victor Laury]

Do you notice that They've listed both the TORC show and the Japanese Classic Cars show as an official event on their celebration calendar?

I wonder if any Nissan corporate officer even knows waht a Japanese Classic car show is?

[daddz]

Victor,

That's a very good question that you have posed.