1935

Establishment of Nihon Diesel Industries, Ltd., in Kawaguchi on the outskirts of Tokyo.
Production of KD-series 2-cycle diesel engines.

1939

Our first produced truck - LD1 freight truck

This was the first truck in Japan by Nissan Diesel Motor Co., Ltd. It had a 3.5-ton payload and was powered by our ND1 diesel engine. This vehicle proved its mettle on a 3,000-km test run on rural roads that included a great many difficult turns and hills.

1940

Production of 4.5-ton-payload TT6 series trucks.

1947

Our first produced bus

Our first bus, developed in June 1947. The hood and other parts were hand shaped individually for each vehicle.

1949

Development of 7.5-ton-payload TN93 series trucks, featuring the largest payload capacity in the Japanese market, and the nation's first monocoque-type BR3 series buses with rear-mounted engines.

Rear-engine bus

This was the first monocoque rear-engine bus in Japan. Quiet yet powerful, this bus was fondly known as the condor. It was very popular. It was also in 1954 a participant in the First National Automobile Show (known today as the Tokyo Motor Show).