Nihon Diesel Industries, Ltd. (currently UD Trucks Corporation) opened its doors in Tokyo in December 1935. Early on, the company brought in technologies from Europe and constructed a new plant in pursuit of its goal to create the first diesel engine. Both the factory and the processing technology lacked sophistication, which made even the simple production of parts that satisfied the required levels of precision and quality a daunting challenge.
Beyond that, the company was struggling to get the required funding to stay afloat. Kenzo Adachi, the founder of Nihon Diesel Industries and his team took on a never-give-up attitude. Their commitment and passion finally paid off in November 1938, close to three years after the company was founded, with the completion of the first diesel engine: the ND1.