Team Lizard UK 01.04.10
Team Lizard
Abbey Motorsports in the UK has linked up with a small race team to provide support for their 350Z. They’ve had a good time so far and we expect to see some great results from them in 2010. We’ll be blogging along with them through the season so keep your eyes open.
Team Lizard at Brands Hatch
2006 and newer M35/M45 supported 12.14.09
We have full tuning support for the 2006 and newer M35 and M45 including forced induction. Contact your nearest Pro Tuner today!
Nobushige Wakatsuki, responsible for Nissan/Datsun in America passes at 81 12.09.09
Autoblog story link
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/09/nobushige-wakatsuki-the-man-responsible-for-bringing-nissan-dat/
Here’s a bit of interesting folklore for you history-obsessed car buffs out there. Nissan (then selling Datsuns) was tricked into coming to America. Seems that Nissan never planned to sell cars here, as they felt that their diminutive, economical rides were too small and slow for the mighty U.S. market. However, one man felt different: Nobushige Wakatsuki.
The year was 1958 and Wakatsuki had a job with Marubeni Trading Corp. where he was charged with finding Japanese products to import into the U.S. Wakatsuki approached Datsun’s management and asked them if they’d be interested in bringing the brand Stateside. After all, Toyota had just began selling cars to Americans in 1957. Wakatsuki was humiliated when he heard their blunt reply, “No.”
But Cazy Nobe — as Nissan execs would later refer to the then 29-year-old — refused to let a good business opportunity go to waste. He went ahead and procured some cars from Nissan under the pretense of a marketing exercise and proceeded to put them on sale. All of this was done behind Nissan’s back. Which really pissed them off. In fact, it took another full year of pestering before Nissan took over the dealer network Crazy Nobe established here in 1960. However, the joke is on them, as Nissan/Infiniti sold nearly 1,000,000 cars in the US last year.
Nobushige Wakatsuki died on November 13, 2009 at the age of 81. Thanks for all the good memories, Mr. Wakatsuki.