Which came first Toyota or Nissan?
Nissan came first. Its origins as an automaker trace back to 1914 with the DAT car, and Nissan Motor Co. was established in the early 1930s, while Toyota’s standalone automotive company was formed in 1937.
To understand the question in context, both brands grew from different threads of Japan’s industrial rise: Nissan emerged from early general manufacturing and corporate consolidations, while Toyota grew out of the Toyoda loom-making business and Kiichiro Toyoda’s push into car production. The timelines reflect how each company carved its place in the global auto industry.
Nissan: Early automotive roots
The Nissan story begins with Japan’s early forays into car manufacturing, tracing a direct line from the first domestically produced car to the formal corporate entity that would carry the Nissan name.
Key milestones
- 1914: Kwaishinsha Motor Car Co. builds the first car in Japan, the DAT, marking the earliest automotive project that would evolve into Nissan’s lineage.
- 1933–1934: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. is established after consolidating Nihon Sangyo and Tobata Casting Co.; the Nissan name derives from Nihon Sangyo’s shorthand and is used for export cars.
The company’s early automotive ventures set the stage for Nissan’s growth into a global automaker, separate from its loom-making origins.
Toyota: Origins and path to a standalone automaker
Toyota’s route to independence as an automaker runs through the Toyoda family’s loom business and Kiichiro Toyoda’s foray into vehicle production, culminating in a formal separate company a few years after Nissan.
Milestones toward a standalone automaker
- 1926: Kiichiro Toyoda begins developing automotive capabilities within the Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, initiating Toyota’s automotive future.
- 1933–1937: The automotive division becomes a separate company, eventually forming Toyota Motor Co., Ltd.; mass production begins in the mid-1930s, establishing Toyota as an independent automaker.
- 1936–1937: The brand name “Toyota” is adopted for branding and writing efficiency, marking a transition from the loom heritage to mass-produced cars.
These milestones illustrate Toyota’s development trajectory, which followed a slightly different path from Nissan yet culminated in its own rise as a global automotive powerhouse.
Bottom-line comparison
As a direct answer: Nissan predates Toyota as an autonomous car manufacturer. Nissan’s formal auto company was established in the early 1930s (1933–1934), while Toyota’s standalone auto company was founded in 1937.
Summary
Nissan’s car-making origins began earlier with the DAT car in 1914 and the formal establishment of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. in the 1930s. Toyota’s road to independence as an automaker took a bit longer, starting with Kiichiro Toyoda’s automotive ventures in the 1920s–1930s and culminating in the official creation of Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. in 1937. Both companies would go on to shape the global auto industry from distinct early lines of development.
