Nissan President
Encyclopedia
The Nissan President was a Japan
ese luxury limousine
produced by Nissan from 1965 to 2010. The car was mainly used by corporate executives and government officers. It was a luxury sedan specifically aimed to the Japanese market, where its main competitor was the Toyota Century
.
The President was initially sold only in the Japanese market. In the late 1980s, exports began to a few countries including Singapore and Hong Kong, though sales were limited. A North American version (called the Infiniti Q45
) was produced from 1990 to 1996 and 2001 to 2006. The President was replaced by the Nissan Fuga
in August 2010.
V8 engine, developed specially for that model, or the 3.0 litre H30 straight-6
. Very lavishly appointed for its time, the President served as the official car of the Japanese Prime Minister Eisaku Sato
, while the Emperor of Japan was transported in one of two Nissan Prince Royal
s. In 1971 Nissan offered EAL (Electro Anti-lock System) as an option on the Nissan President, this became Japan's first electronic ABS
(Anti-lock braking system
).
The second generation, designated H250, was introduced in 1973. The chassis was essentially the same with a new front grille. The V8 engine had its displacement increased to 4.4 litre and was now designated Y44E
, while a 3.0 litre version was still available. The Sovereign trim was added in 1977.
The H250 President underwent a major redesign in 1982, with suspension improvements, a larger fuel tank, the most visible changes being the replacement of the round headlights with square versions. In 1985, the Sovereign VIP trim was added. Production of the 250 series continued until 1990.
, with sales beginning a year later. Concurrently, a short-wheelbase version of the chassis debuted in the USA as Infiniti Q45
or Nissan Q45 in Japan, with a different front and rear end. This complete reworking of the President was the result of the introduction of the Lexus LS
January 1989 and the Honda Legend
in 1985. Major focus was being directed to large luxury sedans, and Nissan decided to follow the lead of Honda and Toyota and give the President a long overdue revisement. Both the President and the Q45 shared the new 4.5 litre VH45DE
V8 engine. In 1993, a short-wheelbase version similar to the Infiniti joined the lineup, badged as President JS. At the same time, Nissan's special vehicles subsidiary Autech
developed a Royal Limousine model with split passenger compartment. The Royal was created as a possible replacement for the two 1966 Nissan Prince Royal
s used by the Imperial Household Agency
, but were not accepted.
An interesting feature also debuted in 1993 — an airbag for the left-hand side (curbside) rear seat passenger. In 1994, along with a minor facelift
, Nissan revived the Sovereign trim level (previously available for 250 Presidents) for the long-wheelbase model. Another minor facelift occurred in 1998 (designated PHG50). At the same time, the previous Infiniti Q45 was replaced by a model based on a smaller (yet still large) Nissan Cima
, which was also fitted with the rear passenger airbag option in Japan. The PHG50 continued in production till 2002 with the arrival of the new F50 chassis.
V8 engine. Two versions are available, both badged Sovereign, with either 5-passenger or 4-passenger seating configuration. This model competed for customers for three years with the Mitsubishi Dignity
as the top level flagship, however Mitsubishi chose to use front wheel drive.
The 4-passenger version is considerably more expensive and features lavish equipment, including a Bose sound system and a host of other electronic devices controlled from a panel in the rear central armrest, as well as a "relaxing seat"http://www.nissan.co.jp/PRESIDENT/F50/0310/INTER/main1.html — a feature allowing the left front passenger seat to be slid far forward, allowing the passenger in the rear to stretch his or her legs.
has become the flagship in its lineup.
The Toyota Century has been a long standing rival to the President as a premier Japanese luxury sedan.
Since its debut in 1965, 56,000 units of the Nissan President have been sold, 63 units were sold in fiscal 2009.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese luxury limousine
Limousine
A limousine is a luxury sedan or saloon car, especially one with a lengthened wheelbase or driven by a chauffeur. The chassis of a limousine may have been extended by the manufacturer or by an independent coachbuilder. These are called "stretch" limousines and are traditionally black or white....
produced by Nissan from 1965 to 2010. The car was mainly used by corporate executives and government officers. It was a luxury sedan specifically aimed to the Japanese market, where its main competitor was the Toyota Century
Toyota Century
The Toyota Century is a large four-door limousine produced mainly for the Japanese market, serving as Toyota's flagship car. Production of the Century began in 1967 and the model received only minor changes until a redesign in 1997. The Century derived its name from the 100th anniversary of the...
.
The President was initially sold only in the Japanese market. In the late 1980s, exports began to a few countries including Singapore and Hong Kong, though sales were limited. A North American version (called the Infiniti Q45
Infiniti Q45
The Infiniti Q45 was a full-size luxury car sold by Nissan's Infiniti marque from 1990 until 2006. It is a rear wheel drive, four-door sedan powered by a V8 engine. Early generations were based on the automaker's Japanese-market flagship sedan, the Nissan President, while models produced after 1997...
) was produced from 1990 to 1996 and 2001 to 2006. The President was replaced by the Nissan Fuga
Nissan Fuga
The Fuga is a full-size sedan, rear wheel drive with optional all wheel drive, produced by Nissan of Japan since October 2004 and now in its second generation. It is built on a wider, stretched wheelbase version of the Nissan FM platform. After the Nissan Cima and Nissan President were...
in August 2010.
President 150 and 250
The first generation of the Nissan President, designated H150, was introduced in October 1965, replacing the Cedric Special as Nissan's top-of-the-range model. The President appeared after the Toyota Crown Eight in April 1964. Available with either the 4.0 litre Y40Nissan Y engine
-Y40:The Y40 was a special watercooled OHV V8 engine produced for the Nissan President Limousine between 1965 and 1973. It displaced 4.0 L with a bore and stroke...
V8 engine, developed specially for that model, or the 3.0 litre H30 straight-6
Straight-6
The straight-six engine or inline-six engine is a six-cylinder internal combustion engine with all six cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankcase...
. Very lavishly appointed for its time, the President served as the official car of the Japanese Prime Minister Eisaku Sato
Eisaku Sato
This article is about the Prime Minister of Japan. For the governor of Fukushima Prefecture of Japan of the same name, see Eisaku Satō ....
, while the Emperor of Japan was transported in one of two Nissan Prince Royal
Nissan Prince Royal
The Nissan Prince Royal is a limousine made for the Imperial Household of Japan.-History:The Japanese auto industry was expanding rapidly in the early 1960s, and the Imperial Household Agency sought a Japanese auto manufacturer to produce a suitable car for the Emperor of Japan...
s. In 1971 Nissan offered EAL (Electro Anti-lock System) as an option on the Nissan President, this became Japan's first electronic ABS
Anti-lock braking system
An anti-lock braking system is a safety system that allows the wheels on a motor vehicle to continue interacting tractively with the road surface as directed by driver steering inputs while braking, preventing the wheels from locking up and therefore avoiding skidding.An ABS generally offers...
(Anti-lock braking system
Anti-lock braking system
An anti-lock braking system is a safety system that allows the wheels on a motor vehicle to continue interacting tractively with the road surface as directed by driver steering inputs while braking, preventing the wheels from locking up and therefore avoiding skidding.An ABS generally offers...
).
The second generation, designated H250, was introduced in 1973. The chassis was essentially the same with a new front grille. The V8 engine had its displacement increased to 4.4 litre and was now designated Y44E
Nissan Y engine
-Y40:The Y40 was a special watercooled OHV V8 engine produced for the Nissan President Limousine between 1965 and 1973. It displaced 4.0 L with a bore and stroke...
, while a 3.0 litre version was still available. The Sovereign trim was added in 1977.
The H250 President underwent a major redesign in 1982, with suspension improvements, a larger fuel tank, the most visible changes being the replacement of the round headlights with square versions. In 1985, the Sovereign VIP trim was added. Production of the 250 series continued until 1990.
President HG50
In October 1989 a new Nissan President, designated JHG50, debuted during the Tokyo Motor ShowTokyo Motor Show
The is a biennial auto show held in October-November at the Makuhari Messe, Chiba City, Japan for cars, motorcycles and commercial vehicles. Hosted by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association , it is a recognized international show by the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs...
, with sales beginning a year later. Concurrently, a short-wheelbase version of the chassis debuted in the USA as Infiniti Q45
Infiniti Q45
The Infiniti Q45 was a full-size luxury car sold by Nissan's Infiniti marque from 1990 until 2006. It is a rear wheel drive, four-door sedan powered by a V8 engine. Early generations were based on the automaker's Japanese-market flagship sedan, the Nissan President, while models produced after 1997...
or Nissan Q45 in Japan, with a different front and rear end. This complete reworking of the President was the result of the introduction of the Lexus LS
Lexus LS
The Lexus LS is a full-size luxury sedan that serves as the flagship model of Lexus, the luxury division of Toyota. Four generations of the sedan have been produced, all equipped with V8 engines and rear-wheel drive, although since 2006 all-wheel drive, hybrid, and long-wheelbase variants have also...
January 1989 and the Honda Legend
Honda Legend
The Honda Legend is a mid-size luxury car made by the Japanese automaker Honda. It was the result of Project XX, a joint agreement started in November 1981 with the Austin Rover Group of Great Britain and was mechanically related to the Rover 800 series....
in 1985. Major focus was being directed to large luxury sedans, and Nissan decided to follow the lead of Honda and Toyota and give the President a long overdue revisement. Both the President and the Q45 shared the new 4.5 litre VH45DE
Nissan VH engine
The VH series consists of 4.1 and 4.5 liter engines built from 1989-2001 by the Nissan Motor Corporation. The design consists of a 90 degree V8 with an aluminum cylinder block that features a closed upper deck and a deep skirt. The cylinder heads are also aluminum with a DOHC 4-valve design and...
V8 engine. In 1993, a short-wheelbase version similar to the Infiniti joined the lineup, badged as President JS. At the same time, Nissan's special vehicles subsidiary Autech
Autech
, is a pro tuner of Nissan cars.Autech was founded in 1986 as a subsidiary of Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.. Nissan named Shinichiro Sakurai, the former general manager of Nissan's Advanced Vehicle Design Department, as president designate of the new subsidiary...
developed a Royal Limousine model with split passenger compartment. The Royal was created as a possible replacement for the two 1966 Nissan Prince Royal
Nissan Prince Royal
The Nissan Prince Royal is a limousine made for the Imperial Household of Japan.-History:The Japanese auto industry was expanding rapidly in the early 1960s, and the Imperial Household Agency sought a Japanese auto manufacturer to produce a suitable car for the Emperor of Japan...
s used by the Imperial Household Agency
Imperial Household Agency
The is a government agency of Japan in charge of the state matters concerning Japan's imperial family and also keeping the Privy Seal and the State Seal...
, but were not accepted.
An interesting feature also debuted in 1993 — an airbag for the left-hand side (curbside) rear seat passenger. In 1994, along with a minor facelift
Facelift (product)
A facelift is the revival of a product through cosmetic means, for example by changing its appearance while leaving its underlying engineering or design intact....
, Nissan revived the Sovereign trim level (previously available for 250 Presidents) for the long-wheelbase model. Another minor facelift occurred in 1998 (designated PHG50). At the same time, the previous Infiniti Q45 was replaced by a model based on a smaller (yet still large) Nissan Cima
Nissan Cima
The Nissan Cima is a large luxury sedan produced by Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. for the Japanese market. The car's name is derived from Spanish for "summit". The hood ornament uses an image of an acanthus leaf. The acanthus leaf was commonly used by classical Greeks to make a wreath for use as a...
, which was also fitted with the rear passenger airbag option in Japan. The PHG50 continued in production till 2002 with the arrival of the new F50 chassis.
President PGF50
The third generation was introduced in 2002, based on the F50 Nissan Cima, which debuted in 2001, being also powered by the same 4.5 litre VK45DENissan VK engine
The VK engine is a V8 piston engine from Nissan. It is an aluminum DOHC 4-valve design.The VK56 engine was originally based on Nissan's VQ V6 rather than the VH V8 used in previous Q45/Cima models. Changes include: a variable polymer intake manifold, newly designed heads, and a larger drive by...
V8 engine. Two versions are available, both badged Sovereign, with either 5-passenger or 4-passenger seating configuration. This model competed for customers for three years with the Mitsubishi Dignity
Mitsubishi Dignity
The Mitsubishi Dignity, whose name was derived from "the English to describe the peerless grandeur and majestic stateliness of the model", is a limousine manufactured by Mitsubishi Motors from late 1999 as the flagship of the company's domestic range, alongside the smaller Proudia luxury car...
as the top level flagship, however Mitsubishi chose to use front wheel drive.
The 4-passenger version is considerably more expensive and features lavish equipment, including a Bose sound system and a host of other electronic devices controlled from a panel in the rear central armrest, as well as a "relaxing seat"http://www.nissan.co.jp/PRESIDENT/F50/0310/INTER/main1.html — a feature allowing the left front passenger seat to be slid far forward, allowing the passenger in the rear to stretch his or her legs.
Production ending announcement
In August 2010, Nissan announced that it had stopped the production of both the Nissan Cima and President, which share the same chassis. The two models needed safety upgrades to comply with the latest safety regulations, but lackluster sales showed that the company would not be able to recoup costs. As there is no successor to Cima/President, the Nissan FugaNissan Fuga
The Fuga is a full-size sedan, rear wheel drive with optional all wheel drive, produced by Nissan of Japan since October 2004 and now in its second generation. It is built on a wider, stretched wheelbase version of the Nissan FM platform. After the Nissan Cima and Nissan President were...
has become the flagship in its lineup.
The Toyota Century has been a long standing rival to the President as a premier Japanese luxury sedan.
Since its debut in 1965, 56,000 units of the Nissan President have been sold, 63 units were sold in fiscal 2009.
External links
Nissan President official site retrieved 3/11/08- History of the Nissan President 1963-1982 retrieved 3/11/08