Automotive News - May 19, 2008 - (Page N4)

N4 • MAY 19, 2008 NISSAN’S 50 Years in America Risk-taking Dallas dealer embraced Datsun in ’60s G rowing up in Depression-era Dallas, Clarence Talley used money he earned selling ice to take the train to New Orleans. On the docks, the teenaged Talley bargained with importers who shipped in wares from faraway places. It was junk, really — glass knickknacks and miniature metal Ferris wheels. But junk or not, you couldn’t buy it in Dallas. And for that reason alone, Talley knew he could turn a profit selling the novelties door to door in his hometown. Thirty years later, that same entrepreneurial spirit led Talley to Nissan Motor Co. and its fledgling Datsun brand. In her book Driving from Japan: Japanese Cars in America, author Wanda James lists Clarence Talley Automobile Co. among the earliest Datsun distributors in the United States. Talley died in 1988. His son, Dick Talley, vividly remembers Datsuns lined up in his father’s downtown Dallas showroom. The plain little Datsuns were clearly a sideshow, as was the sprinkling of other Japanese brands in Talley’s diverse inventory. His main business was European imports, particularly British racing cars and Volkswagen. Slow to start “It didn’t kick off at the beginning,” Dick Talley says of Datsun sales. “This was not long after the war, and a lot of people were resentful. And the Japanese had to work twice as hard at proving they could build a quality product.” In fact, the public perception of Datsun was not that different from the trinkets Talley once hauled from New Orleans, Dick Talley says. Customers compared the simple econoboxes to toy cars made of tin. His competitors were even harsher. “There were all kinds of comments made,” Talley says. “It’s the automotive game of make yours look better than everyone else’s.” Clarence Talley had his work cut out for him. Nissan was concentrating its efforts on the East and West coasts. And although Nissan set up its first regional sales office outside of California in Houston in 1961, the middle of the country wasn’t seen as an important market, according to Nissan/Datsun: A History of Nissan Motor Corporation in the U.S.A., 1960-1980. Attributing R.L. Polk & Co., the book’s author, John B. Rae, lists Datsun sales in the nine-state Houston region at just 98 vehicles in 1961. Granted, all but eight of those vehicles were sold in Texas, but Datsuns were still a rarity. That’s exactly what made them attractive to his father, Dick Talley says. Clarence Talley found a niche market for Datsuns in soldiers just back from Korea who were returning to school and CLARENCE TALLEY, right Earliest Nissan involvement: Early 1960s Role: Dealer and distributor in Dallas Key influence: Gave Datsun a foothold beyond the East and West coasts needed something cheap with good gas mileage. Another target was openminded professionals looking for something different. Listening to dealers In the early 1970s, Datsun turned the corner with its image, Talley says. He gives all the credit to the factory, which he says listened to dealers like his father and modified the vehicles based on the dealers’ knowledge of the United States. “If you tell the Japanese they made a mistake, they will stop production right then and there until they get it fixed,” Dick Talley says. “Because of that attitude, that’s made them very successful through the years.” Clarence Talley’s relationship with Nissan was relatively short compared to his more than 40-year career in the car business. Although he doesn’t recall the exact details, Dick Talley thinks his father sold the Datsun franchise in the 1970s when Volkswagen began demanding that its dealers be exclusive. Asked whether his father would be surprised to see how far Nissan has come in the United States since then, Dick Talley says: “There’s no doubt in my mind. I think he would wonder, ‘Why in the world didn’t I do that?’ ” — April Wortham From 0 to 350 in 50 years. Z’wonderful! The National Automobile Dealers Association congratulates Nissan on 50 years in the U.S. market.

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Automotive News - May 19, 2008 Ford eyes smaller F-150 cousin Sonic: Mercedes tries to 'extort' store upgrades Chrysler seeks 25% slash in parts prices Dealership managers pushed Chrysler's latest incentive Crain names 4 new VPs Automotive News staffers win Wheel Awards GM will keep cutting sales to fleets GM studies the future of full-sized trucks American Axle plans to expand in Asia At Lexus, the sales laggards are cars VW positions Tiguan as 'GTI' of small SUVs Tata enters race for 100-mpg car Harley Earl was the daddy of auto design Focus will follow Fiesta as a global vehicle Lexus shows how it sweats details Industry slows tide of state CO2 rules Chevy tweaks Cobalt to add fuel economy Be careful; don't do anything dumb Looking ahead to different industry They thought they knew everything Cerberus doesn't belong in autos Dealers as scapegoats Smart, steady growth works best for suppliers Farley's smart to value Ford's heritage Absurd logic in the U.S., cowardice in Germany BMW, Daimler keep a wary eye on U.S. economy James Franey Dealers' approach can lessen pain of staff cuts GM plans to distinguish Opel with image makeover Make or buy? Software can estimate costs for company Honda, Toyota see robots in their futures Bosch aims to lead in hybrids technology King of hearts Clarke aims to get GM back on track in N.A. Fields navigates Ford through 'white water' LaSorda steers Chrysler's global ventures Toyota's Lentz: A crash course in hard times Truck sales fall 13% in April Modine sells Thermacore unit Alcoa to close Mexico plant Toyoda Gosei expands in Mexico Hayes Lemmerz plans to close Georgia factory Japan's sales slide 2% in 1st quarter; output climbs Dealers Hyundai let U.S. direct Sonata freshening After .com and .edu, is it time for .car? Panoramic sunroof of Lincoln MKS boosts Inalfa sales Chrysler hedged gas price bet Smart phones help dealerships retain customers CAW completes pacts with GM, Chrysler early GM, UAW resolve 2 disputes New media buyer for Chrysler Visteon names Stebbins CEO Convertible registrations drop Ferrari: From denial to debut Buildings Porsches in U.S.? Depends whom you ask Toyota will go slow in Tupelo Ghosn is glum on prices, U.S. sales prospects Pischetsrieder has earned a celebratory cigar NHTSA spins VINs, averts meltdown F_RD GU_S WI_ BUI-_KS 50 PEOPLE FOR 50 YEARS Yutaka Katayama Clarence Talley Jim Morton Pete Brock Marvin Runyon Yoshikazu Hanawa Bill Bruce Shin Maki Jack Collins Mitsuya "Scape" Goto Bob Link Soichi Kawazoe Jerry Hirshberg Takashi Ishihara Roy Rogers John Parker Bob Thomas Teruo Uchino Morrie Sage Bob Thomas Nobe Wakatsuki Earl Hesterberg Carlos Ghosn Lee Clow Jerry Benefield Yutaka Kume Doug Betts Tim McCarthy Jed Connelly Atsushi Nakatsuji Dave Hubbard Joe Opre Patrick Pelata Yoshiyuki Kimura Diane Allen Mad Mike Taylor Chuck King Larry Dominique Mark Igo Mitsuhiko Yamashita Shiro Nakamura Tom Mignanelli Dick Roberts William Cushing Emil Hassan Chester Luby Jane Nakagawa Louis Schweitzer MR. K Ray Lemke Richard McCutcheon

Automotive News - May 19, 2008

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