VIDEO REPORT: Nissan Motor Company Celebrates 80 Years, Unveils Power of Global Footprint

IRVINE, Calif. – Nissan Motor Company is marking its 80th anniversary with "Nissan 360."  This is a month-long showcase of the latest breakthroughs in vehicle technology, sustainability and market expansion by one of the world's leading automotive groups.

The full lineup of Infiniti vehicles is on display. Journalists will get a chance to experience Nissan cars on a performance track. Trucks will be put through their paces on an adventure course. The Datsun GO has made the trip to Southern California from India where it recently launched, as well as other vehicles representing the global marketplace.

"If you don't have brand power, you will never become a leading player in an industry. You can maybe with price-positioning, or being the only one having the right car at the right moment, you can get to a certain level of share, maybe a little bit of profit," said Roel de Vries, Nissan Corporate Vice President for Global Marketing and Media Strategy. "To become truly profitable, and to become truly leading and achieve 8 percent share which is our target, you need to have a brand which is very desirable."

The company is showing off not only an extensive line up of new models, but also some iconic and memorable vintage Nissan and Infiniti vehicles.

This also marks the first time ever so many of the companies concept vehicles are on display under one roof.  These vehicles hint toward an exciting, evolving future for new design, technology and innovation.

"Many of these concept cars that you see here at the event are actually studies into something that we are going to really do. So, they are not just pie-in-the-sky dreams. They are real," said de Vries.

The first-ever Nissan 360 event was nine years ago in San Francisco.  Then, the theme was turnaround and recovery.  Four years later, Nissan 360 in Portugal focused on a growing global presence.

This year the company is focused on individual brands: Nissan as a global powerhouse, Infiniti's product and market momentum, the emergence of the new Datsun, and the continued growth of the light commercial vehicles group.

"When we started about a year ago and were looking for places to do this (event), we found this abandoned airfield. And, to come here today and to see all of the different tracks we have built: commercial vehicle track, off-road track, high-performance track, autonomous driving track and this venue, it's pretty amazing. We have basically transformed a piece of concrete into a little Disneyworld for car lovers," said de Vries.

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