If you're over the age of 30, you probably remember Datsun. The Fairlady Roadsters and 240Z Coupes roamed the streets in America from the late 50s until the very early 80s. And, if you're looking for it, you might still see a Datsun pickup or two cruising around. But, in 1981, the Japanese automaker decided to market purely under their Nissan name to unite the lineup around the world. And since then, Nissan has become a household name, and one of Japan's largest automakers. But, in a recent announcement in the Nikkei, Japan's largest business report, Nissan has plans to bring the Datsun nameplate back by 2014.

Sorry, auto enthusiasts, you won't find any Datsuns here in the United States. Nissan's plan to bring back these small and affordable cars is to help the automaker gain footing in some emerging markets like India, Indonesia and Russia. The hope is that the low price point of Datsun models (around $6,000 each), will grab the attention of first-time car buyers in these markets.

History tells us that successfully launching a smaller brand under a larger umbrella can take years to accomplish. Take Toyota's Scion, for example: launched nearly a decade ago, it's enjoyed moderate success as of today. However, Nissan wants to buck the trend of some of their Japanese brethren, and use Datsun to grab 8 percent of the global market by 2017.

And, who knows - maybe we will see a global rebirth of Datsun!

Nissan has yet to comment further on these efforts, so be sure to stay tuned with Nissan Sunnyvale for more on these and other Nissan news and updates. And remember, you can always contact us via our website with any questions, or to learn more about the entire new Nissan lineup.