Taking one last look back at a particularly notable past 12 months, the team at Nissan recently put together a list of the automaker’s top ten stories of 2011, honoring a year that saw the company go from tragedy to triumph.
1. Rebuilding from disaster—The spring’s earthquake and tsunami in Japan took a devastating toll on the people of that country, and while nothing can replace the many lives lost, Nissan persevered, rebuilt and returned to full production in a matter of months.
2. LEAF honored in New York—The all-electric Nissan LEAF, which also had been named European Car of the Year, was named World Car of the Year at the New York International Auto Show.
3. Nissan’s hot spot—The automaker’s “Gas-powered Everything” ad campaign for the LEAF, reimagining a world in which everything—even toothbrushes—is run on gasoline, earned a spot on AD WEEK’s list of 10 best commercials of 2011.
4. Happy birthday—The Nissan LEAF celebrated its first year on the market, passing a major milestone on the way to establishing EVs as a viable alternative for U.S. buyers.
5. Guidelines for growth—Nissan President and CEO Carlos Ghosn unveiled a new “Power 88” strategy to boost global sales over the next six years, saying: “We will accelerate our growth, bringing more innovation and excitement to our products and services as well as cleaner, more affordable cars for everyone around the world.”
6. Hail the NV200—In a significant breakthrough for Nissan’s burgeoning commercial-vehicle business, the new NV200 was selected to be the exclusive taxi of New York City starting in late 2013.
7. Nissan’s drag king—In an informal drag race set up by Motor Trend and involving some of the fastest cars on the planet—like the Porsche 911, Corvette Z06, Ferrari 458 Italia and Audi R8 GT—it was the Nissan GT-R that took home top honors.
8. Going with the ESFLOW—Building on the foundation of the award-winning LEAF, Nissan introduced the sleek and striking ESFLOW, an all-electric rear-wheel-drive sports car concept, at the Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland.
9. West Coast wonders—Nissan introduced three boldly designed new vehicles at the Los Angeles International Auto Show, including the new Nissan Quest minivan, the unique Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet and the beautiful Nissan Ellure concept vehicle.
10. Going out on top—With December numbers not yet in, Nissan is riding a streak of two consecutive record-breaking sales months and brings high hopes for more into the new year.
“Strong gains across our lineup extended Nissan’s record-breaking October into our best-ever November,” said Al Castignetti, vice president and general manager, Nissan Sales. “We expect to finish 2011 on a high note with vehicles like Altima, Versa, Sentra and Rogue leading Nissan to a strong close in December and into an even better 2012.”
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