Nissan brings back Datsun brand with Go model (plus video!)

It's been a long time since the Datsun brand has been displayed on a new car. Now, for the first time in the 21st century, the nameplate is back, with the release of the Datsun Go.

The Datsun brand was, for many people in many countries around the globe, the first car they ever owned because it was one of the few affordable cars available to them. The new Go releases on the birth date of the Datsun name, the same day the fist DAT car was delivered in Japan 100 years ago. During that century, Datsun managed to produce more than 20 million vehicles in 190 countries around the world.

Then, the brand was discontinued by its owners at Nissan as part of cutbacks and restructuring to further focus the Nissan automaking juggernaut. But it couldn't be held back for long. Nissan has (wisely) decided to revive Datsun for its latest foray into affordable cars for an emerging market: India.

Enter the Datsun GO, which will make its first model delivery this week with celebration and fanfare planned for March 19 and 20 as the car rolls into a dealership and into a lucky buyer's hands. Meanwhile, Nissan has created a network of 120 Datsun dealerships in India to begin selling the car.

Nissan plans to bring the Datsun name to several emerging markets over the coming years, marking a return of the world's most-recognized affordable brand.

Here's 100 years of Datsun in one-and-a-half minutes.

And a showcase of the new Datsun GO.