Ex-Nissan President Takashi Ishihara dies
TOKYO (January 1, 10:40 a.m. AST) - Takashi Ishihara, a former president of Nissan Motor Co. who helped turn the Japanese carmaker into a global player, has died of heart failure, his family said Thursday. He was 91.
Ishihara launched an aggressive export strategy after being named the head of Nissan's export operations in 1957 - a time when Japanese products were viewed as cheap, poor-quality substitutes. Seven years later, Nissan became the first Japanese automaker to rank among the top 10 in U.S. car imports.
He stood at Nissan's helm between 1977 and 1985 and helped establish the company's first plants overseas, including the United States. It was a move toward multinational operations that has been followed by Japan's major manufacturers.
He stepped down in 1985 to become chairman.