Autech Explained

Autech
Native Name:オーテック
Native Name Lang:ja
Romanized Name:Ōtekku
Type:Division
Industry:Automotive
Services:Car tuning
Location City:Chigasaki-shi
Location Country:Japan
Fate:Merged with Nismo
Parent:Nissan Motorsports & Customizing

is a division of Nissan Motorsports & Customizing focused on tuning and converting Nissan cars. Autech was a subsidiary company of Nissan from its establishment in 1986 to 2022, when it was merged with Nismo.

History

Autech was founded in 1986 as a subsidiary of Nissan.[1] [2] Nissan named Shinichiro Sakurai, the former general manager of the company's Advanced Vehicle Design Department, as the first president of the new company.[3]

Partnership with Zagato

On 27 May 1987 Autech and the Italian company Zagato signed an agreement to jointly produce a luxury sports car aimed mainly at the Japanese market. Autech was responsible for the engine and chassis, and Zagato of the interior and exterior design.[2] [4] The new car used the platform of the Nissan Leopard and was called Autech Zagato Stelvio AZ1. It was unveiled in 1989, with 203 cars planned to be made (three of which were prototypes). Costs kept increasing during development and in the end 104 units were produced.[5]

Merging with Nismo

In December 2021, Nissan said it would merge Autech and sister company Nismo (a motorsport operation) into a new company called Nissan Motorsports & Customizing Co., Ltd.. The merge was completed on 1 April 2022.[6] [7]

Facilities

The head offices and factory are located in Chigasaki-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture. There are additional offices in Nagoya and Fukuoka and an ASEAN office in Bangkok, Thailand.[8]

Activities

Autech modifies various vehicles to adapt them for use by disabled people[1] and to meet the needs of different work areas.[8] It also has tuned Nissan cars.

Tuned vehicles

Some cars produced by Autech ("Autech Version") include the following:

External links

Notes and References

  1. February 2013 . (5) 株式会社オーテックジャパン . (5) Autech Japan, Inc. . ja . 107 . Bimonthly Doctor's Plaza . Tokyo . DRP . 18 May 2015 . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150519202514/http://www.drp.ne.jp/?p=13541 . 19 May 2015 .
  2. Web site: 幻の名車「オーテック ザガート ステルビオ」を見にゆく！. Going to see a vision of one of the finest cars: Autech Stelvio Zagato! . Autoc one . ja . Endo . Izuru . 13 September 2013 . 19 May 2015.
  3. Web site: Nissan Legend Shin'ichiro Sakurai: The Real Face of Mr. Skyline . nissannews.com . Nissan USA . 9 October 2013 . 17 May 2015.
  4. August 1987 . Autech and Zagato unite to create a new sports car . 26 . 8 . Car Graph.
  5. Book: Lawrence, Mike . A to Z of Sports Cars, 1945–1990 . Bay View Books . Autech . 1996 . 1-870979-81-8.
  6. Nissan to establish new vehicle customization and motorsports company . Nissan . 15 January 2021 . 17 December 2021.
  7. Web site: NISMOとオーテックが統合！！日産が特装・モータースポーツの新会社を設立 . Nismo and Autech to be integrated! Nissan to establish new specially-equipped and motorsports vehicle company . Japanese . Moby . 15 January 2021 . 17 December 2021.
  8. Web site: Autech Japan, Inc. . Bloomberg . 17 May 2015.

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