September 8, 1986 – Nissan opens its first plant in the UK

Today marks 30 years since Nissan opened its first manufacturing and assembly plant in the United Kingdom, the first Japanese automaker to do so. The factory in Sunderland took nearly five years to get built, but as a rumors flew, the bargaining began and on this day in 1986 Prime Minister Mrs. Margaret Thatcher opened the factory. The story of how the plant came to be is honestly quite interesting, when told by the right people. That’s why I recommend you read this article from the Sunderland Echo, the local paper there in the UK. https://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/as-nissan-celebrates-30-years-on-wearside-we-look-at-how-the-deal-was-done-1-8104512