Nissan Annual Report 200442
MMoottoorrssppoorrttss
MOTORSPORTS
Motorsports is a dynamic form of marketing that
offers a natural forum for presenting the Nissan
brand. On the track, Nissan’s technologies are
pushed to the limit—and sometimes beyond—
under grueling conditions.
Nissan participates in a wide range of
motorsports, including the Super GT Series. 
This is the most popular racing series in Japan,
and is increasingly broadcast around the world.
Motorsports will remain an important marketing
outlet that enhances both Nissan’s brand
presence and our engineering capabilities.
OUR WORK
JUNICHI ENDO
Senior Vice President
Aftersales
“Aftersales was established in 2002 because Nissan
wanted to expand the scope of what was once the
Parts Division. Our primary objective is to extend the
value chain. We are trying to engage new-car owners
for a longer time by offering an extensive range of
attractive aftersales products. These products
include parts, service contracts, conversion—both
accessories and customization—and new service
methods such as quick inspection and quick body
repair. Global Aftersales covers the downstream
business in cooperation with other marketing and
sales divisions.
This has become an increasingly global function as we
deploy and monitor various programs throughout the world.
For example, Project SX, the new Nissan service standard,
should drastically improve dealer service operations. This
program educates dealers on how to be more customer-
oriented by providing insights into productivity, marketing
and management. To increase service productivity and
efficiency, we send former factory foremen and engineers
to various service workshops to analyze service staff
performance. This will help cut repair times and improve
customer satisfaction. The Nissan Sales and Service Way is
also a tool used to increase the quality of service provided
by all dealers. Its successful implementation has enhanced
customer satisfaction worldwide.
The conversion business in Japan looks very promising.
We discovered that 50 percent of car owners want to
customize their vehicles, and 28 percent already had. Such
a high penetration rate illustrates how much people want a
car that’s different from everyone else’s. The Rider series—
customized versions of Nissan cars developed by our
wholly owned subsidiary Autech—are very popular,
especially among younger Japanese. The series
exemplifies the major potential of the conversion business.
Global Aftersales is a young division, but we’ve
performed well from the start, meeting our global
commitments every year during NISSAN 180 and
contributing to the Company’s growth. We have expanded
nearly 20 percent year-on-year between 2001 and 2004,
and intend to continue this momentum during NISSAN
Value-Up. We will optimize our cost structure by sourcing
parts from the leading competitive countries. We are
striving to develop an even tighter relationship with our
customers and to provide them with new services
throughout the ownership cycle. I believe this broader
range of aftersales services will provide sustainable growth
in Nissan’s revenues and profit.”