Takashi Ishihara, a former president of Nissan Motor Co. who helped turn the carmaker into a global player, has died of heart failure, his family said Thursday. He was 91.
Ishihara died Wednesday morning at a Tokyo hospital, said his son, Yoshiharu. The family will hold a funeral just among close relatives and is planning to have a memorial service at a later date.
A graduate of Tohoku University who joined Nissan in 1937, Ishihara launched an aggressive export strategy after being appointed head of Nissan export operations in 1957 -- a time when Japanese products were viewed as cheap and low-quality.
Seven years later, Nissan became the first Japanese automaker to rank among the top 10 in U.S. car imports.
Ishihara stood at Nissan's helm from 1977 to 1985, when be became chairman, and helped establish the company's first plants overseas, including in the United States and Britain. It was a move toward multinational operations that has been followed by Japan's major manufacturers.
Ishihara, born on March 3, 1912, is survived by two children and his wife, Shizuko.
Compiled from AP, Kyodo