VW, Nissan weigh plan to make VWs in Japan

December 4, 1980

West Germany's Volkswagen and Japan's Nissan Company are studying the possibility o making Volkswagen cars in Japan, the two auto companies announced. If the plan goes ahead, a Volkswagen spokesman said, it will be a step toward easing the trade inbalance between the two countries, which is heavily in Japan's favor. In Tokyo, Nissan said talks between it and Volkswagen had been completed on a "positive contribution to the solution of existing problems in international car trade."

Anger has been mounting in Western Europe about Japan's car exports flooding onto European markets and hitting domestic auto industries already struggling with recession.