Since 1968, Nissan has been importing cars from its native country of Japan to the United Kingdom under the Datsun brand (which was phased out between 1982 and 1984, when the Nissan brand took over completely). After a steady start, its market share increased dramatically from just over 6,000 car sales in 1971 to manufacturing more than 30,000 a year later, reaching 100,000 a year before the end of the decade, with competitive prices, a high level of equipment and a reputation for producing reliable cars.