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During the Meiji and Taisho eras, the only cars on Japan's roads were foreign brands from Ford and GM (General Motors). At that time, men like Yoshisuke Aikawa had zealously begun manufacturing vehicles. It was they who laid the foundations of today's Japanese automotive industry. In 1958, Nissan won the Mobilgas Round Australia Trial with a Datsun 1000. Naturally, this victory made the automaker's name known the world over. Then, in 1959, Nissan gave birth to the Bluebird. The car was a great success, and was exported in large numbers to the American market (under the name Nissan 1200). Business flourished, and in 1960 Nissan set up shop in the United States. Nissan went from strength to strength, and in 1962 the company began sending a few models to Europe. Imports into the UK began in 1984, and in 1999 Nissan joined forces with Renault. This alliance made the group the world's number 4 automaker. Nissan sells 5 million cars a year and employs 265,000 people. Nissan turns to electric power in 2010 with the Nissan Leaf, the world's best-selling electric car.