Infiniti founder Bill Bruce dead at 70

Bill Bruce, the founder of Nissan's Infiniti luxury brand, has died at the age of 70. Infiniti announced earlier on Friday that Bruce passed away on May 28.

Bruced joined Nissan in 1982 and was named Infiniti's first General Manager in 1989, the same year the luxury brand launched in the United States. Bruce is also credited with introducing Infiniti’s concept of “Total Ownership Experience,” which was considered revolutionary for the time.

“Bill Bruce has laid the foundation for the Infiniti brand worldwide,” said Johan de Nysschen, President of Infiniti Motor Company, Ltd. “He got wide acclaim and respect for his vision to provide customers with an outstanding experience throughout their entire ownership of the car. This caused a major shift in the car industry overall, and so he left a lasting mark. We are saddened by this loss and our thoughts are with his family.”

Bruce retired from Nissan in 1999.

Since launching in the United States in 1989, the Infiniti brand has spread to several other world markets. The brand is currently getting back to the roots Bruce founded, with a new naming system inspired by the brand's first flagship vehicle, the Infiniti Q45.