One celebrated Nissan figure who opposes the proposed move is retired executive Yutaka Katayama, renowned as the father of the Nissan "Z" sports car. Katayama, 96, is called "Mr. K" by legions of Nissan enthusiasts and was head of the U.S. operation from its inception in 1958 until 1978.

He hand-delivered a letter, entitled "Voice Against Relocation," to Ghosn's office at the company's Tokyo headquarters two weeks ago, said his longtime associate Masataka Usami.

In an e-mail to The Times, Katayama said he believed that relocating its California headquarters would cost Nissan "its sensitivity to the [U.S.] car business" by removing key marketing and product development people from an area "considered to be the birthplace of automobile culture."