According to Japanese Wikipedia, the Cedric name was inspired by the main character, Cedric, in Francis Hodgson Burnett's novel "Little Lord Fauntleroy" by the Nissan CEO at the time Katsuzi Kawamata.

The first Cedric was the "30" series, introduced in April 1960 and produced through 1961. It used a 1.5L (1488cc) G-series I4 engine which produced 71hp (53kW). The 1.9L (1883cc) H-series with 95hp (71kW), a 2.8 L K series Straight 6 producing 115PS and a 2.0 L SD20 Straight 4 diesel were optional. A 4-speed manual transmission with the top three gears synchronized was standard, and a 3 speed automatic transmission, sourced from Borg Warner was offered in July 1964. The first Cedric featured two stacked headlights on either side of a large grille. The Cedric replaced the Austin A50 Nissan was building under license. The Cedric was introduced with a wrap-around front windshield. The Cedric also introduced Nissan's first monocoque body. April 1962 saw the introduction of a station wagon/ van, able to seat 8 people.