UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549


                              --------------------


                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT


                     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                         Securities Exchange Act of 1934


                     Date of Report (date of earliest event
                                   reported):

                                February 15, 1998



                  Nissan Auto Receivables 1997-A Grantor Trust
             ------------------------------------------------------  
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


                                                                
                                                                    
   Delaware                         333-1664                   33-0479655
 ---------------------           -------------                ------------
(State or other Juris-           (Commission                (I.R.S. Employer
diction of incorporation)   Registration Number)         Identification Number)


                  Nissan Auto Receivables 1997-A Grantor Trust
                     c/o Nissan Motor Acceptance Corporation
                               900 W. 190th Street
                           Torrance, California 90502
                                 (310) 719-8000
              ----------------------------------------------------
              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)




                           Exhibit Index is on Page 4

                                     Page 1





Item 5.    Other Events.

           On February 15, 1998,  the  principal  and interest  collected
during the preceding calendar month, net of certain  adjustments as provided for
in the  Pooling  and  Servicing  Agreement,  dated as of  October  1,  1997 (the
"Agreement"),  between Nissan Motor Acceptance Corporation,  as Servicer, Nissan
Auto Receivables Corporation, as Seller, and The Fuji Bank and Trust Company, as
Trustee (the "Trustee"),  were distributed to holders  ("Certificateholders") of
certificates   representing   undivided  fractional  interests  in  Nissan  Auto
Receivables  1997-A  Grantor  Trust.  In  accordance  with  the  Agreement,  the
Servicer's  Certificate,  as  defined in the  Agreement,  was  furnished  to the
Trustee for the benefit of the Certificateholders  and, as such, was distributed
by the Trustee to the  Certificateholders.  A copy of the Servicer's Certificate
is being filed as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.


Item 7(c). Exhibits.

           Exhibit No.                Description
           99.1                       Servicer's Certificate for the
                                      month of January 1998

                                     Page 2






                                   SIGNATURES


           Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934,  the  registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by
the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                            Nissan Auto Receivables 1997-A Grantor Trust

                            By:     Nissan Motor Acceptance Corporation,
                                    as Servicer



Date:   February 20, 1998   By:     /s/Katsumi Ishii
                            Name:   Katsumi Ishii
                            Title:  Vice President, Finance

                                     Page 3






                                  EXHIBIT INDEX



                                                      Sequentially
                                                        Numbered
Exhibit No.         Description                           Page
- ------------        -------------                     ------------
99.1                Servicer's Certificate                  5
                    for the month of January 1998


                                     Page 4