Datsun

Japan, 1932 to date

(1) DAT Automobile Manufacturing Co, Osaka, 1932

(2) Jidosha Seizo Co Ltd, Yokohama, 1933 – 1934

(3) Nissan Motor Co Ltd, Yokohama, 1934 – 1944

(4) Nissan Heavy Industries Corp, Yokohama, 1947 – 1949

(5) Nissan Motor Co Ltd, Yokohama, 1949 to date

One of the giants of the Japanese car industry, Datsun has a history commencing in 1912 with an experimental Datsun car constructed by the Kwaishinsha Motor Car works. This Datsun was not considered very successful, but by 1914 a second machine was completed and the DAT name was adopted, derived from the partners’ initials; K. Den, R. Aoyama and A. Takeuchi. In 1915 the Dat Model 31 was marketed followed by Model 41 in 1916. Construction of cars and trucks continued in Tokyo until 1926, when the company merged with Jitsuyo Judosha Seizo to form the Dat Automobile Manufacturing Co of Osaka. Jitsuyo Jidosha Seizo had been producing Lila cars, but manufacture of these and of the Dat automobile was given up and all facilities were devoted exclusively to trucks until 1930. In that year a Dat test car, Model 91, was built, and this led to a return to car manufacture in 1931 with the Datson or son-of-Dat. In order to make use of the national rising sun emblem, the name was finally altered to Datsun in 1932.

The new patron of the Datsun make, Tobata Imono Co, disposed of the Osaka plant to Ishikawajima in 1933 and established a fresh firm, Jidosha Seizo, in Yokohama. Datsun manufacture continued there, to be joined by a larger private car range when the Datsun company name was changed to Nissan. The little Datsun cars of the 1930s were well-proportioned and attractive and were built in sedan, phaeton, coupé and roadster forms. These Datsun cars were closely based on the British Austin Seven, but by the late 1930s had acquired more flowing lines.

The evolution of the Datsun make can be traced through the DAT 41 of 1924, which was a five-seater sedan with a 4-cylinder, water-cooled engine of 17hp and a top speed of 30mph; the Datson phaeton of 1931, a two-seater with a 10hp, 4-cylinder engine and a 45mph speed; and the 1936 Datsun sedan with a 4-cylinder, 15hp engine driving it at 50mph.

Early post-war styling of Datsun cars owed much to the American Crosley, though the 1952 Datsun sports model had a look of MG about it. It wsa not until 1958 that the old, Austin-like sv engine disappeared, replaced by a 988cc 4-door saloon with 37bhp 4-cylinder pushrod unit. Coil ifs did not arrive until the Datsun 310 series of 1959, which had 1189cc engines and three forward speeds. A sports two/four-seater Dastun version had fiberglass coachwork. In 1960 the group replaced its licence-produced Austin A5-s with the 1½-litre and 2-litre 4-cylinder Cedrics, invariably sold as Nissans until 1966. By 1963 the sports Datsun Fairlady was a more serious proposition, with elegant open coachwork, 2LS front brakes, and a 1½-litre engine giving 71bhp.

In 1966 Nissan/Datsun offered an impressive range. Their small family saloon, the Datsun Bluebird, had progressed to full unitary construction, alternator ignition, an all-synchromesh gearbox, and a 1300cc pushrod engine, and the Datsun Fairlady had grown up into the 1600cc Datsun Silvia, with 96bhp 5-bearing unit and front disc brakes; a hardtop was available as well as the roadster. In addition to the standard pushrod Cedrics there were a 2.2-litre diesel-engined four and an ohc 7-bearing 1987cc six developing 123bh; this was available with automatic transmission and could reach 100mph. Finally Nissan offered a prestige car, the Nissan/Datsun President saloon on a 9ft 4½-in wheelbase, with a 3-litre 6-cylinder engine and manual gearbox, or a 4-litre pushrod V8 of American type and automatic. The absorption of the Prince concern led to further complications, for though the Datsun marque disappeared there were now a host of ‘ex-Princes’ in the medium category sold under the Nissan/Datsun Skyline and Gloria names.

The main consequence was an increasing sophistication, especially in engines and suspensions. Transverse-leaf ifs came on the conventional 988cc ohv Nissan/ Datsun Sunny saloon of 1967. The Nissan/Datsun Bluebird was completely redesigned in 1968, emerging with a 96bhp 5-bearing ohc slant four engine of 1.6-litres’ capacity, and all-independent springing.

By 1969 Nissan/ Datsun had pushed production to nearly 700.000 units a year, as well as delivering their 5 millionth Datsun car. In 1970 896.748 cars were made. A competition programme pursued since 1966, initially with Group 6 and Group 7 racers, was extending in the direction of international rallies: 1600s won the Team prize in the 1969 R.A.C. evnet, and a year later a Datsun/ Nissan 1600SS was victorious in the East African Safari. Fastest of the 1970 big Nissan/ Datsun saloons was a 2.3-litre ohc six, and the Nissan/ Datsun company also marketed two high-performance 6-cylinder coupés, both with 5-speed all-synchromesh gearboxes irs, and front disc brakes. The Datsun/ Nissan 240Z, widely exported, used a 160bhp 2.4-litre sohc unit. The 2-litre Z432 had twin overhead camshafts.

At the end of 1970 Datsun fell into line with the prevailing fwd idiom. Their Datsun Cherry was a fastback saloon using a transversely-mounted 5-bearing pushrod engine in an all-independently-sprung unitary structure; 988cc and 1171cc versions were offered, with outputs ranging up to 80bhp, as well as 3- or 4-speed gearboxes, front disc brakes (though drums were standard), and coupé and station-wagon bodies. The 1972 Datsuns included the Cherry; the conventional 4-cylinder Sunny with 1.4-litre or 1.6-litre ohc engines; the similarly-engineered Datsun Bluebirds, of which the most powerful was the 1800SS-E hardtop with 125bhp fuel-injection engine; the medium-sized Nissan/ Datsun Skyline and Laurel saloons and station wagons; the sohc and dohc 6-cylinder sports cars; and the luxurious Nissan/ Datsun President series. Revised versions of the Laurel and Bluebird were introduced during the year. Datsun cars were also made under licence by YLN in Taiwan.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; BE

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