Just a couple of days ago I was getting in my car when I happened to notice this little gem parked in a restaurant parking lot. At first glance I thought it was a Ford Anglia 100, but as I got closer it was quite obviously an early Datsun!
A 1959-1963 310/312 Bluebird to be less than exact. I do hope you can overlook the poor photo quality as I only had my phone camera available. You can see that the owners have made a few (questionable) modifications, including amongst other things, rear wheel valances, wing mirror delete, and shaved door handles for that California Sano look. I did not get the chance to meet the owners but it appears to be a regular driver.
Back in the 1950’s Datsun took most of their styling cues from the British, as well as their engine design. The 310 was Datsun’s first foray into the US market. As you may know however it was not a big seller. One reason may have been that the average sized American had to put it on more than get into it. Another one may be the measly 48 horses under the hood. And of course the biggest one most likely is that gas prices were still cheap back in those heady days of rocket shaped rides and be-finned American splendor.
By the time the first fuel crisis rolled around, Datsun had updated their styling (though still not stylish by any means) as well as their engine design. Suddenly those little Japanese “rice burners” were no joke. If desperation is the mother of invention then it’s also the father of opportunity, provided you have what the people are desperate for. In 1959 people were not desperate to fold themselves into a shrunken British-esque go cart. But by 1973 desperation effectively attired many Americans with the automotive consumer’s equivalent of “beer goggles”. And Datsun was the chubby lady at the end of the bar at last call. Little 310/312’s like this one that seemed like such a poor idea back then now look positively visionary through the lens of retrospect.
He who laughs last, laughs longest!
This is the earliest Datsun/Nissan I have ever seen. Fabulous find! I wonder how many were actually imported to the U.S.? This thing has to be incredibly rare.
Quite few, from what I’ve been able to find out. Datsun really started out selling mainly pickups in the US. But this car has left hand steering, so it was likely an early West Coast import. I can’t tell if that’s a genuine old Oregon tag or not (I think not).
The plates do date from 1963 or 1964. I suspect that they have current stickers – can’t be competely sure from the photo – which would mean they were the little sedan’s original plates.
Datsun sent these to NZ a few got bought even with the anti Japanese sentiments left over from the 40s we had a strong preference for British cars at the time so it was obvious where this was copied from but the Datsun came without oil leaks and didnt rust quite as fast, some of the utes from this era have been for sale on trademe recently and the odd sedan is about rare though it took a long time for Japanese makers to get any traction here,.
Was stationed in Japan from early 62 to late 64. Had been familiar with the vw’s before I enlisted but had not seen a Dat-yota. Taxi’s in japan took a beating and the all the cars, taxi or otherwise, held up extremely well. I wondered why nobody was importing them to the states as I thought they would sell. They certainly impressed me more than the beetle. Flew from Japan to a ship that was just starting a Pacific cruise so didn’t actually get back until mid 65.
Culture shock. I guess the biggest thing was seeing the Ford Mustang. One of my shipmates had decided to buy one and he took possession when we returned. For me though, almost as shocking was the presence of Datsun and Toyota in california. Datsun was a new name. It was Nissan everywhere else in the world and, I am told, the Datsun name was a hedge against failure here and the impact it would have had.
Anyway, no sense going over the results as we all know them. I didn’t spend much time in the states during that decade. By the time the Z car came out I couldn’t see why anyone bought anything made in Detroit. Times have changed but that first impression of an 18 year old in Japan proved to be right. They sure did sell.
An awkward little machine….
In profile, the current Nissan Versa looks like a facelifted version of the same car. The resemblance is particularly strong around the rear doors.
Fender skirts on a Datsun are like whitewalls on a Porsche.
All – this is my fathers Datsun Bluebird….it is indeed a 1963 and was an early West Coast import as my grandfather bought it new in San Francisco. It has been in our family ever since. I got it handed down to me when I was in high school and planned to turn it into a “lead sled” in the vein of an old Merc. I shaved the handles, trim, mirrors and “leaded” everything in. I gutted the inside and made new door panels and installed new carpet. I was planning to chop and channel it, but after searching for months trying to find parts it became evident that it was not going to be an easy task to build my “dream” Datsun. So it went back under the carport and sat until dad retired and decided to work on it. He made the skirts for it and they do drive it on a daily basis. It is definitely no easy task stuffing yourself into the car. I’m 6-1 and it’s a task to get in. But it runs good and is very very fuel efficient. It’s also a real head turner as most people have no idea what it is. Thanks for the article and noticing – it’s a great family story!
There was a pickup truck version of this car. I went to a private school, who’s janitor used one of these trucks to haul garbage, yard clippings etc. from the school.
the truck is called an L320
When I was looking for my very first vehicle the first one I looked at was an L320. But it was soon clear that, as a six-footer, I’d have to learn to drive cross-legged if I bought it.
The Brit design heritage explains why it made me think of the cars in the Sooty Bear book I had as a kid… “Britain’s favourite little bear.”
Here my 1958 datsun 1000
Hi Chad do you still have your Datsun how far are to have the car done?
Hello my datsun 1964 thats my dayli car to go to work i love it
Rare to see it on the road