Whereas the Japanese had overwhelming success in the US with their compact and subcompact four cylinder cars, mini-pickups, and did quite well with their sport coupes, when it came to more expensive six-cylinder cars, it was not nearly as easy. Americans were happy to buy a Japanese alternative to a Vega or a VW, but when it came to an Olds Cutlass or a BMW, it was a different matter.
Toyota tried with several generations of Crown, before abandoning it in favor of the somewhat lower-priced Cressida, and with which it found moderate success. Nissan had held back with bigger sedans, but decided to jump in a year after the Cressida arrived, with its rather similarly-conceived 810, in 1977.
short nose 810 Maxima (Bluebird)
Like its predecessor, the first generation 810, these cars were Nissan Blubirds, designed and sold in most part of the world as four cylinder cars. The Bluebird line included the legendary (original) 510, and its successor, the 610. But it was time to kick it up a notch for the US, and lengthen its nose in order to install the L24E SOHC 2.4 six, as used to such great success in the Datsun 240Z. Of course, the six was detuned to 125 hp for its new role, but nevertheless, these offered a bit more punch than what folks had been used to in Japanese sedans. The Pinocchio nose didn’t exactly do much its looks, but the Americans were of course suckers for long hoods.
The 810 wasn’t only for US consumption; the Japanese market version used a smaller 2.0 L version of the six.
The second generation 810 arrived for the 1981 model year, and there were two versions: the 810 DeLuxe, and the 810 Maxima, the first use of a name that is of course still with us today. The Maxima version of the 810 was the high-trim version. By 1982, it was only “Maxima”, and the 810 designation fell by the wayside, as would the Datsun name in another couple of years. The final 1984 MY Maximas had both “Datsun” and “Nissan” on its trunk lid.
These cars were considered quite handsome at the time, given their clean, chiseled lines. it was better looking than the fussier Cressida, and these cars sold reasonably well; much better than their predecessors, which evoked a few too many memories of Datsun’s styling Dark Ages of the 70s.
The model split for 1981 was a bit annoying for enthusiast driver, as the 5 speed manual was only available on the 810 DeLuxe, but that didn’t offer a tachometer. The Maxima did, but it wasn’t exactly very useful with its standard three-speed automatic. 0-60 came in 12 seconds; the 5-speed knocked about a second off that. Not exactly blistering, but then this was during Peak Malaise. The five-speed especially made a reasonably satisfactory driver’s car, its semi-trailing arm independent rear suspension contributing to a BMW-esque handling envelope.
These cars were the first to talk back at you, with its infamous “Bitchin’ Betty” voice alert system, that was actually a miniaturized phonograph. I hear they’re long-lived.
Yes, the Maxima’s upholstery was plush, a bit too much so for the BMW crowd. The Japanese were trying hard to figure out just which side of the Brougham – BMW fence to straddle. Obviously, they were just plain straddling it with this generation Maxima; with the exterior on one side, and the interior on the other.
The 810/Maxima also came in a wagon version, and I shot this diesel version way back in the CC early days, and it’s CC is here. And just the other day, I saw it in traffic in front of me, emitting a little puff of black soot on take-off.
But I’d never shot the sedan version, and assumed they were all long gone, until I decided to walk down this alley I normally never take. I must have heard Bitchin’ Betty to call out to me: the car you’ve been looking for is down this way…
When I was 17, our neighbor got a Maxima to replace his wife’s 1970 VW Station Wagon.
I wasn’t impressed. I struck me more as a small Japanese Buick than a wannabe BMW.
I think the 810 was more sporting, even though its looks reminded me of a shrunken Ford Torino.
The 1992 Maxima got it right though, even if it was FWD.
Brougham BMW with Japanese Reliability?
Sign me up!
As I recall, this era Maxima was the bee’s knees to many. Several young people in my congregation at the time spoke lovingly of these, and the first time I had a chance to ride in one (in the back seat), I could understand why.
You couldn’t compare the Japanese cars to anything of a similar size to GM, Ford or Chrysler, because for the most part, they seemed better built, and could only be compared to their large models, which killed cross-shopping.
Even though I was solidly into Chrysler’s offerings at the time, I kept a close eye on the Japanese nameplates and became more impressed as the years went by.
Still, I drive an Impala, though.
My brother in law had a diesel version of the sedan. He had a huge auxiliary tank put in the trunk, would fill up in Mexico (it was really cheap there back then) and drive for months on one fill-up. I never drove it but I can only imagine how the handling characteristics were adversely affected when that tank was full.
I like the styling of the previous 810 generation more. This was just too generic for me. Consumer Guide Magazine didn’t like these much either because according to my old copy of New Cars ’82 they said these were too heavy for their size, had a lumpy ride and the instrument panel had a jukebox look. They concluded by saying these cars were just too mediocre for the asking price.
In all fairness though, maybe I would have been more enthusiastic about these things if I’d ever driven or ridden in one, which I haven’t.
My father bought an 82 Maxima, two-tone silver over grey. He traded in our 79 Toronado, he was getting tired a frequent trips to the Olds dealer. It was a great car for us, no problems that I can recall, other than it was RWD and we lived in Michigan. The talking car was quite the hit in the neighborhood, especially as it was filed with Big 3 engineers and skilled tradesmen. The Toro was good in the snow though. He kept it for 2 years (as was his custom) and traded it on an 84 Audi 4000S. Back then it was still a decent proposition to flip cars every 2 years or so, since interest rates were quite high.
Maxima switched to FWD [can’t remember exact MY], and enthusiasts still loved it.
Not usually the case.
I think the Maxima became FWD with the 1985 model year. It didn’t look too much different from the last RWD model with its squared off, upright appearance.
In 1985, I was a cub reporter at a small daily newspaper in Eastern Pennsylvania.
Our phtographer, a confident young woman with a certain air of glamor, in my eyes, at least, drove a 1984 Datsun-Nissan Maxima, fast and with a certain elan. She seemed to take particular pleasure in leaving my Saab 96 behind – way behind – when we went out to an assignment together.
Looking at the pictures Paul posted here, that Maxima looks so, well, ordinary. I like the car now, don’t get me wrong. Just something missing. That would be the driver. I hope she has not lost that special flare, wherever she is now. I envision her in a G37 coupe, still driving fast.
I’d swear the female voice-reminder in these had a slight Japanese accent!
It was much more pleasant than the gruff, male voice Chrysler adopted later.
Happy Motoring, Mark
Very attractive exterior design, somewhat questionable interior choices, but overall these vehicles would have appealed to me had I been around and the age I am now in the early 1980s.
The exterior design is very similar to the 200SX of the era, which my mom owned new. In fact she had a ‘friend’ that was somewhat of a rival who purchased one of these Maximas shortly after my mom got her 200SX, in somewhat of a one-upmanship move.
There’s one of these I still see around here from time to time, driven by an older man.
A cursory glance could easily fool you into thinking this was a Cressida, at least from some angles. I like them both!
I could be faulty in memory, but I think the Datsun 810 was introduced in the US for 1977, while the Cressida didn’t arrive until the 1978 model year.
They were both 1977’s. That really isn’t the whole story, however, as Nissan had yet to market a 6-cylinder sedan in the US until this point. The Cressida’s direct predecessor, the Mark II, was exclusively 6-cylinder powered in the US since 1972.
I covered the Diesel version of these in my post:
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/automotive-histories/the-brown-rwd-manual-transmission-diesel-station-wagon-a-comprehensive-guide-to-that-mythical-beast-of-the-internet/
Here is the pertinent paragraph:
“Datsun/Nissan:
The early 1980s was a transitional period for this Japanese carmaker. What started as the Datsun 810 became known as the Nissan Maxima. Both could be had with the LD28 2.8 liter I-6 Diesel. A 5-speed manual transmission was offered, as was a station wagon body. However, American buyers could not combine all 3 elements into a single car. You could get a Diesel sedan with a stick-shift, but all wagons, both gas and Diesel, required an automatic transmission.”
Nice smooth engines those LD 28s not much power even with a turbo but very popular here for engines swaps for extra fuel economy, Paul featured an old Mercedes I shot that had a Nissan diesel fitted, a friend has one with five speed in his 48 Ford pickup and his 87 XF Falcon ute.
I always had a soft spot for these, but I recall them as being quite expensive for their size. The interiors would certainly appeal to the sensibilities of midwesterners of an age to be able to afford them, but then you could get a really LeSabre for significantly less money. From my quick lookup a V8/AC LeSabre Custom was about $2k under the price of a Maxima in 1982, not an insubstantial difference. Also the $9100 Buick was undoubtedly being discounted fairly heavily during the bad economy and high fuel prices.
Like others here, I feel these 810s look a bit too “generic” and also a bit blocky. The 1st 810s weren’t all that bad looking, though, and can even be said to have character. The 1st generation Cressida, however, looked like it was supposed to be a wider car, but Japanese laws “forced” it to be narrower. Then from the 2nd generation, Cressidas also became generic.
The 85-88 810 was (apparently?) styled to look RWD, but to me suffered from styling that was even blockier.
As I’ve said before, my “dream 810/Maxima” would be a late 70s 2 door with a manual transmission.
Viewing this site, the interiors of the Oregon cars all seem to end up looking so similar, you’d think they had the same owner. Oregonteriors.
the early 80s Maxima used a GM Saginaw power steering pump (ham can) when these Asian cars were sold stateside – Nissan did transition 2 the Borg Warner T5 when it was optioned on the 280ZX Turbo
We got the short-nose four cylinder version, and it was nothing special. They didn’t seem to last very long. A friend at college had one, and I remember it was a standout survivor back in ’87! But very nice and comfy inside.
Yeah a slightly more blingy Bluebird is all they were with all the same issues as the cheaper model.
I certainly remember these cars just as Paul described … the first generation 810 looking a little too much like the worst of mid-70’s Nissan styling (well, until the Juke at least), but the next generation effectively hiding its brougham interior behind a well-proportioned if not exciting exterior. In 1988 I briefly worked with a woman real estate agent (as a client) who drove a stick shift Cressida with a certain brio, perhaps the real estate equivalent of Laughingbasho’s colleague. The only Maxima owner I’ve ever known over the nearly 40 years these cars have been around definitely did not drive with brio.
These cars are the reason the American auto industry collapsed. Nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing American made could hold a candle to the superior vehicles coming from Japan. I still see a fair number of elderly Hondas, Nissans and Toyotas running strong 20 years plus. How many American made clunkers are still up and running after 20 years? Do I hear crickets?
No, you don’t hear crickets.
When I lived in the US, I saw old American iron all the time. In fact, I saw more 20 year old + American cars than I saw Japanese. The Big 3 may have made some unreliable vehicles but they also made a lot of solid, durable ones.
Plenty of old cars on the roads in NZ very few Datsuns from this era they just didnt last, there are more old Australian British and American cars around in regular use.
Even in the Bay Area–look again!
By the mid-70s, Japanese cars were selling in large numbers. Even in NY area, the number of 70s US cars vastly exceeds Japanese. You see Novas, Olds, Impalas, Fords. You’ll never see a Corolla or a B210
I know where you’re coming from, Richard, regarding crappy American iron. One of the most comfortable and thoughtfully designed cars I ever owned was a 1982 Maxima diesel wagon. My wife and kids took several cross country treks in the Maxima. We’d travel from California to Maine during the summer. I’d average around 45 MPG doing 85 to 90 MPH! Back in the days when 55 was mandated. After 11years and 310,000 miles of faithful service it was time for me and my dear Maxima to part. With persuasion from my wife who wanted a BIG SUV, I ended up purchasing a 1994 Chevy Tahoe which ended up being the worst car purchase I ever made. After owning my beloved Maxima (trouble free for 11 years) and then dealing with never ending problems with the Tahoe, I swore that this was the END of any future American car purchases. If Nissan brought back the Maxima wagon I’d be first in line, cash in hand, flagging down a salesman to get mine.
These things were often known as Blueturds in Oz. I remember they had a decal on the rear window when new – “The First Four Cylinder Limousine”. I still cringe at the thought.
Paul, does the sun ever shine in Eugene? The pics you often post are depressingly drab, surely it can’t be that bad?
KJ in Oz