As mentioned in my previous post, I had my first Japanese car show experience back in April, and the overwhelming majority of the cars I saw there (admittedly in Central Tokyo, which is kind of a weird bubble) were foreign-made. But there were a couple of domestic ones there too, including a bona fide rarity: a prewar Datsun.
Toyota may be the top dog of the Japanese carmakers, but Nissan’s roots go back much further. The first 100% domestic car, made by the Kaishinsha Automobile Co., was the 1914 DAT. The DAT, an acronym formed from the three main backers of the company, Messrs Den, Aoyama and Takeuchi, was a short-lived experiment, the company pivoting to trucks fairly soon after. But in 1930, the “son of DAT” was created – initially badged as Datson, then Datsun – to be produced in Osaka. Part of the company was spun off, eventually evolving into Isuzu, and Datsun came under the aegis of the Nippon Sangyo Co., which changed its name to Nissan in 1934.
1936 Datsun brochure excerpt
Though the little Datsun was a wholly home-grown effort, it’s not to say that the company hadn’t taken a bit of inspiration from abroad. The Austin Seven vibe was very strong in this car – so much so that Herbert Austin even had one imported back to Blighty circa 1935 to ascertain whether there was cause for legal action (which there wasn’t).
The first cars, sold in 1931 as the Type 10, featured a 495cc side-valve 4-cyl.; only 10 units were built. This became the slightly modified Type 11 in 1932 – with 150 units made, this is the first “real” production Datsun. For the Type 12, the engine grew to 747cc in late 1933; 1934 saw the first Datsuns to be exported (Type 13, 1934-35). Type 14 ushered in a new 722cc engine and a slightly larger body, which our Type 15 (1936-37) ameliorated with a bit of trim on the grille and factory-installed bumpers. Production was now in a new factory in Yokohama.
Our feature car is the two-seater roadster (there should be a rumble seat behind, too), but Datsun offered a wide variety of bodies on their diminutive cars. Your Type 15 could be ordered as a four-seater phaeton, a sedan, a coupe and or a van.
The yellow dials, which I can only assume are period-correct, are a welcome dash of quirkiness in this pretty basic interior. Excitement wasn’t really the car’s brief: the little side-valve four could only muster 16hp, which meant a top speed of about 80kph (50mph), but then given the roads of the times, that was probably amply sufficient.
The early Datsun civilian car range carried on until the Type 17, whose production was quietly curtailed sometime in late 1938 due to the government’s increased demand for military vehicles and trucks. It would take ten years for Datsun to resume car production – for good, this time.
In the land of the rising Datsun, the dawn of the car was a rather modest (but quite cute) affair. It took place quite a bit later than many places, too, which is good in one respect: by the ‘30s, the car had almost completely diluted its horseless carriage atavisms, so this sweet little roadster actually looks like a classic car, as opposed to a steampunk nightmare. Automotive archeology class dismissed!
These prewar Japanese cars are fascinating. I saw a 1936 Datsun Phaeton a few years ago at a car show – the first (and only) 1930s Datsun I’ve ever seen. Without looking at the badge, I’d never have guessed what it was.
In my opinion, the Austin-inspired styling is great, and its one of those designs that looks bigger than it is.
I try to avoid getting people in my car shots, but this one adds some value because we can gauge the car’s diminutive size by seeing the two men standing next to it.
-SO- cute ! .
It doesn’t even have suicide doors .
-Nate
Even Isuzu goes back a lot farther than Toyota
Never knew Datsun was around in 1936!
Holy wah, what a find! I dig the yellow gauge faces, and I almost never get to see Japanese pre-sealed-beam replaceable-bulb headlamps like these.
Reminds me of a Bantam
Very interesting! What caught my eye was the pedals: round, rectangular, round.
The rectangular one is the accelerator is it not? By the way I’d give a dollar to know how this car has managed to survive 87 (is it?) years. Can’t have been even remotely easy.
I certainly get Austin vibes but also you could argue such vibes are not necessarily exclusively Austin or evidence of copying rather than inspiration and adoption of current practices.
Austin imported an example, and it is now at the National Motor Museum. Whether Austin imported it to support potential legal claims or out of interest, is not clear; various accounts exist. But, where and how easily does Austin sue Datsun with any hope of a clear settlement and retribution? https://nationalmotormuseum.org.uk/vehicle-collection/datsun-type-14-saloon/
Let sleeping dogs lie and sign several licencing agreements after WWII? Sounds a credible option, with hindsight. http://www.austinmemories.com/styled-11/index.html
There is one scene in “The Letter” where the actor gets into his “seemingly, toon car” and motors away.
It rather looks like the car in the “lead in, pic” for this article!
It really looks like Mickey Mouse’s car!