(first posted 10/28/2017) I know that “Long March” reference is more pre-war Maoist Chinese than post-war Shōwa Japanese, but it still applies. The late ‘50s is when Nissan started to export their cars and trucks to the world at large; under a decade later, Datsuns could be found across the globe in ever-increasing numbers. And it all began with this first-generation Datsun 1000.
The story begins in January 1955 with the launch of the Datsun 110. Its relatively modern looks belied pretty basic underpinnings, ushering a formula that was to be the mainstay of several Japanese automakers for several decades. The 110 used the previous Datsun’s 860cc side-valve 4-cyl., which produced a measly 25 hp. That was mated to a four-on-the-floor crash box, driving a brand new rear live axle / independent front suspension set up with longitudinal leaf springs all around. Excited yet? No? Well, it was 1955 after all.
At least the 110 came in several flavours. There was a W110 wagon and a rare K110 convertible variant to be had, as well as the 120 pick-up truck – our CC’s direct ancestor. The Datsun 110 soon evolved though, as its maker introduced various nips and tucks here and there, year after year. The model’s numeric name crept up, becoming the 112 and 113 for saloons and 122 / 123 for the pick-ups.
The big change came with the Datsun 210, introduced in October 1957. Externally, there wasn’t much of a difference with the still-produced 110 (now called 114), bar a bit of additional chrome trim, bizarre wing-mounted turn signal pods and the revised grille. But behind said grille sat a new OHV mill, which would have a long career. Nissan’s new “C-series” 988cc engine was a pretty much a clone of Austin’s B-series – no big surprise, as Nissan were building Austin A40s and A50s under license at the time. It produced a whopping 37 hp, used 12V electrics and was mated to a partially-synchronized four-speed whose shifter had climbed “on the tree”.
The Nissan 210’s commercial name – for the first time – was Datsun 1000, also used for the derived 220 pick-up. But now Nissan felt ready to ship Datsuns to various new markets. Australia got its first contingent in 1957, as did several other countries in the Asia-Pacific region, such as Thailand or Indonesia. Nissan sent a couple to the United States to see if they could cash in on the import craze that was taking hold of the market there. One thing was made clear by American authorities: the bullet-shaped turn signals were not going to fly.
So the Datsun 1000 was revamped by early 1958 with new turn signals front and rear and, lo and behold, 83 units (or 52, depending on the source) were sold in the Pacific coast of the US for the 1958 model year, at around US$1600 a pop. Not exactly Beetle or Dauphine territory, but this was the first step. Nissan just kept on marching – and proving the quality of their cars. In September 1958, a Datsun 1000 won the marque’s first-ever trophy, coming in 1st and 4th at the Australia Mobilgas Trial, a grueling run around the country that half the entrants were unable to complete. It was also around this time that Nissan started prototype testing a new open-top sports car based on the 210 – eventually launching it as the S211 Fairlady in late 1958.
Further small modifications justified a change in nomenclature, so in October 1958 the Datsun 1000 became the 211 series. Our pick-up version is an early-model 221, bearing the simpler grille design of the first months of 1959. This cute little ute stayed in Japan, but an increasing amount of its kin went abroad. The JDM version is identical to the export one, but Japanese customers could still order the 115 saloon or the 125 pick-up, which came with the old anemic 860cc side-valve but saved its buyer a fistful of yen.
One could also opt for the new 1.2 litre version of the OHV engine and get 11 extra horses and a swanky “Datsun 1200” badge. In the 221 truck family, a double cab pick-up and a delivery van also available. The same engine choices could be ordered on the saloon, of course. Optional extras included a heater, a dash clock and a radio. By the looks of it, none were fitted to our CC.
This generation of Datsuns went out of production in 1961. By then, the Bluebird had been launched and Nissan were in full growth mode. It would take a while for the US and European markets to succumb to the later iterations of the 210 (a.k.a the Sunny) and the 310 Bluebird, but it all started with this innocuous-looking 1000.
The Japanese have special reverence for their ancestors. If this extends to corporations and their groundbreaking products, I imagine Nissan keep a stick of incense lit in a shrine for this first generation Datsun 110/210. This is where the Nissan story really took off 60 years ago. A long march indeed.
I’m going to guess that since I can’t squeeze into a later 520 truck, this truck would be akin to trying to shove my size 15 foot into a size 12 boot.
It’s kind of sad, but Nissan was able to take “the bones” of 1 of Britain’s best sellers and “run with it”, while the British seemed to stumble and fumble with the idea that a good design could always be improved / made more attractive.
1975: Britain builds a mass market sedan with lever shock absorbers and an engine with overhead valvetrain (Morris Marina). Japan? Builds a mass market sedan with independent rear suspension and overhead cam engine…with optional twin overhead cams (Nissan/Datsun 510).
Years ago in one of the British Classic car mags, I read an article about the technology transfer between Austin and Nissan. One of the British engineers sent over with the equipment came back and told his superiors at Austin how quickly the Japanese had taken to this ‘new’ technology. It’s not as if he predicted how completely the Japanese motor industry would rise, but at the same time no-one at Austin gave this guy’s opinion much (any) serious thought either. Hubris or racism – this is one of the most salient lessons of the 20th century and still applicable to the rise of China today.
I don’t think anyone has underestimated the Chinese.
Until relatively recently, the Chinese have been completely underestimated. These days, not so much.
The other day I read a piece discussing where the big digital companies are on payments systems. Not one mention of Weibo or WeChat, which are both light years ahead of the ‘Western’ businesses in both acceptance and penetration into the general populace of digital payments systems. So there are still pockets out there with blinders on.
Hubris, racism or shortsightedness in transferring one’s technology to a potential competitor.
True, but it is all in a continuum. Some of the technology transfer of late has not necessarily been of a voluntary nature. Whether you can capitalise on expanding the scope of your technology, or someone purloins it without due regard, life just keeps on going. That’s part of the lesson.
Also, it was quite a long time before Nissan became a significant presence in the U.K., much less a threat to the might [sic] of BMC.
Yes, it’s a complex and highly nuanced set of narratives, which you and Paul have really brought to the fore, and to which myself and T87 (and of course others) bring our own perspectives. The Nissan/Austin story can be paralleled with the Toyota/??? story via South Korea into China – with condensed and accelerated timeframes.
The idea that information is proprietary is obsolete in this new age. Whoever has the information can capitalise on it, regardless of how they got it.
1966 Ford UK build a 5/6 seater sedan with V6 engine four wheel independant suspensions and fourwheel disc brakes, the US?
Looks like this cute little pup has provisions in the front bumper and grille for hand crank starting.
Two brothers who were friends of mine bought a well used robin’s egg blue ’71 Datsun pickup with the OHC 1600 CC engine. What a crude but fun little beast!
That was pretty normal in the 1950’s, even if very rarely used.
Quite the find.
Datsun was the mini-pickup pioneer in the US. The early sedan did not sell well, but the pickups did, and Datsun in the US made its early reputation with them.
There’s a guy here who drives this ’64 pickup as a daily driver. I just never got around to writing it up.
Very nice Paul ! .
When first I bought my house in 1988 two of these tiny Datsun pickups with the same chrome grille were abandoned within a block within a year ~ because I didn’t yet know the neighborhood situation yet I left them and they were towed away and impounded .
Neither one had any dents and both had original paint, one’s cylinder head was in the passenger footwell and I surely wanted to drag them home and try to make one of the two .
? What years were this grille with a round fender badge reading “50HP” ? .
-Nate
Very nice in that shade of red. I’m not sure many 1200s were sold in Japan – smaller is better here. Most would have gone to the States and Oz.
One of the better Japanese designs of the era, IMHO. I don’t care for the 4-door’s rear, which looks like they ran out of inspiration. So the pick-up really is the best version of this car.
I am 51, and have lived in NW Oregon all my life. My next door neighbor, who served in the Marines, was a very early adopter of both Datsun cars and trucks, and Honda motorcycles. One of my earliest memories,when I was about 4 or 5, was riding in the back seat of his wife’s ’72 510 wagon. Car was so new they hadn’t yet removed the clear plastic from the back seat and door panels that they were shipped with. A year and a half ago, after he passed, his widow said we could look through his things and take what we want, as she was selling the house. I found the sales invoice for this car. I will post it soon.
Here it is. A demo model, a whopping $3189.15. Traded in a ’70 Datsun wagon for it. My kingdom for either of these rigs…
DanEKay: The Nissan plant in Smyrna TN has a restored pre-export pickup that was a personal import by an ex-GI. He had brought it home to use on his Tennessee farm, and after he died it came to the attention of the guys at Nissan, who acquired it as a restoration project. A crew of workers gave it a splendid restoration, and when I toured the plant in the early 90s it was proudly displayed in the lobby. The plant manager, who was showing me around, invited me to try sitting in it. I was 6′ and about 190 back then, and although I could squeeze in there was no way I could have driven it! The manager, a guy almost a foot taller than I was, was a little envious that I got as far as I did. Apparently the farmer had been quite a short and slender fellow …
I’m a bit taller and heavier than you are so I don’t think I could fit. I also wear a size 15 shoe now, so I imagine it would be impossible to ever press just the gas or the brake pedal when driving.
BTW, the only car I ever wanted to try and drive, but which I couldn’t get under or behind the steering wheel was a friend’s Fiat X1/9. He was amazed that I easily fit in my Fiesta considering it was about the same size on the outside as the Fiat…and 4 people fit in that car.
Once again… nice one T87. I’m no expert on electrics, but I once spoke to a guy who had a beautiful Porsche 356A on the road. He said the only thing he’d done to upgrade the car was change the electrics from 6V to 12V. I wonder if this little aspect of the 210 spoke of things to come.
The more capable OHV engine was probably a bigger factor that the electrics, I reckon.
Plenty of European cars still had 6V electrics in 1959 – and a few US ones too, I bet. From what I understand, the really big difference is at night: 6V headlights are very weak. And 6V wipers are pretty slow, too.
Having brakes that work and radial tyres is probably just as useful (if not more) for driving ’50s cars.
U.S. cars had mostly if not entirely gone to 12V by this time — 6V systems were badly challenged by the growing American penchant for electrical extras, not to mention the need to crank high-compression V-8s. On the other hand, some U.S. cars still didn’t have electric wipers!
Did a bit of checking and you’re right – all American makers had switched to 12 volts by ’56 except Jeep.
But plenty of imports still had 6V electrics in 1960: VW, Volvo, Renault… Citroën only changed that on the 2CV in 1970!
The Datsun 1000 in the 1958 Mobilgas Round Australia won in it’s class, not outright, (though as stated, it was so gruelling that to finish at all was remarkable). I point this out because the very obscure French Peugeot (“Poo-what, y’say?”) won in ’53 and ’56, and it absolutely made their name here. The company was still referring to the victories in ads 40+ years on. Datsun’s later great success would’ve started earlier for sure had they won over all.
Off-topic, but with those rallies in mind, I’m going to throw in here a plug for Australia’s best writer, Peter Carey, whose latest book this week A Long Way From Home is a fictionalised version of the (I think) ’55 rally. Haven’t bought it yet but can guarantee you a funny, clever, effervescent-with-ideas, perfectly written book. Carey, long time New York resident, has won the Booker Prize twice, but his dad was a car dealer from near Melbourne, so the car references will be spot-on. (No, I don’t wok for or have any personal connection to him, just love his work).
Yes that didn’t ring true when I read it also. They won the under 1000cc class, and were 25th overall with two other cars in class being Morris Minor 1000’s.
However crew performance was much more important than car performance. The first two cars were VW’s, that also took 4 of the top 5 places plus another two in the top 10, and while I don’t recognise all the drivers’ names there are quite a few experts amongst them.
It isn’t racism to state that the Japanese crews would have been challenged here, because they simply wouldn’t have had the experience of the others in conditions far different from their native land. Also being Nissan’s first competition event I’m sure there would have been learning outside the car in areas of preparation and organisation.
Note that there were 3 Toyopet cars entered, but none finished.
Thanks for the book recommendation too; I’ve read Evan Green’s Dust and Glory so that sounds very interesting.
Here is the class-winning car displayed in more recent years, showing some heavy ‘wear’ from the event.
And another shot from a video of the event – I dare say this would rate as one of the good roads!
I’d give my left arm for one of these trucks. 😫
I wonder if the 52 Datsuns sent to test the waters in the USA in the late 50’s had their steering wheel moved over to the left.
The relatively huge wheels on these small cars give them unusual attitude.
A friend had a later version of the pickup in 1969, a tough little truck that took us on a 36-hour non-stop drive from Halifax NS to Cocoa Beach FL one Christmas vacation in search of surfable waves on snow-free beaches.
The half-dozen 8-track tapes in the glove box (and the growl of the engine) are burned into my memory. My friend had great taste in music – the soundtrack of that trip has had a lifetime influence.
I’m surprised to see the Datsun name on the back. But should I be?
I have no recollection of these pickups in Australia, nor those trial-winning 210 cars. Oh I know about the trial, I just didn’t see that model on the street.
Somehow I had the impression the cars were always Nissan in Japan, and that Datsun was an export name. I know the first Cedrics sold here were badged Nissan, then sometime around the later sixties they became Datsuns, (Datsun Super Six/Personal Six replaced the Cedric name). I know the 1000 was always a Datsun here, but can’t remember what name was used on the 310, even though some relatives had one. The 410 was a Datsun. I think.
Confusing now. I guess there was some rationale to it.
Ive no idea if those came to NZ possibly not though Prince had a presence around that time Bluebirds are the first Datsuns I remember and they were not common, 1200 sedans sold well later on and a local SSS model was developed for Datsun by a local race car tuner
I have two of the pickups a 1959 and 1960 on my garage niw
I hope you sort them out and make road worthy .
I’m still bummed that forty years ago when I bought my house folks often abandoned vehicles on my block, two nice early Datsun pickups with good paint and no dents, complete we dumped in about a three year period, I was worried they’d been stolen but looking back I doubt it .
-Nate
My 1960 Datsun truck
This my truck
Just lovely .
-Nate