How many Datsun 710 wagons still roll on the streets of your town? I shot the first of three almost three years ago but never wrote it up. I met the second one, and its owner, about two years ago–and still no CC. But these are determined little cars, despite my ambivalence about them: Paul; don’t ignore us any longer! And just to drive home their point, they made sure I met the third one the other day. OK, I get the hint. You guys deserve a CC; just stop stalking me. I don’t need to meet Datsun 710 wagon number four.
Here’s number one, which I momentarily thought might be our featured car. Nope; different in several respects.
Number two is red and a bit ratttier, although still not bad for being a year or so shy of 40. This rather unlikely pairing is actually the cars of a father and his daughter. He’s a CPA, and she does his books, or something like that. I guess you can tell whose car is whose.
And how can we account for this proliferation of 710 wagons? Can’t really say, except that they’re obviously reasonably rugged and have become unreasonably hip. In most towns, your 710 would likely be the only one of its kind, and thus ultra-hip. But not in Eugene; you’d have to wave to all the other 710s you meet on the streets.
How about a little context? The 710 replaced Datsun’s delightful and brilliant original 510, which was a tough act to follow. The 510 was one of those boons that no one expected or should have taken for granted. It was essentially a cheaper BMW 2002, with its fully independent rear suspension (IRS) and gutsy 1.6-liter SOHC four. I other words, not your Ubiquitous Japanese Car. That would be the 710.
Not only did the 710 have a totally new (and rather questionable) look, it also lost the IRS for a simple, leaf-sprung solid rear axle. What’s more, smog regs took the bite out of the engine. Boo, hiss! Datsun’s rationale was that the slightly bigger and more expensive 610 (CC here) still kept the IRS but that was little consolation to the 510 die-hards. Most of them have never gotten over the fact that the 710 destroyed the 510 legacy.
Thanks to the energy crisis, sales were quite brisk for the first couple of years. Nevertheless, Datsun knew they’d blown it big-time with the 710, and replaced it with the (neo) 510, essentially a 710 under the skin: Highly conventional (and dull) in every way. This was Datsun’s new strategy, one that eventually would almost kill it.
Yes, the 710 was a spoil-sport in the most literal sense. It was bland and boring, but easy enough to keep running, thanks to Datsun’s tough, L-series SOHC four, which was offered in a 1.8-liter version in the U.S. I think I once might have heard someone say that Japanese cars from the ’70s had a wee bit of a tendency to rust in some parts of the world, but I wouldn’t know anything about that. Nor do these 710s.
Their overwrought Seventies-Japanese styling has become amusing after the passing of a few decades. Nobody did grilles and headlights like Datsun, thanks to their management handing out a big stack of Chrysler Corp. brochures from 1970 or so to their designers. Fuji-lage, as I call it.
The same applies to the interiors, if not even more so. I really like that dash. An even more complex but very similar one can be found in the same-vintage 200SX/Silvia (CC here). No wonder these are in the hands of true believers.
The other blue wagon also is an automatic, and I’m pretty sure the red one is too. These must be rugged transmissions, since it’s not like anyone’s going to fix one if it crapped out. Aisin Warner, perhaps? Or just plain Warner 35? (Update: JATCO, undoubtedly, since that was Nissan’s automatic transmission subsidiary.)
Since it’s so wonderful, here’s a shot of the other blue wagon’s interior. Not bad, eh? Almost as nice as the BMW 318i from yesterday? Too bad none of the Brougham versions are still around.
Or a coupe. This nice specimen is a non-U.S. bumper version, which I found at nicoclub.com. Since it’s not right-hand drive, I’m assuming it’s from…somewhere else.
The sedan’s upswept rear beltline was reviled by many a passenger, but predicted the dark caves that many modern cars are today. In fact, Japanese taxi drivers complained so much (on behalf of their passengers), that ostensibly a revised version with bigger rear windows was made, at least for Japan.
Not only did this 710 obviously lie in wait for me, but it did so in front of one of my favorite small buildings, Larry&Lorne’s Barber Shop, a Googie miniature and a Eugene institution. It was making really sure that I absolutely wouldn’t sit on its pics as I did with those of the other two.
I was (somewhat grudgingly) willing to turn the camera the other direction. At least L&L’s very tall barber pole is in the shot.
Here’s another favorite building, the Streamline Moderne Kennell Ellis Building. This isn’t exactly its best side, but it will do. Ok, Datsun 710, I’m staying up late to make sure you have your day on the front page of CC tomorrow. You’ve earned it.
That’s the saddest “armrest” I have ever seen.
Fuji-lage. I love it.
Yes, I am here to confirm that pesky rumor that these all rusted back to their natural ore state by about 1985 or so in the midwestern U.S. Too bad. I never paid attention to these when they were plentiful. But now, I find them kind of attractive, particularly the wagons. But then I have a wagon thing.
No wonder I’ve never seen one, they turned to rust the year I was born.
Sorry, their styling hasn’t aged well IMO.
From the wagon rear side window looking like a tack-on past the C pillar to that downsweep…
At least the pickups and 240/260Zs were cool. the B-210 wasn’t bad either.
I just look at the 710 and go…are these the same people who designed the classic late-60’s 510?!
It didn’t look that good to begin with, so…
I thought the B-210s were the awfullest…
Called a 180B here and the MK3 Cortina out sold them easily Datsuns suffered from chronic rust and fragile headgaskets and being rather overweight after the light but flimsy 510/1600 model.
No that was the 610. They are very similar, I had to check on the 710 name because I thought the same thing. According to the specs the 610 is an inch or three bigger depending on dimension and a whopping 60lb/30kg heavier than a 710.
Similar to Toyota in particular and also Mitsubishi, Nissan had a lot of different models to the point where you wonder why they bothered, and they chopped and changed their offering and positioning in foreign markets, at least in part because of the steady growth in the cars with each new generation. For example in Australia we had 510 (1600) -> 610 (180B) -> 810 (200B aka 180B with 20 more mistakes) but at the same time the A10 Violet/Stanza was introduced to fill the hole left by the Bluebird’s growth.
And the Violet/Stanza was the 710… My, what tangled webs Datsun wove!
I love these! They’re a bit too short, maybe, but other than that I think the design is very pleasing. Then again, I love the ’70s. I like the boxy 510 as well, but this is just a different design language and I see the fun and beauty in both. I don’t think we see too many of these in Los Angeles, but maybe I’m just not noticing. For some reason, little Toyotas and Datsuns of this era looked alike to me, and still do. Now Honda, that’s another story altogether!
They honestly don’t look that ugly to my gen-Y eyes. Compared to the Corona, there’s at least some attempt at dynamism by the 710. Considered in light of the original 510, it’s naturally a disappointment, but compared to other compact RWD econocars, I’m not so sure, but then I don’t have any experience with these ’70s Datsuns, so I wouldn’t know.
Fuji-lage joke was hilarious. I didn’t realize that Datsun used Aisin-Warner automatics. I thought they, along with Mazda, founded JATCO, which has generally supplied autoboxes as good as Aisin-Warner’s, but I guess it wasn’t established until 1970.
I think you’re right. I was having an “almost senior moment”, which is why I posed it as a question. Thanks.
JATCO was a JV between Nissan, Toyo Kogyo, and Ford, completed toward the end of 1969.
The 710 was called “Nissan Violet” at home.
The Violet was the 140J model similar but not the same NZ got both models in our crowded car market of the time. There was even an attempt at a NZ only SSS version with locally hotted engine twin sidedrafts headers etc since the 1200 SSS had been such a success followed by the 210/120Y SSS.
Actually, the 710/Violet/140J/160J are the same bar minor differences for different markets (like the steering wheel swapping sides!). Wikipedia has a few good paragraphs outlining the Violet in NZ, it says we got sedans and coupes, some were badged ‘140J’/’160J’ and some ‘Violet’. Still a few around too – there’s one or two on TM most weeks, and they usually go for $4-5K+. There’s a coupe on at the moment but it’s a project car. We never got wagons though.
“Japanese taxi drivers complained so much (on behalf of their passengers), that ostensibly a revised version with bigger rear windows was made, at least for Japan.”
Yes. There was a “notchback” version (vs. the original “fastback”)
http://www.road339.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Nissan-Violet-710-1973-1-400×312.jpg
Don’t remember seeing so many 180s about but there were swarms of Datsun 120 coupes and the tiny 100s here in UK. They were known to be rustbuckets when new but it didn’t seem to put people off- they were reliable and even base models had radios and rear screen heaters- things that were extras in Fords.
Ive never liked Datsuns, the styling is so obviously derivative of US and certain British cars for example the front end of the Triumph Dolomite. But there’s something kinda freaky about them, like plastic flowers or wax fruit! Still they were reliable and cheap even when slammed by import duties, I guess their appearance really marked the beginning of the end for cheap, mass produced British cars.
You’ve posted a picture of the red wagon before Paul, but maybe it was at TTAC? I remember distinctly because it was one of those “How cool, I didn’t know they did a wagon” moments, and inspired me to immediately research them and buy a couple of the brochures from ebay. I really like the change in belt line height, it looks quite distinct and different, without being ugly. Or do I like it because we only got the 140J/160J/Violet badged coupe/sedan shapes here in NZ? The wagon would look quite decent with the nice slim chrome bumpers our Violets came with.
Good catch! Yes, I did, as an Outtake. I often wonder if folks remember obscure little posts from years past; I guess some do 🙂
Well, I’ve been on board since your TTAC days, and have read everything ever posted here at CC, and thanks to my carefully-cultivated Car-Obsessive-Compulsive-Disorder, I remember quite a lot lol. Oh!, woo-hoo, I just won a trademe auction for the 1975 710 brochure; more to absorb as soon as it arrives!
I had a “hand-me-down” 710 4 door sedan, medium blue ,with white vinyl seats (and brown carpeting, what a combo) all the way through college.. when my ’72 Fiat 128 transmission blew a gearbox and was too rusty to fix, I inherited my father’s car (which replaced a ’68 Renault R10) during the gas crisis of 1974. Yes, it was boring and (with an automatic) had so little power it seemed not to be able to get out of its own way (I remember once when the alternator died being suprised with all the extra power available not having to drive that load) but it got me through 4 years of undergraduate studies in Vermont, despite being parked outside, it only failed to get me where I wanted to go for 1 week, during the blizzard of ’78 when my father had to drive us to class (I was a commuter student). I remember the feeling of getting in the car the seats seemed to feel like lead, it was so cold (I think it got to 35 below zero) so I couldn’t be too upset with it.
It was pretty reliable but did get a bit rusty…though my father had taken it to Rusty Jones shortly after we had moved back to Vermont…mostly rusty were the cow-catcher bumpers. When I got my first full-time job in Massachusetts I hit some black ice on I-89 just before the exit to Sharon, Vt (right after White River Junction)…someone in a Wagoneer picked me up, and they were also all over the road…I got some help to unwrap the bumper from the stranded wire guardrail, though the front end was bashed in on one side and the headlight was gone, I nursed it up to my parent’s house in Shelburne (normally about a 2 hour trip, it probably took me about 4 I was going so slow)…after that I did get it fixed up but despite having driven it 4 years in Vermont, looked for a more suitable car (I ended up getting my favorite car, a ’78 VW Scirocco, hardly a “practical” car, but at least it had front-wheel drive and standard transmission, which I thought would work better for drives up to Vermont).
These weren’t popular cars, even when new, most people seemed to go for the low-end B-210 or the high end 610…though most people didn’t like them, I liked the succeeding (’77-81) 510 model, which seems equally scarce (I got to drive one working for Hertz as a rental-return driver back in the day..I think it paid less than minimum wage (we got paid by the trip, not by the hour, but I got to drive some neat cars and see all around New England). I think after that they went to front-wheel drive and became the Stanza, (right around the time Datsun reverted back to Nissan name)
@John H, it was pretty much just a result of the explosive growth of the industry in Japan, as well as like you said the physical growth of the cars themselves.
Nissan and Toyota basically made cars tit-for-tat in the Japanese market, and the Violet/Auster line was intended to compete with Toyota’s Carina, which was their budget line to accompany the rapidly growing Corona. Whenever one maker invented a niche the other had to fill it. It made more sense in Japan where these companies also had three or four different dealership chains at a time, so you wouldn’t actually see a Corolla and a Sprinter in the same showroom anyway. Kind of like GM’s brand engineering but more transparent, for better or for worse.
You see echoes of this sort of thing in the BMW-Mercedes-Audi rivalry today.
A friend of mine also has one of these (the 4th one?) a wagon, in a factory slime green color, with a 4 speed. It was his mothers car. We call it The Slimemobile.
The Old Coot forgets what year it was but I was the 2nd owner of a 710 I sold in 1978 to help pay for a semi-truck with a sleeper… much more living room than that but.. but… butt ugly Datsun that was rather peppy with its 5-speed (if memory is correct) and with comfy seats but it was even uglier than I was.
Do you guys see any cars from Nissan’s second Awesome Era? The one which produced the sleek, refined ’89 Maxima, superlative Q45a and 300ZX twin turbo?
Almost all of your Nissan curbside classics reflect their dullest years and since ’90s cars are often featured, it would seem appropriate. And since Nissan entered its Rubbermaid phase about 10 years ago, these cars really could be considered classic.
Good question; or point. I think we tend to focus a bit too much on the really older cars, getting a kick out of finding one still on the street. But I’ve been encouraging our younger Contributors to do more cars from the eighties and nineties, and I’ve made a point to try to shoot more myself.
I don’t feel as well qualified to write about them as I do the older cars. Undoubtedly, that’s partly an age thing, as we tend to most intensely absorb the cars of our youth and early adult years.
I would love to find Contributors who can expand our coverage, including the cars you listed. Interested? Seriously, we need folks to share their interests and knowledge. Pictures are easy enough to come by, if needed.
Shall I consider this an invitation? What do I need to do in order to have a photo featured on this site? I’d be delighted to contribute.
I would love to have one. A great replacement for my beloved and greatly missed 76 Pinto Wagon. And I am being serious. I NEED A SMALL WAGON FROM THE 70’s. I know those cars like the back of my hand.
Oh, I would love to find a 1974-75 model 710.. Best little car I ever had.. Anyone know if one’s available
Thanks
I’ll revive this ol’ thread and answer the last question. I have a rust free 1976 710, auto, factory air, 4 door with faded original maroon paint and white interior and all the original paperwork. I might be talked into parting with it.
Thank you for those who keep these old cars on the road. They hold such precious memories for me.
I find the Datsun 710 wagon way more attractive than the 710 sedan or coupe.