It’s been a while since a Datsun 160J/Violet -AKA 710 in the US- visited CC’s pages, the unloved replacement for the ‘late and lamented 510.’ As it was becoming a Nissan tradition, the 710/Violet arrived in the States feeling rather pedestrian; decontended to the point of being nothing but an appliance. Elsewhere, as is often the case, the 710/Violet had a slightly different role, and in SSS form it was the closest one could get to a 510 replacement. If one could get over its looks, that is.
A bit of a recap on the 710/Violet origins; first Nissan had lost its top spot as Japan’s #1, when Toyota launched the Corona T40 in ’64. With that, Nissan’s frantic search for its soul started in earnest, in a quest to regain the public’s favor, swinging wildly in styles just as a failed pop star would (You didn’t like my country song? How about a techno remix?). After offering a number of Italian-inspired and elegant products in the late ’60s, by the early ’70s Nissan thought best to go outré in order to surprise the buying public. On the surprise front, mission accomplished. Sales-wise, it’s a different story, and varies from region to region.
Nissan’s outré ’70s oeuvre was once referred to as Fuji-lage by our editor, a notion I doubt anyone will dispute, as Nissan’s lineup was clearly inspired by a pile of late ’60s Mopar brochures. Add to that Kabuki-mask detailing and the penchant of Japanese designers for ethereal influences, and all elements were there for an explosive cocktail: in the case of the 240Z, Nissan’s stylists talked about ‘the swiftness of a Samurai blade,’ on the 1970 Cherry, human eyelids -of all things- were referenced. On the 710/Violet? Flower petals and filaments, maybe? Whatever it was, it certainly wasn’t cars.
Back to Nissan’s planning. Following US carmaker tendencies, the 510 had been sent upmarket and turned into the Bluebird 610 U. A slightly larger, plusher and softer car for the ‘upscale’ ’70s, which sold as the Datsun 1600 in much of the world (Can anyone keep track of Nissan’s alphanumeric soup?). As the Bluebird had gone up market, and with the Sunny remaining as Nissan’s entry vehicle, a small window of a few-Yens-difference appeared for a 1,400 – 1,600cc model. Thus the Violet came to be in 1973, AKA 710 and 140/160J. A model that was somewhat head-scratching in the US, but made enough sense in its native nation, as it was placed against Toyota’s similarly positioned Carina.
The US version of the 710/Violet has already been covered at CC, with an onslaught of wagons that apparently were Oregonians’ favorite form of transport for a while. Also at CC, R & T’s 710/Violet test has appeared (here). R & T basically confirmed that during its Fuji-lage period, Nissan took after Detroit’s worst impulses; with a revised US fascia, the 710/Violet arrived stateside cheapened and decontended, losing many attributes that had made the 510 a darling in the import segment.
In perfect ’70s fashion, packaging had been compromised, and interior ambiance -in R & T’s words- had a feeling of being ‘built to a price.’ Drivetrain was simplified by using a live axle instead of the 510’s IRS, with a three speed automatic and a US-only 1,800 engine. With the 710 being just economical and straightforward, Nissan probably hoped US buyers would rather flock to the 610s in their showrooms. R & T however, told prospective buyers to visit Toyota dealers instead.
Outside the US, there was an effort to place the 710/Violet as a slightly upscale model, and played the role so. Body variants included a 2 hardtop, a 4 door sedan, and a wagon. Interiors were slightly plusher, with full instrumentation as an option. Period advertising often placed the 710/Violet against typical Nissan-bucolic settings.
In its native Japan, 15 versions of the 710/Violet were available altogether in different states of tune, with the top performing ones being the SSS and the SSS-E.
On the SSS, the 1,600cc mill delivered 104HP at 6,000RPM, with the aid of two SU carbs and either a 4 or 5 speed manual. Meanwhile, the SSS-E offered 115HP with the aid of Bosch injection, and offered only the 5 speed.
Thus set up, the model acquitted itself well in the rally scene. The 2L works engine was massaged to 230HP and drifted its way to victory at the 1976 Acropolis Rally under the driving of H. Karlstrom. An additional 2nd place was achieved at the 1977 East Africa Safari Rally, and a turbocharged Violet won the 1974 Selangor GP in Malaysia.
Nissan’s Fuji-lage period started with the arrival of the 1970 Cherry, and found its way across Nissan’s lineup to ever diminishing sales in its native Japan. Nissan’s ‘let’s stun them’ approach wasn’t working and this Violet’s female model seems to be longing for a Carina. Maybe even a Galant. Nissan quickly overcorrected, cutting most of the Fuji-lage’s lives short and dressing their replacements under rather conservative guises that vaguely aped the ‘late and lamented’ 510 lines. By the early ’80s, Nissan swung wildly again, and embedded its offerings with a cold rational design approach that almost buried the company by the ’90s.
In Latin America the 710/Violet story plays a bit different, though. Car ownership grew exponentially in the region all throughout the ’70s, and cars were such a novelty that in spite of looks, Nissan ran second in sales against perennial #1 Toyota.
With that, the 710/Violet sold decently -though not extraordinarily- as the Datsun 140J or 160J (depending on engine size). The 4 door 710/Violet sedan is the most easily found nowadays, though not exactly being common. Its complex so-out-there-and-modern lines looking somewhat more endearing after all these years.
I’m well aware that Nissans of this period come across as… peculiar in the US. But regardless, Nissan’s offerings sold heartily all throughout the ’70s in Latin America. It probably helped that thanks to its Mexico plant, Nissan offered prices few others could.
The 710/Violet’s front end probably shows best its Fuji-lage styling. Was it peak Fuji-lage? A case could be made the concurrent 200SX/Silvia would deserve that title, but the 710/Violet isn’t far behind in my book.
Against current traffic, the 710/Violet looks rather small and hunkered down to the ground, a sign of how much packaging proportions have shifted after all these years.
Those sitting up front may have been comfortable enough, but I have doubts about those back seats. Paul has made the convincing argument that Nissan’s thick pillars and cavernous interiors predated current trends and were just 40 years too early. Who would have thought? Nissan, the true visionaries?
Once again, whatever influences Nissan’s stylist had in mind while penning the 710/Violet, they certainly weren’t cars. Up close, a bunch of ‘creature-like’ ideas pop to mind, from flora to fauna.
Coincidentally, by ’73 Nissan was in one of its many peculiar PR stunts, with a reforestation campaign in Japan: “Love Green.” Could that have anything to do with the Violet name? Nissan, you’ll always vex me so.
Outward vision and comfort, the things one must sacrifice at the altar of fashion. Dubious Nissan-fashion that is. Japan’s taxi drivers thought otherwise, and voiced their dislike for the model’s lack of visibility and dungeon-like back seats. By ’76, sluggish sales forced Nissan to offer a more traditional notchback body. Sales improved somewhat, though major revisions would arrive with the Violet’s next generation in ’77; partly due to criticisms, partly due to new government regulations.
While the wagon seems to have been a US favorite, it’s rather rare in Latin America. Whatever pretenses Nissan sold with the sedan, apparently worked with the locals.
Undoubtedly, the rarest 710/Violet is the SSS, which may be the only version to justify its odd-duck looks. A lucky find on my part.
On this ocassion, after capturing most of these SSS shots, the street’s security guard got into a total meltdown about me having done so. This being a country with a rich military tradition, I was well aware it was only a matter of time to find a trivial issue like such blowing out of proportion.
Still, as far as I know there’s no law against shooting cars on public roads, and until so, there was little he could do in spite of my ‘suspicious activity.’ (Because that’s what robbers do? Take photos of cars in plain daylight?). So, I let him blow his top while I left the scene of the non-crime. And now, travail over, I post these shots with enormous pleasure. (Take that, suppressors of the free automotive press!)
With the street guard on alert, there was no way to capture that interior. Not that it would have been possible, due to the car’s tinted windows. Still, if we go by the Japanese brochure, we can see the SSS dash offered full instrumentation, fake wood, and lots of lusty Mopar-mod styling touches.
I would think the SSS’s current owner knows he’s got something slightly special on his hands. While the model isn’t particularly common nowadays, Datsuns of the period are cherished and coveted, mostly for their straightforward mechanical goodies and dependability. With Sunnys being the most common, a 160J/710/Violet makes for a slightly exotic variant. This SSS certainly must stand out within the local Datsun community.
The 710/Violet arrival was a sign that Datsun’s good days had come to an end; a harbinger of things to come from Nissan. The company would create models of later glory, but a tradition to fumble on their way to the top became something of a trademark. Still, their chutzpah is something to behold to this day, and their fumbles have been rather memorable ones.
More on the 710/Violet:
Curbside Classic: 1974 Datsun 710 Wagon
Curbside Classic: 1974 Datsun 610
Road & Track Vintage Review: 1975 Datsun 710 “Nissan Replaces The Late And Lamented 510”
Well — the dashboard is handsome (at least)! 😉
I, for one, am really starting to like 1970s Datsun styling. All the little touches and ornate details are fun to look at – which probably wasn’t exactly what they were going for but take it where you can get it, Datsun.
We never got the SSS version or anything else remotely really interesting performance-wise badged 710. I didn’t realize Datsun were able to pump 230hp out of a 2liter in the mid 70s rally cars., that’s quite impressive, especially on the longer events such as Acropolis and presumably Safari in Kenya. Perhaps that one was worthy of a badge with four S’s. The SSSS.
Nice find, actually nice multiple finds, impressive to see so many of them all at once.
I didn’t realize Datsun were able to pump 230hp out of a 2liter in the mid 70s rally cars
Well, that’s because in reality they really didn’t. There were some interesting interpretations of permissible modifications in the WRC at this time, and what you saw from some Works teams was really only theoretical compliance. The modified L“Z”18 in the factory backed Violets of this period were enlarged up to just under two liters in capacity, and ran with experimental DOHC heads that you bought from the factory parts department at eye watering prices, if any were still unaccounted for once competition departments had a go at them. There was no factory-produced DOHC L-series four. Toyota at this time had a similar approach with their rally Celicas, using a 16-valve head on their R-series, and the following generation of rallying Violets followed suit. At any rate, only at it’s most refined tune (one the actual event cars would rarely, if ever be set up to) would this LZ make “more than 200hp” @ 8,600rpm and 155ft/lb @ 6,800rpm. Eventually the FIA got tired of these over-the-counter “factory” engine upgrades the manufacturers had nothing to do with barring making parts, and tightened the rules.
I’m glad they’re still there down your way; sadly they’ve all disappeared here.
The 710 wasn’t so much decontented; it’s just that the 610 was a substantial step up from the 510, leaving a hole in Nissan’s line-up for a basic economy car that wasn’t quite as small as the 210. The 610 was a bit too ambitious for lots of buyers, which tended to be younger and buying their first new car.
Given the emission regs, the SSS was a non-starter here, unfortunately. If it had come here, it would have made the 710 a much more worthy follow-up to the 510.
The Carina of this generation didn’t have independent rear suspension either.
I imagine Nissan COULD have federalized the L16E engine from the SSS-E, but it wouldn’t have made much sense, since it wasn’t any more powerful than the carbureted Z18 engine used in the U.S. 710. (The 115 PS rating was JIS gross, so its net output was probably within about 5 hp of the Z18.)
I was thinking more like a slightly warmed-up 2 L version that could meet emission regs. The 1.6 wasn’t going to fly here. Americans prefer the torque anyway.
This is likely why Toyota didn’t bother federalizing the Celica’s twin-cam engines until the FWD T160 generation. The crossflow 22R and 24R engines weren’t very sporty, but since North American cars didn’t suffer a catastrophic jump in running costs above 2,000 cc, they were undoubtedly a better compromise for American tastes than the DOHC 2T-G or 18R-G engines (even with EFI, which all the twin-cam engines got by the late seventies).
The 180 B datsun had independant rear but not the Violet, the 180B was the savior of independant rear Triumph 2000s the axles and uni joints are much stronger and more durable and fit.
I also am starting to find these as rather appealing.
Back in 1977, my former in-laws had rented out their home to a fellow with a new 710 2-door sedan. At the time, I thought it was “meh”. But thinking about that car now – it was a light forest green with white interior – I wouldn’t mind having one. But it only took me 45 years to get here.
Certainly, like other cars such as Celica, 210, and 200SX, these looked so much better in their JDM specification, without the barge bumpers.
I had a ’74 Datsun 710 during my 4 undergraduate years. It was a learning experience, both at school and on the car, it was still old school enough that I learned to do traditional tune-ups and other service on.
On paper it might not seem to be a good match, my car was always parked outside, I was a commuter student….the car was a light RWD car, living in Shelburne (south of Burlington, and had an automatic (my last automatic car) and always had a high idle I wasn’t able to figure out, which meant when cold during bad traction days it had to be shifted into neutral at stoplights else the rear end would crab till the light turned green. My sister borrowed it to take to her job and though I told her about the work around, of course she forgot and I had to come pick her up in my parent’s car because she couldn’t figure out what to do with it.
On the positive side, it was simple and reliable…only busted coolant hoses and bad alternator while I had it, only refused to start 1 week during the blizzard of ’78 when the seats felt like lead getting in. My only car with a white interior, but unfortunately with inexplicable brown carpeting (OEM). It was slow but got you there car.
My Dad helped me out, with 2 snow tires, a new battery, and in ’79 a Craftsman toolkit that became the base of my tool collection. Didn’t otherwise have much money so I did almost all the work on it. It was “Rusty Jones” treated early on but of course it still rusted, especially the “cow catcher” bumpers which collected sludge.
I moved 4 hours away for my first job; driving to visit my parents I slid on some black ice and hit a guardrail….nursed it the rest of the way there and got it fixed up but only to sell; I didn’t trust a light RWD car for the trip, even though FWD didn’t solve traction issue it was at least better than RWD for small cars I favored, replaced it with my ’78 Scirocco starting my so far 43 year exclusive with watercooled VW’s.
These were never popular cars…for some reason Datsun’s mid-end cars seem almost invisible…though the current Altima is pretty popular, I guess because the Maxima is so pricey now?…back then, the 210 was popular, and the 610 for the larger, more plush car, but the 710 was no where near as popular as the early 70’s 510 had been. When they changed the name back to 510 for the late 70’s incarnation it didn’t help, though I did drive one of those as a transporter for Hertz in the late 70’s….while I still owned my ’74 710. To me the 2 door coupes were really rare, it wasn’t until maybe ’77 when they came out with the 200SX (which I think of as a 710 coupe…about the same size) that you started to see more than a few. But all the 710s were pretty rare, most seen by me were the wagons, at least where I lived.
I cannot believe I lived in a time when a person could go into a Datsun dealership and drive out with something that looked so absolutely ridiculous. The orginal designs were very challenging to accept, but then – they had to put those bumpers on them for the US?
OH lord have mercy on my eyes! I saw so many B-210s, most hatches, that I got numb to their weird appearance. They were smaller, and the hatches tried to fix the awful C pillar disaster, but the coupe and sedans were pretty rough on the eyes.
But Datsun just couldn’t stop – they replaced a perfect 510 with another unsightly work of WTF styling. Honestly, I really wondered about people buying these cars. Did they really think they looked nice? Fourty years have gone by and your auto experiences with fashion, styling and experiments have exposed me to the Aztek, the Pacer, Citreon, and other visually challenging cars – I thought I could begin to see something in this Datsun era to soften my dislike of them.
Sorry – still waiting. Maybe I need to develop cataracts?
In theory these werent destined for the NZ market we got the 180B for Bluebird but someone sent a shipload or two of Datsun 140 & 160j Violets here and they blended into the Datsun lineup SSS models arrived but only with carburetors I never saw an injected one, very very few Datsuns from that era are still about they ate headgaskets with gay abandon and rusted shockingly, head gaskets are an easy fix but huge rust holes are terminal theres a limit to what filler will disguise, the white car posted has large amounts of filler holding it together we werent the only ones doing that
Our neighbors growing up had the 2-door coupe in a kind of dark-chocalate/purple color, which i have never seen on any car in the last 40 years. They seemed to like it, though the rear seats seemed from my vantage point to be claustrophobic – but then no worse than a contemporary Camaro. The styling was weird, but did have a lot of nice little detail touches that were prevalent on American cars from the 1960’s but had largely fallen by the wayside in the 1970’s
Exceptional article about a car I had long forgotten about, at least in U.S. form. Aesthetically, and as referenced, the styling does appear to be a stew of Chrysler-esque styling cues. (The c-pillars look a B-body, for example.) That, by itself, isn’t so much an issue, as I like Fuselage styling, but stuck o to a car this small, it looks a little like an experiment with Plasticine gone wrong. That said, I like that this one exists.