Datsun Sports

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Datsun Sports / Fairlady
Production period: 1959-1970
Class : Sports car
Body versions : Roadster
Previous model: Datsun DC-3
Successor: Datsun Z

The Datsun Sports - offered in Japan as the Datsun Fairlady - was a roadster manufactured by Nissan from 1959 to 1970. It was a cheaper alternative to the British sports cars from MG and Triumph . The successor was the 240Z , which was still called Fairlady in Japan.

Sports 1000 S211 (1959-1960)

Sports 1000 S211
Datsun S211 (1960)

Datsun S211 (1960)
Production period: 1959-1960
Body versions : Roadster
Engines: Otto engine :
1.0 liter (27 kW)
Length:
Width:
Height:
Wheelbase :
Empty weight :

The first Datsun Sports was the S211 from 1959. It had the Datsun-C engine, an in-line four-cylinder with 988 cc displacement and an output of 37 bhp (27 kW). Only 20 copies were made. Yuichi Ohta , who had previously designed the Datsun DC-3 and the prototype of the S211, the A80X , also designed this car. Both the A80X and the S211 had bodies made of GRP .

Sports 1200 SPL212 (1960–1961)

Sports 1200 SPL212
Datsun SPL212 (1961)

Datsun SPL212 (1961)
Production period: 1960-1961
Body versions : Roadster
Engines: Otto engine :
1.2 liters (35 kW)
Length:
Width:
Height:
Wheelbase :
Empty weight :

The SPL212 was introduced in 1960. This was the first Datsun sports car to be exported to the United States. It had a steel body and was built in slightly higher numbers than its predecessor, 288 in two years. It had the Datsun electric motor, also an inline four-cylinder, but with a displacement of 1.2 l and an output of 48 bhp (35 kW). The engine power was passed on to the rear wheels via a manual four-speed gearbox; the front wheels were suspended from wishbones with torsion bars. There were drum brakes all around. This car was the first to be called "Fairlady". It was named after the Broadway musical My Fair Lady .

These cars are very valuable. In 1996 a number of unrestored SPL212s fetched US $ 100,000.

Sports / Fairlady / SPL213 (1961–1962)

Sports / Fairlady
SPL213

Image does not exist
Production period: 1961–1962
Body versions : Roadster
Engines: Otto engine :
1.2 liters (44 kW)
Length:
Width:
Height:
Wheelbase :
Empty weight :

The SPL213 , which was manufactured in the 1961 and 1962 model years, was similar to its predecessor. The main difference was in the use of the twin carburettor E1 engine producing 60 bhp (44 kW), a huge increase in power in such a small, light car. 217 copies were made.

Sports 1500 SPL310 / Fairlady 1500 SP310 (1963-1965)

Sports 1500 SPL310
Fairlady 1500 SP310
Datsun Fairlady 1500 manufactured 1965 imported to UK May 2012 1488cc photographed at Knebworth.jpg
Production period: 08 / 1963–01 / 1965
Body versions : Roadster
Engines: Petrol engines :
1.5 liters
(55-62.5 kW)
Length:
Width:
Height:
Wheelbase :
Empty weight :

The first real sports cars from Datsun were the SP310 Fairlady 1500 (right-hand drive ) and the SPL310 (left-hand drive ). They had a Nissan G15 engine with a single SU carburetor and a displacement of 1497 cc. There was also a manual four-speed gearbox. The car was well equipped with a transistor radio, hard top , map lights, and a timer. The first SP310 also had a special third seat installed on the side behind the front seats. The design for the 1964 model year was similar but had two SU carburettors.

Although many fans of British brands (and many journalists) thought that the Datsun Fairlady was a copy of the MGB , it must be mentioned that the Datsun was introduced by the MGB for several months. When you consider the time it takes to convert a production line to a new model, it is just as inconceivable that the Datsun copied the MG, as it is the other way around. However, the two cars have some styling details that were common at the time, which led to this erroneous assumption.

Sports 1600 SPL311 / Fairlady 1600 SP311 (1965-1970)

Sports 1600 SPL311
Fairlady 1500 SP311
Datsun 1600 Roadster (1968–1970) for the USA

Datsun 1600 Roadster (1968–1970) for the USA
Production period: 01 / 1965-04 / 1970
Body versions : Roadster
Engines: Gasoline engine :
1.6 liters (71 kW)
Length: 3910 mm
Width: 1495 mm
Height: 1275 mm
Wheelbase : 2280 mm
Empty weight : 910 kg

There were many changes in 1965. The 1.5 liter SP310 remained in production until January, but it was joined by the new SP311 and SPL311 models with the new Nissan R16 engine. The new Fairlady 1600 had 14 ″ wheels and small exterior changes. The new engine developed 96 bhp (71 kW). The SP311 remained in production until April 1970.

The Datsun Coupe 1500 had the same chassis as the SP311. The car with the internal designation CSP311 had the same R-16 engine with 96 bhp (71 kW) and a modified Fairlady chassis. It was also built as Nissan Silvia and was even the first car with Nissan's new R engine, a further development of the G engine with 1,488 cc.

Sports 2000 SRL311 / Fairlady 2000 SR311 (1967-1970)

Sports 2000 SRL311
Fairlady 2000 SR311
Datsun SR311 IMG 3165.jpg
Production period: 03 / 1967-04 / 1970
Body versions : Roadster
Engines: Otto engines :
2.0 liters
(99–110 kW)
Length: 3955 mm
Width: 1495 mm
Height: 1325 mm
Wheelbase : 2280 mm
Empty weight : 960 kg

The introduction of the new models SR311 and SRL311 in model year 1967 represented a major revision. The cars were built from March 1967 to April 1970 and had a Nissan U20 engine, a four-cylinder in-line engine with 1982 cc, and one for a production vehicle at the time unusual manual five-speed gearbox.

The cars of the first year are the most sought after today, as only between 1000 and 2000 pieces were built and they have not yet been provided with the changes introduced in 1968 to improve safety and emissions. The new machine with a single overhead camshaft (SOHC) delivered 99 kW. A “competition package” was also available with double Mikuni / Solex carburetors and a sharper camshaft, which gave the engine an output of 110 kW.

The Datsun 2000 was hailed as an affordable sports car. The main reason for its production was to build a Datsun image in racing. John Morton , Paul Newman and others were the drivers. Its list price was the lowest in its class, but it won both the Production C-Class (with Mikuni-Solex carburetors) and Production-D-Class (with Hitachi SU carburetors) in the SCCA races on solid Basis, even after production was stopped.

A well-prepared Datsun 2000 ran up to 193 km / h and consumed less than 7.8 liters of petrol per 100 km. The red area of ​​the rev counter began at exactly 7000 min −1 , which corresponds to 224 km / h in fourth gear of a five-speed transmission. Its successor was the less nervous, more elegant and more popular Z-series .

1968

In 1968 the entire series was revised and received a new body with a higher windshield, an integrated rear-view mirror, a padded dashboard, without a toggle switch and with lifting door handles. The engines were given new emission control systems and the 1600 series was built as an additional model even after production had actually ended.

Web links

Commons : Datsun Fairlady  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

swell

  • Crow, James T .:. Datsun 2000 Sports and Datsun Sports 1600 , Road & Track Test Annual (1968), pp. 40-45
  • Palevsky, Alexander: All the Lust Without the Rust , Sports Car International (14/1998 V), p. 57

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Photo of the A80X
  2. ^ Long, Brian: Datsun Fairlady Roadster to 280ZX , Veloce Publishing Ltd. (2006), p. 20
  3. ↑ The Datsun Roadster SCCA Pages (English)