I had 72 Datsun pickup like this one (mine was multicolored tye-dyed style). Broke down nearly every week, but I liked it................
Posted on 10/03/2012 8:59:24 AM PDT by Red Badger
TOKYO — Among enthusiasts of a certain age, there was a notable flicker of excitement back in March when Nissan announced that the Datsun brand was making a welcome and long overdue comeback.
Starting in the late 1960s, Datsun hit a strong chord in the U.S. market with cool, well-conceived, good-value entries such as the Datsun 510 sedan and sexy 240Z coupe, effectively the Japanese BMWs of their day.
But Nissan has very different plans in mind in reviving Datsun for the modern era. The target is high-growth emerging markets such as Russia, Indonesia and India. A new family of low-cost, locally developed and manufactured products are on the way to fill that role and to sit beneath the Nissan brand.
"The vehicles will occupy different segments and markets for Nissan," a senior Nissan source told Edmunds on Tuesday. "(They will be) bringing a different set of attributes at different price points."
In Russia alone, it's estimated Datsun could contribute up to a third of Nissan's total sales.
Two cars will launch in 2014 and while a base sticker of $3,000 has been widely quoted, don't read too much into that, said the Nissan source, inferring that that was a general aim rather than a definitive, cast-in-stone sticker.
Still, that likely won't stop some in the U.S. to ponder wistfully that Datsun could one day make a return.
Datsun is still a credible brand, one that Nissan effectively threw away when it made its curious decision to kill Datsun in the U.S. in the early '80s and badge all cars thereafter as Nissans — until Infiniti came along.
Edmunds says: It'll be a Datsun, but not as we know it.
I had 72 Datsun pickup like this one (mine was multicolored tye-dyed style). Broke down nearly every week, but I liked it................
In the 1970s my husband was assigned by his company in Houston to take over (and manage from afar) their branch in the UK. Expenses were out of control.
When he went over to inspect, he found that there was some embezzlement going on, plus some conflict of interest deals prevalent (hiring the wife of one of the managers to handle purchasing, for instance, and all shipping to be handled by the spouse of another manager.) In addition, they had OKAYed the purchase of high end Datsuns for EVERYBODY.
My husband fired them all and was left with a fleet of Datsuns which he later sold. Somebody presented him with a T shirt that said “Datsuns last longer than People” emblazoned on the front.
I had a 72 Datsun 510 wagon as my first car. Being a teenager, I spent much more attention to installing an underdash FM/cassette unit than the engine. It still ran like a top for a good two years. I sold it and the next week the guy wrapped it around a telephone pole. No one was hurt, luckily.
I could fill it up for $5.
Also the fold down seat was very handy on Saturday nights for . . . storing tools yeah that’s the ticket.
My first pickup was a Datsun. It was a rust-bucket, but it did what I needed it to do.
The Datsun truck was also the Chevy “LUV” (light utility vehicle). I bought one to do a 50-mile, round trip commute to Atlanta and back everyday.
It was a great ride, the only thing I ever had to do to it was to change the timing chain, which was very easy, as it was an easy and simple engine to work on.
When it snowed, which is rare in Georgia, I’d let15 pounds of air out of the back tires, toss a couple of concrete blocks in the bed for weights, and go almost anywhere I needed to go.
Taught my son to drive a straight-shift in that truck.
The only reason I finally sold it was, no air conditioning, which is almost a necessity in Georgia in the summer.
Mine was red.
Journalism major
The Chevy Luv was an Isuzu..........
A fledgling Japanese automobile company asked a German man, well known for his expertise in branding successful automobiles to suggest a name for its new car.
“We need a name no later than tomorrow,” said the Japanese official.
“Dat soon?” replied the surprised German.
And Nissan’s famous Datsun series was born.
You infer, I imply........
The German guy looked at them and asked "Dat Soon?"
I had a B210 (79?), but as I was stopped to turn, someone (in another B210) clipped the back end. We pulled over, and, while the police were filling out the paperwork, some drunk rammed into the back end and totaled it.
We replaced it with a new 310. Someone stole it and ran it into a tree, totaling it. The next time we went to a Datsun dealer, all the cars hid in fear. (Actually, we bought an Old Firenza next, but I really liked that 310.)
You beat me by a whole minute. I got distracted in the middle of the post.
"..I'll give ya a dollar each to git rid of the yelping oblong jihadist"....????..."oh wait"
Remember the Datsun “Honey Bees?”
My 1981 Datsun King Cab pickup was an engineering marvel. 4 cylinder with 8 spark plugs. High ratio of firing made for the smoothest 4 banger engine I’ve ever seen.
I remember the doors on those were about as thick as my hand.............
Okay, TWO hands........
My 280Z was among my favorite cars.
?...
You’re right, of course...the Datsun was the Ford Courier...hey, it’s been 27 years...I got them confused. But, the LUV was a great little truck
Thanks for the correction, I’ve found that looking stupid once in a while keeps me humble. LOL
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