Retro Review: Datsun 510
The Datsun 510 flipped the script for Nissan in the US with a sporty sedan that matched BMWs in the curves and bet them on price.
Imitation vs Emulation
There is an important distinction to be made between imitating something and successfully emulating it. In the former case, quality and attention to detail fall by the wayside with predictably slipshod results. Emulation preserves the rigors of craft and opens opportunities for creative interpretation and even improvements over the original. Such is the story of the Datsun 510, Nissan/Datsun’s first major success in the US.
Today, Nissan is a well-established automaker in the States. And while most of their current business rests in mid-market, consumer-friendly crossovers and sedans, the continuation of the Z-car in the form of the Nissan 400Z nods to a laudable performance and motorsports heritage going back decades. Like the rest of its Japanese cohort, Nissan did not start out as a smash success in the US. Instead, the company long known here as Datsun had to learn what made US car buyers tick.
Background
Their first car to arrive in the US was the Datsun 1000 “Bluebird” in 1958. The Bluebird was a compact car that borrowed much of its inspiration from small British cars like those built by Austin. One of Datsun’s early cars, the Type 11 of 1932, was a direct emulation of the Austin 7, and by 1952, Nissan had entered into business with Austin to build and sell Austin cars in Japan. The British influence is evident on Datsun’s “Bluebird” offerings like the 210, 310, and 410.
Though a nice urban runabout for Japan and Europe, US car buyers of the 1960s were not, by and large, clamoring for the Bluebird. Nissan’s US president Yutaka Katayama, a.k.a. “Mr. K,” felt that a more dynamic car, one that could offer greater driving excitement and a sportier look could improve sales. First on the agenda, however, was to drop the fluffy, all-too-friendly Bluebird name (at least for the US market). Under the auspices of Head of Design Kazumi Yatsumoto, the new 510 borrowed liberally from a different breed of European car, those small but sporty sedans and coupes like the then new BMW 1600.
Datsun 510
The Datsun 510’s new direction started with a radical restyling. Gone was the stodgy Britishness of the Bluebird, in its place the new 510 was longer and wider with a cleaner, more linear design. Most importantly, Mr. K’s directive that the new 510 handle well was addressed with the addition of fully-independent suspension on all four wheels. Rigidity was enhanced with a unibody construction and power provided by a 1,600-cc inline-four cylinder making 96 horsepower. (Reportedly, Mr. K was so impressed with the 510 during his test drive that he had every employee on site take a test drive as well.) In addition to the basic four-door sedan, the 510 was offered as a five-door wagon, two-door sedan, and two-door coupe.
Debuting in the US in 1967, the new formula for the Datsun 510 proved successful with over 45,000 units sold in its first year on the market. An SSS sport model was offered in 1968 (1969 model year) that upgrade to twin side-draft carbs and modified cam shaft that increased output to 105 horsepower.
Legacy
The Datsun 510 delivered on its mission of providing an affordable, durable, and dynamic car for the US market. Not only did it deliver on the street, the 510 proved its mettle on the racetrack and dirt track amongst world class competition. The 510 took consecutive SCCA under 2,500cc Trans Am titles in 1971 and 1972. The Datsun 1600 (as it was known in Canada, Australia, and South Africa) in SSS form won the East African Rally and Ampol Trail (a long-distance Australian rally) in 1970 and later posted back-to-back wins in 1982 and ’83 at the Australian Rally Championship. The 510 was even raced competitively by actor/racer Paul Newman (for more on actors who raced cars, click here).
Aside from the car’s handling prowess, the Datsun 510’s racing successes are owed to Nissan/Datsun doing their utmost to support racing with a generous parts supply. Additionally, the interchangeability of many Datsun parts from the era makes maintaining these cars in their older years more feasible than most classics.
Nimble and stylish, the Datsun 510 took its spiritual cues from the BMW 1600 while adding in new refinements and reliability, all at an affordable price. The 510 set the stage for the Datsun 240Z and decades of broader success for Nissan in the US.
