The Datsun 220 was the 1957 development of Nissan’s small truck line, built until 1961 with an 850 kg payload. It looked much like the cheaper 120-series, which stayed in production beside it, but it had a more pronounced grille frame and a stronger chassis taken from the 210-series sedans. It was the first Datsun truck exported to the United States.
Datsun 220 at a glance
| Maker | Nissan (Datsun), Japan |
|---|---|
| Production | November 1957 – 1961 |
| Payload | 850 kg |
| Models | 220 (1957–58), 221 (1958–59), 222 (1960), 223 (from July 1959) |
| Chassis | based on the 210-series sedans |
| Engines | 37 PS Nissan C; 48 PS Nissan E |
| Long-wheelbase G220 | from August 1958, 1,000 kg payload, 300 mm longer wheelbase |
| Electrical system | 12 volts, a first for a Datsun truck |
| Export | first Datsun truck sold in the United States |
| Replaced by | Datsun 320, August 1961 |
The 220 is described in a section of the English Wikipedia article on the Datsun Truck; this page is based on one source.
History of the Datsun 220
In November 1957 Datsun added the 220 to its truck range, a re-engined version of the 120-series that could carry 850 kg. The body was largely unchanged, so the 120 stayed on sale as the cheaper option, but the 220 is easy to tell apart by its grille, which had a much more pronounced frame. The chassis came from the 210-series sedans, and the truck used the same engines.
Four models were built in the 220 series: the 220 of 1957–58, the 221 of 1958–59, the 222 of 1960 and the 223, introduced in July 1959. Buyers could have the 37 PS Nissan C engine or the 48 PS Nissan E, which at first was reserved for export cars. In August 1958 the range grew with the G220, a long-wheelbase version with a 300 mm longer wheelbase and a one-tonne payload; updated G221 and G222 models followed.
The 220 was the first Datsun truck exported to the United States, and it was also the first in the line to be fitted with a 12-volt electrical system. That mattered for buyers in cold markets, where the older six-volt cars struggled to start. The cheaper 120-series continued alongside it and was itself updated in 1959 and 1960. In August 1961 the 320 series replaced both.
The 220 belongs to the era when Datsun’s trucks were still close relatives of its small cars: the same engines, simple ladder frames and pressed-steel bodies, built for work rather than for comfort. The line would only move to its own platforms and to the American market in earnest with the 320 and, later, the 520.
Design and features
- Stronger chassis: the frame and engines came from the 210-series sedans.
- Two engines: a 37 PS Nissan C or a 48 PS Nissan E, the latter export-only at first.
- G220 long wheelbase: a one-tonne payload and 300 mm more wheelbase from 1958.
- 12-volt electrics: the first Datsun truck so equipped.
- American debut: the first Datsun truck sold in the United States.
Datsun 220 versions
- 220 (1957–1958): the original 850 kg truck.
- 221, 222 and 223: yearly revisions through 1959–1960.
- G220: long-wheelbase, one-tonne version from August 1958.
- Datsun 120: the cheaper, older truck sold alongside the 220 until 1960.
The 220 sat between the older Datsun truck line and the later Datsun 520. More models are in the Datsun collection.
Sources
- Datsun truck, English Wikipedia: models, payloads, engines, export history
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