The Datsun 720 arrived in October 1979 as the replacement for the 620 and stayed in production until 1986. It was the last pickup to be developed under the Datsun name, and from the 1983.5 model year the same truck was sold as the Nissan 720 as Nissan retired the Datsun brand in export markets.
Datsun 720 at a glance
| Maker | Nissan (Datsun until 1983), Japan |
|---|---|
| Production | October 1979 – 1986 |
| Bodies | regular cab and King Cab; two- and four-door cabs in some markets |
| Japanese engines | 1.6 L J16, then the Z16 from 1982 |
| US engines | 2.0 L L20B, then Z22, Z24 and Z24i |
| Diesels | SD22 (2.2 L), SD23 (2.3 L) and SD25 (2.5 L) |
| Power, Z24 | 103 hp (77 kW) |
| Drive | rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive |
| Assembled in | Japan; Smyrna, Tennessee from 1983.5; Mexico until 1991 |
| US trim levels | GL, DX, XE and ST, plus the Lil’ Hustler |
| Replaced by | Nissan D21, from 1986 |
History of the Datsun 720
The 720 was introduced in October 1979 as the successor to the 620. Most markets could order a four-door crew cab, although North America could not, and some overseas versions kept the earlier style of bed, round headlamps and a mixture of Datsun and Nissan badges long after the change of name. In Japan round headlamps were standard and only the higher GL trim received square ones; the standard engine was the 1.6-litre J16 until 1982, when the more modern Z16 replaced it.
In 1983 the front end was changed with a larger grille, bumper and corner lights, and the dashboard swapped square gauges for round ones. The regular cab was lengthened slightly and the air extractor vents behind the doors changed from a high “flag” shape to narrow ones matching the height of the windows. King Cab bodies were left as they were.
The engine range was unusually wide. In the United States the 720 started with the 2.0-litre L20B, moved to the NAPS-Z Z22 for 1981 and added the Z24 2.4-litre twin-spark four of 103 hp in mid-1983, along with SD23 and SD25 diesels; a single-point injected Z24i was offered on some 1986 ST models. Middle East cars used the 1.8-litre L18, while most other markets had the 1.5-litre J15, 1.6-litre J16 or 1.8-litre L18. The diesel engines came from Nissan Diesel and dominated 720 sales in many countries; in America the diesel was sold only in two-wheel-drive trucks.
US buyers chose between regular and King Cab bodies, regular and long beds and GL, DX and ST trim, and from 1984 to 1986 a covered utility conversion called the Bushmaster was built by Matrix3 from the King Cab 4WD, a forerunner of the Nissan Pathfinder. The 720 was assembled in the new Smyrna plant in Tennessee from the 1983.5 model year, and Nissan of Mexico kept building it until 1991. In Europe the 720 was replaced by the D21 in May 1986.
Design and features
- Wide choice: regular and King Cab bodies, two beds, two- or four-wheel drive.
- Diesels: SD22, SD23 and SD25 engines from Nissan Diesel.
- Datsun to Nissan: the badge changed in 1983 and 1984, the truck did not.
- ST trim: the only version with standard power windows and locks and a tilt sunroof.
- Bushmaster: a covered 4WD conversion that pointed towards the Pathfinder.
Datsun 720 versions
- Datsun 720 (1980–1983): single-wall beds, Datsun badges.
- Nissan 720 (1983.5–1986): smooth double-wall beds and Nissan badges.
- MPG: a stripped-down model with the high-compression Z20 engine, not sold in California.
- Bushmaster (1984–1986): the Matrix3 covered utility conversion.
The 720 followed the Datsun 620 and was replaced by the Nissan D21. More models are in the Datsun collection.
Video: My 1982 Nissan/Datsun 720 pickup truck.
Video by fastdraw30 on YouTube.
Sources
- Datsun truck, English Wikipedia: 720 engines, trims, plants and market details
- Datsun 720, German Wikipedia: bodies, engines, successor
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