The Gloria was a large luxury saloon introduced by Prince in February 1959 and taken over by Nissan after the two companies merged. In Japan it was always sold as a Nissan, never as a Datsun, but the name travelled abroad as the Datsun Gloria. From 1971 it was the twin of the Cedric, and the pair lasted until 2004.
Datsun Gloria at a glance
| Maker | Prince, then Nissan, Japan |
|---|---|
| Production | February 1959 – October 2004 |
| First generation | BLSI, 1959–1962 |
| First engine | 1.9 L GB-30 four, 80 PS (59 kW) |
| Later first-series engines | GB-4, 94 PS (69 kW) |
| Suspension | double wishbones in front, De Dion tube at the rear |
| Second generation | S40, from 1962 |
| First SOHC six | G-7, June 1963, 106 PS in the Gloria Super 6 |
| Grand Gloria S44P | May 1964, 2.5 L, 130 PS (96 kW) |
| Export name | Prince B200, then Datsun Gloria |
| Twin model | Nissan Cedric, from 1971 |
| Replaced by | Nissan Fuga, October 2004 |
History of the Datsun Gloria
Prince, formerly Fuji Precision Industry, showed a more luxurious development of its Skyline at the All Japan Automobile Show in October 1958, and the BLSI Gloria went on sale in February 1959 with the 80 PS 1.9-litre GB-30 overhead-valve four. The styling borrowed American ideas, including the “Dagmar” shapes on the front bumper, and the grille carried the word PRINCE in individual gold letters. Inside there was the Skyline’s dashboard but a clock and a radio with two speakers were standard, a novelty at the time. In April 1959 Crown Prince Akihito received the first Gloria as a wedding gift.
The BLSIP-2 of February 1960 gained quad headlamps and a completely redesigned rear with tail fins reminiscent of the 1957 Chevrolet. The BLSIP-3 of February 1961 brought the new 94 PS 1.9-litre GB-4 and dropped the grille lettering. Underneath, the Gloria used double wishbones and coil springs in front and a De Dion tube at the rear, an unusually sophisticated arrangement for a Japanese saloon of the period.
The second generation, the S40, arrived in 1962 as the first six-cylinder Prince. In June 1963 came the G-7, the first mass-produced Japanese overhead-cam six, fitted to the Gloria Super 6 with 106 PS. The Grand Gloria S44P of May 1964 added electric windows and the 2.5-litre G-11 engine of 130 PS, and it was the first Gloria too large to count as a compact under Japanese rules, its engine passing two litres. In 1966 the S41-2 brought a new grille and, after the merger with Nissan, changed badges; in non-Asian markets the cars were sold as the Prince B200.
After the merger the Gloria was sold through the former Prince dealer network, the Nissan Prince Shop, alongside the Skyline, and the Prince G engine stayed in use until 1969. From 1971 the Gloria and the Cedric were developed as a pair, sharing a body and differing in grille, lamps and trim, with the Cedric as the more formal car and the Gloria the sportier of the two. Nissan sold both until October 2004, when the Fuga replaced them.
Design and features
- Prince origins: designed and launched before the Nissan merger, with a Prince engine.
- De Dion rear axle: double wishbones in front and a De Dion tube behind.
- First Japanese SOHC six: the G-7 of 1963 in the Gloria Super 6.
- Grand Gloria: a 2.5-litre, 130 PS flagship with electric windows in 1964.
- CedGlo twins: the Cedric’s sportier sister car from 1971.
Datsun Gloria versions
- Gloria BLSI (1959–1962): the original Prince saloon with the 1.9-litre four.
- Gloria Super 6 (1963): the first mass-produced Japanese SOHC six.
- Grand Gloria S44P (1964): 2.5 litres, 130 PS and electric windows.
- Prince B200: the export name used in non-Asian markets after 1966.
The Gloria was the twin of the Datsun Cedric and a relative of the Datsun Skyline. More models are in the Datsun collection.
Video: My datsun 260c (330 series Cedric/Gloria)
Video by 1337cookie on YouTube.
Sources
- Nissan Gloria, English Wikipedia: first and second generations, engines, merger
- Nissan Gloria, German Wikipedia: place in the range and the Datsun brand
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