The Datsun Homer was the name under which Nissan sold a small truck and van in Europe and Australia. The vehicle began at Prince as the Homer, was rebadged after the merger, and was shared with the Cabstar; in Japan it remained a Nissan Homer. Production ended in February 1982.
Datsun Homer at a glance
| Maker | Prince, then Nissan, Japan |
|---|---|
| Datsun Homer | T641, from 1968 |
| Bodies | regular cab truck, double cab, van (V641) |
| First engine | 1,484 cc G1 four, from the Prince Skyline 1500 |
| From 1967 | 1,595 cc R16 four, single carburettor |
| T20 engines | 1.5 L J15 or 1.6 L J16 |
| F20 engine | 1,982 cc H20 four |
| Payload | a 1.25-tonne version, the T642, was also built |
| Built in Taiwan as | Yue Loong YLN-251 |
| Replaced by | Nissan Atlas F22, February 1982 |
History of the Datsun Homer
The vehicle began life at Prince as the Homer, sold as a van called the Homy, a double-cab or a regular-cab truck; the first model was the T64. When Prince merged with Nissan the T640 of 1966 was sold as a Nissan with no changes beyond the badges, and it shared its range with the Nissan Cabstar, which was sold through a different dealer network. That generation ended in 1968.
The T641 of 1968 replaced the slotted grille with a new “cat-whiskers” design. It was rebadged as the Nissan Homer at home and marketed in Europe and Australia as the Datsun Homer, which is the name it carries on this page. A van version, the V641, was part of the range, and a 1.25-tonne model called the T642 was built without a van option. Yue Loong of Taiwan assembled the T641 under licence as the YLN-251.
The T641 was first fitted with the 1,484 cc overhead-valve G1 engine from the Prince Skyline 1500. In 1967, after the merger, it received a single-carburettor version of the 1,595 cc R16 four from the Datsun Fairlady. The T20 of 1972 kept the same grille but had taller front indicators, and used the 1.5-litre J15 or 1.6-litre J16; it stayed in production until 1976.
The final Homer, the F20, was built from 1976 to 1982 with all-new bodywork and the 1,982 cc H20 engine. In September 1979 it was revised to pass the new emission standards and took the code F21. In Japan the F20 was also sold as the Nissan Cabstar, while abroad the same truck was the Datsun Cabstar. Production ended in February 1982, when the Homer was folded into Nissan’s own light truck, the F22 Atlas. The name survived in Taiwan on Atlas-based trucks and a Caravan minibus called the Homer 747.
Design and features
- Prince design: the truck and its Homy van were developed before the Nissan merger.
- Export badge: the Datsun Homer name was used in Europe and Australia.
- Familiar engines: from the Skyline 1500’s G1 to the Fairlady’s R16.
- Three bodies: regular and double-cab trucks and a van.
- Shared with the Cabstar: the same range sold through two dealer networks.
Datsun Homer versions
- Prince Homer T64: the original Prince truck and Homy van.
- Nissan Prince Homer T640 (1966–1968): the same vehicle with Nissan badges.
- Datsun Homer T641 (1968–1972): the “cat-whiskers” grille, with the V641 van.
- T20 (1972–1976) and F20/F21 (1976–1982): the later generations.
The Homer shared its range with the Datsun Cabstar and sat below the larger Datsun truck line. More models are in the Datsun collection.
Sources
- Prince Homer, English Wikipedia: models, engines, markets
- Nissan Homer, German Wikipedia: model codes and licensing in Taiwan
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