The Datsun Sports was Nissan’s roadster line of the 1960s, sold at home as the Fairlady and abroad as the Datsun 1500, 1600 or 2000 Roadster. It began in 1959 as a glass-fibre two-seater and grew into the car with which Paul Newman started his racing career. It was superseded by the 240Z in 1970.
Datsun Sports at a glance
| Maker | Nissan (Datsun), Japan |
|---|---|
| Production | 1959–1970 |
| First model | S211, 1959 |
| S211 engine | 988 cc C-series four, 37 PS (27 kW) |
| SPL212 | 1960, first Datsun sports car imported to the United States |
| SPL212 engine | 1,189 cc E-series four, 48 PS (35 kW) |
| SPL213 | 1961–1962, twin-carburettor E-1, 60 PS |
| Second generation | from 1961, SP310/SPL310 Fairlady 1500 |
| 1500 engine | 1,497 cc G15, 77 PS, or 85 PS with twin SUs |
| Later models | SP311 and SR311, the 1600 and 2000 |
| 2000 engine | 1,982 cc overhead-cam four, twin SU carburettors |
| Built | 20 S211, 288 SPL212, 217 SPL213 |
History of the Datsun Sports
The first Datsun Sports was the 1959 S211, built on the Datsun 211 saloon and powered by a 988 cc C-series four of 37 PS. Designed by Yuichi Ohta, who had drawn the Datsun DC-3, it had glass-fibre bodywork influenced by the Chevrolet Corvette, and only 20 examples were made, which makes it the rarest of all Datsun Sports models. Its side badges read “Datsun 1000”.
The SPL212 of 1960 was the first Datsun sports car imported to the United States; the L in the code stands for left-hand drive. Now with steel bodywork and built on the Datsun 223 truck, it used a 1,189 cc E-series four of 48 PS, a four-speed gearbox, an A-arm front suspension with torsion bars and drum brakes all round. Its boot badge was the same one used on the 223 truck. This was the first car to carry the Fairlady name, a reference to the Broadway musical My Fair Lady. It was sold only for export and 288 were built through 1961. The SPL213 of 1961 and 1962 added a twin-carburettor E-1 engine of 60 PS and 217 were made.
The second generation made its debut at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1961, a few months before the similar-looking MGB, and unlike the largely hand-built original it was designed for mass production. The SP310 of 1963, the Fairlady 1500, moved to a modified Bluebird 310 platform and used a 1,497 cc G15 overhead-valve engine from the Cedric with a single SU carburettor and 77 PS; after the first 300 cars a twin-SU version of 85 PS arrived for 1964 and 1965. The four-speed gearbox had a non-synchronised first gear, and the rear axle came from the Cedric. Early cars were three-seaters with a transverse rear seat, which disappeared in the 1965 revision.
The 1600 and 2000 versions that followed became regular winners on the Sports Car Club of America circuit, taking ten national SCCA championships, and the Datsun 2000 with its 1,982 cc overhead-cam engine, twin SU carburettors and five-speed gearbox was the two-seater that really made the name. Paul Newman began his racing career in one. The line was built until 1970, when the 240Z took over as Nissan’s sports car.
Design and features
- Two generations: the hand-built 1959–1960 cars and the mass-produced 310 series.
- Fairlady name: taken from the musical My Fair Lady and used only at home until export.
- Racing success: ten SCCA national championships for the 1600 and 2000.
- Paul Newman: the actor began his racing career in a Datsun 2000.
- Cheap fun: a direct rival to MG, Triumph, Fiat and Alfa Romeo roadsters.
Datsun Sports versions
- S211 (1959): glass-fibre body, 988 cc engine, 20 built.
- SPL212 and SPL213 (1960–1962): steel bodies and the first Fairlady name.
- SP310/SPL310 (1963–1965): the Fairlady 1500 on a Bluebird platform.
- SP311 and SR311 (1965–1970): the 1600 and 2000 roadsters.
The Sports roadsters were replaced by the Datsun 240Z and shared their platform with the Datsun Bluebird. More models are in the Datsun collection.
Sources
- Datsun Sports, English Wikipedia: generations, engines, production numbers, racing
- Datsun Sports, German Wikipedia: model line
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