The Nissan Silvia is a series of small sports cars. Versions have been marketed as the 200SX or 240SX for export, some under the Datsun brand. The Gazelle was its twin model in Japan for the S110 and S12 generations, and for the S13 the Gazelle was replaced by the 180SX, a hatchback with pop-up headlights also sold abroad as the 200SX and 240SX.
Nissan Silvia at a glance
| Series began | Silvia CSP311, Tokyo Motor Show, September 1964 |
|---|---|
| CSP311 engine | 1.6-litre R series, 96 PS |
| CSP311 built | 554, almost all hand made |
| CSP311 top speed | 165 km/h |
| S10 | first mass-produced Silvia on the S platform |
| S10 production | 145,000 units to 1979 |
| Export names | Datsun 180SX, Datsun 200SX |
| Japanese twin | Nissan Gazelle, then Nissan 180SX |
based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Nissan Silvia; the collected material concentrates on the early generations.
History of the Nissan Silvia
Before the Silvia
In 1962 Albrecht Goertz, then a consultant to BMW and the creator of the BMW 507, saw the potential of Japanese manufacturers. Yamaha had set up a Technical Research Institute in 1959 and built the YX30 sports car, and because Yamaha already worked with Nissan, project A550X began. It fell apart and was cancelled, but Kazuo Kimura and Fumio Yoshida had both worked on it, and after the Goertz relationship ended in 1964 that work fed into the Silvia.
CSP311 (1964)
The Silvia CSP311 made its public debut at the Tokyo Motor Show in September 1964 as the “Datsun Coupé 1500”. It was a hand-built coupé based on the Fairlady platform with a 96 PS 1.6-litre R-series engine on twin SU carburettors. Being almost entirely hand made, only 554 were built, mainly in 1965, before production stopped in 1968. Most stayed in Japan, but 49 went to Australia and 10 to other countries, and four were built left-hand drive for European shows. In December 1965 Nissan supplied the Tokyo police with two Silvias for highway patrol, the first Japanese high-performance patrol car and the fastest production car in Japan at 165 km/h.
S10
The S10 was the first mass-produced Silvia on the new S platform, Nissan’s compact rear-wheel-drive sports car base. Japanese cars were sold at Nissan Prince Store alongside the larger C110 Skyline. The S10 was designed to use a Wankel engine, an idea dropped after the oil crises of the 1970s, and was based on the Datsun Sunny coupé. In the few export markets where it was sold it was the Datsun 180SX, and in the United States the 200SX, reflecting the larger engine there. More than 145,000 were built over four years until production ended in 1979.
Design and features
- Hand-built start: the first Silvia was a 554-car coachbuilt coupé.
- S platform: the S10 established Nissan’s rear-drive sports base.
- Police car: the CSP311 was Japan’s first fast patrol car.
- Many names: Gazelle, 180SX, 200SX and 240SX versions.
Nissan Silvia versions
- Silvia CSP311 (1964–1968): the hand-built coupé, 554 built.
- Silvia S10 (to 1979): the first mass-produced generation.
- Datsun 180SX and 200SX: export names for the S10.
- Nissan Gazelle: the twin model for the S110 and S12.
- Nissan 180SX: the S13 hatchback with pop-up lights.
The Silvia was sold abroad as the 200SX and 240SX, and its S13 hatchback was the 180SX. More cars are in the Nissan collection.
Video: Nissan Silvia S15 RB26DETT (600+Ps)
Video by YouTube on YouTube.
Sources
- Nissan Silvia, English Wikipedia: CSP311 history and details, S10, Gazelle and 180SX relationship
