Datsun cars for sale

Overview

Datsun was Nissan’s export badge, and for a generation of buyers outside Japan it was the more familiar of the two names. The cars that carried it — the 240Z, the 510, the 1600 — did more to establish Japanese engineering credibility in the West than anything else of their era.

History

DAT came first, in 1914, from the initials of three backers. When Nissan took control in 1934 the diminutive "Datson" was changed to "Datsun" — son means loss in Japanese, and sun pointed at the flag instead. From 1958 Nissan used Datsun to brand its exports, and under Yutaka Katayama in North America the badge became a byword for reliability and value.

Nissan then spent roughly $500 million between 1982 and 1986 erasing it, replacing "Datsun, We Are Driven!" with "The Name is Nissan". Five years after the changeover, surveys still found Datsun the better-known name. A 2013 revival as a budget brand for emerging markets ended quietly between 2020 and 2022.

Collecting a Datsun

Datsuns are now firmly collector territory, and values for good 240Z, 260Z and 1600/510 cars have climbed hard. Rust is the enemy — sills, floors, strut towers and rear quarters — and a straight, dry-stored shell is worth far more than a shiny one hiding filler. Mechanical parts and reproduction panels are well supported by a large global enthusiast network.