Spring cleaning is a thing. But no domestic dust bunnies can compete with what you park, store or simply store on photo material, such as digital. The whole world fits in a solid state hard drive. In retrospect, you sometimes wonder, mildly bewildered, how visual and text material ended up on it. You will find a set of photos of a very elegant Japanese classic: The Datsun Fairlady.
And no matter how beautiful and elegant that car is: it was a beast on the circuits. Where the photos were taken is shrouded in the mists of time. Some targeted research resulted in an email from Richard Klimmert. He is 'the publisher' of www.datsunroadster.nl and datunfairlady.nl. So we go after Richard.
Datsun Fair Lady
The Datsun Fairlady, as it was called in Australia and Japan, was a Nissan-manufactured roadster series of cars that first entered the market in 1959, with the introduction of the Sports 1000 S211. The series ran from 1959 to 1970, with models such as the Fairlady 1600 and Fairlady 2000, the latter of which was a popular choice for Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) racers.
The History of the Datsun Fairlady
The end of the 211s was the beginning of the Datsun Fairlady series, with the 1959 S211 making its way to the market. Inspired by the idea behind and the success of the Chevrolet Corvette, the SXNUMX's body shell was made of fiberglass-reinforced polyester.
A year later, Datsun released the SPL212, a left-hand drive sports car with a steel body and a 1.2L E-Series engine. This model was also the first to be associated with the pet name “Datsun Fairlady” in Australia and Japan. In 1963 the Datsun Fairlady 1500 was released with the steering wheel on the left or right. Its powerful 15 hp G85 engine made it the first true sports car in the Datsun range and paved the way for future success in this segment. In addition to the SP310 - as the 1500 was also called - the Datsun Fairlady 1600 entered production, with an R16 1.6L engine and 14-inch wheels.
The 1600 was still being made when its successor, the Datsun Fairlady 2000, was launched in 1967. It was powered by a 2L U20 engine, making it a popular choice for drivers in the SCCA. Both the Datsun Fairlady 1600 and Datsun Fairlady 2000 remained in production until 1970, with the latter undergoing some major body changes in 1968.
The Datsun Fairlady in SCCA Racing
The Fairlady 1600 and 2000 models were both used in SCCA races for their powerful engines and sporty designs. Famous drivers, including Bob Sharp and John Morton, as well as movie star Paul Newman, have all raced the Fairlady models in the SCCA, with the first entry in 1967. That year Bob Sharp drove the 1600 to victory and claimed the national title. During the next 20 years, from 1967 to 1987, the Datsun Fairlady was entered in ten championships. Although production of the cars ceased in 1970. The last appearance of both cars in SCCA races came in 1987. After that, the cars were allowed to be retired or already anticipated their growing status as a classic.
Copy MGB… .. Look at the rear lights: they tinkered with them a bit, but the MGB contours are behind it! You can put the MGB rear lights on!
Yes, I want that! But do those wheels really belong?
Improved MGb I have installed a Nissan 1600S engine in a MGb
1 of the most beautiful roadsters.
In Japan, until well into the 60s, British designs were considered very carefully when bringing a sedan or sports car onto the market. And that only shows how leading the British car industry once was. Two decades later, the entire British car industry had collapsed, partly due to fierce competition from Japan… who even managed to take over part of it.
Cute little car, these kinds of cars keep us face to face time and again on the fact that designers left autoland an eternity ago.