Datsun 180B SSS Coupé, 1973. The 610 series 4th generation Bluebird was badged as a Datsun internationally but also for the Japanese market. The SSS model had twin-Hitachi carburetors for its 1,770cc L series 4 cylinder engine.

Datsun’s beloved original 510-series Bluebird grew into the 610-series “Bluebird U” in late 1971; a bigger, heavier car with American, rather than European, influenced styling. Many early 70s Japanese cars were heavily influenced by American muscle car shapes, and the 610, like its rival the X10 Toyota Corona MkII, had some Cutlass/Torino/Satellite overtones. As Japan’s car market grew in size, more models proliferated and the Bluebird grew with it. To properly replace the 510 a smaller version of the car followed - 1973’s Datsun 710-series Violet, with similar style but with dimension that mirrored the 510. - The 610 (sans Bluebird name) arrived in North America first - in late 1972, and was for a little while sold alongside the 510 2-door. Datsun’s U.S. arm was keen to expand their lineup, so having more cars to sell was good in theory. The 610 was only a few inches larger than the 510, but visually it seemed much bigger -and it was pricier too. Like the American mid-sizes, this car was aimed at families, and it had a very good first year – more than 65,000 sold. The 710 (sans Violet) arrived a year later to properly replace the smaller 510; but that’s where things got confusing. - The 610 was the larger and more expensive of the visually-similar pair; but both cars shared an engine - the ~95hp four-cylinder L20B; which made the cheaper but numerically higher 710 the faster version – a hard to parse situation for consumers. Neither were as athletic as the 510 had been. The U in “Bluebird U” stood for User-oriented – style, features, and comfort were emphasized over performance; just like the American mid-sizes – but the 510 was a very hard act to follow and the 610/710 pair were never as popular. Datsun’s U.S. growth in the mid-1970s came mostly B210s, Z-cars, and pickups. - Given their propensity to rust and perception in the 80s as “throwaway cars,” there are very few 610s and 710s left. Drawn to the 610’s styling owner Jordan T. rescued this ’75 610 wagon 4 years ago from death’s door (“$300, worn out rings, and a brake caliper that seized on the way home”) and built it into this distinctively modified car that would look equally at home in Japan. https://www.instagram.com/p/BzLncaXA22d/?igshid=1wvw2wa8luoqn

Junkyard Find: 1980 Datsun 310 Coupe

Nissan sold lots of the original Datsun 510s in the United States, and so the remainder of the 1970s saw a whole series of model names ending in “10” showing up in Datsun dealerships. Some (e.g., the 610 and 710) were Bluebird-based cars like the 510, but the 310 was really a Cherry-based Nissan Pulsar. […]

The post Junkyard Find: 1980 Datsun 310 Coupe appeared first on The Truth About Cars.

Junkyard Find: 1980 Datsun 310 Coupe

Nissan sold lots of the original Datsun 510s in the United States, and so the remainder of the 1970s saw a whole series of model names ending in “10” showing up in Datsun dealerships. Some (e.g., the 610 and 710) were Bluebird-based cars like the 510, but the 310 was really a Cherry-based Nissan Pulsar. […]

The post Junkyard Find: 1980 Datsun 310 Coupe appeared first on The Truth About Cars.

50 years on: Datsun Bluebird U Hardtop 2000 GT-X, 1973. Making its debut 50 years ago at the 20th Tokyo Motor Show in October 1973. The 610 series Bluebird had been introduced in 1971 to sell alongside the 510 series. Nissan used the Tokyo Motor Show in 1973 to expand the 610 Bluebird U range including the 2000 GT-X which was powered by Nissan's L-series 1998cc straight 6 OHC engine

Nissan Bluebird U 1600 SSS-E Hardtop, 1972. The pillarless coupé version of the fourth generation (610 series) Blubird. It was sold on some markets as the Datsun 160/180B and in the US as the 610

Datsun Bluebird-U 1600 SSS-E 2-Door Hardtop, 1972. The 610 series Bluebird was made between 1971 and 1976