The Datsun name was dropped by Nissan in 1983,
timed to aid in an all out assault the company
was determined to make on the European market.
Nissan purchased a controlling interest in Motor
Iberica of Spain, and soon had the company building
Nissan Patrol 4x4’s. They then built a
brand new factory in Sunderland, UK to build
the Bluebird.
The expansion programme was not
without cost, and given the Button plan for car
manufacturer rationalisation in Australia, most
knew it would be Nissan that would close – although
the company did not want to abandon the Aussie
market, and output in Japan was increased to
help compensate. The Sunderland UK plant expanded,
as did a plant in Tennesse, USA, mostly thanks
to the popularity of the company’s new
micro car, aptly named the “Micra”.
The “Z” cars had lost much of their
past appeal, and so the company desperately needed
a new hero car. The 200 and 240SX’s went
some of the way, but the flagship was undeniably
the Skyline GT-R. It lacked a little of the power
of the ZX, but the 208.8 kW 158.7 kW 2.6 litre
twin turbo straight six was tractable and smooth,
and when linked to a viscous-coupled four wheel
drive and four wheel steering system it made
to a simply stunning and awesome drive.
But unlike
other Japanese manufacturers, it is arguably
the 4 wheel drive iterations that the company
is best known for, the Patrol being joined by
the X-Trail “soft roader” where
both either hold, or challenge, for top position
in their respective categories.
1960 - 1961
The Nissan Cedric was a vehicle of exceptional quality,
its only serious problem was that it was given one of
the most ridiculous names in the history of the motor
car. More>>
1962 - 1975
The 31 series featured a new front end treatment, with
the headlights now mounted horizontally inside a new cast
alloy grille. It had a metal dash board with two large
round dials. As with the previous model, there was a choice
of two engines, the 1488cc 71hp OHV 4cyl. G series engine
or the new 1883cc 95hp OHV 4cyl. H series engine. Available
in 4 door sedan (31) and 5 door wagon (WP31). More>>
1963 - 1965
The Cedric Special was a long wheel base version of the
Cedric 30 and Cedric 31 series. The extra length was needed
to accomodate the 2825cc 118hp OHV 6 cylinder K series
engine. Distinguishing it from the lesser Cedric's was
the different grille and lashings of extra bright-work.
More>>
1965 - 1970
The 130 series featured a whole new look for the Cedric.
The new body was designed by Italian stylist Pininfarina,
and was available with several different engines. There
was the 1983cc 99hp OHV 4cyl. H20 engine, the 1992cc 109hp
OHV 6cyl. J20 engine or the 1998cc 112hp OHC 6cyl. L20
engine. The Special 6 had a twin carb. version of the
L20 engine producing 123hp. More>>
1983 - 1987
The Pulsar will be remembered in the anals of automotive history as brilliantly mediocre, however there was one particular Pulsar that was far from being forgettable. Right from the get-out, the EXA received a positive reception and went a long way to establishing the credentials of compact turbocharged performance cars that we all take for granted today. More>>
1983 - 1988
For its time, the Gazelle was a modern, elegant and feature packed vehicle that, from an engineering perspective (both in exterior design and mechanically), stood head and shoulders above the rest. There are too few cars from the 1980's that remain appealing, most designs mimicking a "box-on-wheels" approach. The Nissan Gazelle is a rare exception.More>>
1989 - 1996
Folowing in the tradition of the hugely successful Datsun
240Z and 260Z, Nissan's third generation 300ZX started
a new wave of attack to the high-performance GT segment.
More>>
