Datsun 510

           

    

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Japanese cars were tiny, spartan, and economical, with a reputation for being reliable but disposable--tinny and underpowered, unable to summon enough consistent speed to easily keep up with American freeway traffic.

The Datsun 510 began to open Americans' eyes to the possibilities of Japanese carmakers cranking out interesting and capable small cars. With its clean, attractive lines and tidy proportions, reminiscent of the BMW 1600 and 2002, the 510 combined strong horsepower with eye-popping agility. The complete package made the 510 one of those rare cars in which a unity of purpose results in a package that is both popular and influential. In this case, the 510, along with the aforementioned BMWs, was one of the hugely influential import compact sports sedans that helped shape American tastes and appetites in the decades to come.

Today the 510 has achieved true cult status, thanks in part to a sterling racing record--the red, white, and blue BRE Datsun 510 was driven by such racing icons as Bob Sharp, John Morton, and Paul Newman (yes, the actor) to countless race wins and championships in amateur and Trans-Am racing. These days 510s are hard to find in good condition but are treasured when they are--and the clean, angular lines have aged very well.

Datsun 510s are now popular among the sport compact crowd as an interesting vintage option; personally, I tend to favor the original, stock versions. It's difficult to find much in the way of good original photography, but as usual Flickr comes through--the first photo is by mr_nismo and the second by dhrodrig.

--Chris H.

Comments

[Jason Carpp on December 01, 2008 at 08:15 AM]

I love the original PL510. It's boxy, it's probably the best looking Datsun I've ever seen. The Datsun 810 would've been a perfect replacement for the 510. It's too bad Nissan waited 10 yrs to do that. Oh well. Awesome car, the PL510.

[dennymack on December 05, 2008 at 02:56 AM]

My first 510 cost $150 and ran like a top for 7 years. It was a former cheapo race car owned by a Santa Cruz surfer. He took out the turbo 2 ltr he had in there, left me with a 1600 with a weber and headers, and a truly awesome suspension. The only car I've found that much fun to drive was a 98 911 cabriolet. Bit of a difference in price!
The 510 got good mileage, absolutely loved corners, and it fit me like a glove.(I'm 5'6") Someday I will have another, but after 3 of them I opted to modernize to the 93 sentra SER. A 510 with AC and carpets.
If you want a fun sports car, but need an economical sedan, the 510 is still a reasonable option.
I still cherish the memory of a roadtrip through the rockies. I had to wait at the top of big grades for my friends in their more modern and expensive cars.

[smitty on March 18, 2009 at 05:12 PM]

The WPL510 was one of the coolest wagons of all time. I've owned three, and surely will build another someday, but this time with a diesel and overdrive tranny.