carstrucks
Datsun
Japan · Founded 1931
The Japanese brand that beat the British at their own game. Z-cars, 510s, and trucks that refused to die — Datsun earned its place in American garages through pure value.
Heritage
Datsun was Nissan's export brand, and it succeeded by offering more car for less money than anyone else. The 240Z was a sports car that could hang with Porsches at half the price. The 510 was a BMW 2002 alternative that actually started every morning. The pickups were unkillable workhorses. Datsun proved that 'Japanese' didn't mean 'cheap' — it meant 'smart money.' The brand was killed in 1986 when Nissan wanted one global name, but the Datsun era produced some of the most collectible Japanese cars ever built.
