1967 Datsun 1600 Sport Roadster Convertible

In the early 1960s, Nissan's Datsun brand was gaining some popularity, especially their light duty pickups which were praised for being reliable, durable, and economical. Their Patrol 4X4 vehicles promoted by cowboy star Roy Rogers, however, put only a small dent in the off-road market. Thanks in part to a boost in power, the sedans were starting to be seen on more and more streets in the United States. In the world of sports cars, Datsun was ahead of all other Japanese competitors and carving out a little market niche of its owner. The 1500cc Fairlady, model SPL310, was replaced in 1965 by a new and improved model, the SPL311, 1600 version. It was this model that started to capture those wanting to get into the sports scene on a tight budget. Actor turned race-car driver Paul Newman used a Fairlady for his first racing events which led him to become a major supporter of Peter Brock's BRE Datsun team.

This particular example is an early production model of the 1600, and features what appears to be its original drive trains. It is finished in its original shade of white with black vinyl bucket seats. It has a vintage Momo 'Team' steering wheel and has been upgraded with a set of custom sport alloy wheels. Power is from a 1596cc overhead valve four-cylinder engine fitted with two HS4 carburetors and producing nearly 100 horsepower. There is a four-speed manual transmission and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes.

By Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2017