1968 Datsun 1600

History

Datsun sports cars, in certain markets, were known as Fairlady. These were a series of roadsters produced in the 1960's and a predecessor to the Z car. The series designation for the Fairlady's included S212, S213, SP310, SP311, and SRL311.

In 1959 Datsun introduced a sports car, the S211, powered by 988 cc engine capable of producing just under 40 horsepower. Production was low with only 20 examples being produced. The following year the S212 was put into production outfitted with a slightly larger engine at 1.2 liter and producing nearly 50 horsepower. The S212 was the first vehicle to be adorned with the Fairlady name.

In 1961 performance was slightly increased with the adoption of a dual-carburetor, brining horsepower up to 60. Not bad for a small car. During its production lifespan lasting only two years, 217 examples were created.

The Datsun 1500 Roadster, the SP310, was introduced to the public at the 1961 Tokyo Motor Show. It was powered by a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine capable of producing 77 horsepower. In 1964 a second SU carburetor was added and the horsepower increased to 85. A final revision of the 1500 was introduced in 1965, complete with a new interior. The dash layout was redesigned and the back seat was removed.

In 1966 a 96 horsepower engine was introduced and continued in production until mid-1970. This 1.6-liter power-plant meant the name of the 1500 Roadster was changed to the 1600, SP311, to reflect the new engine displacement size.

A 135 horsepower 2 liter engine, complete with dual SU carburetors, was introduced in 1967. Vehicles outfitted with this power-plant were referred to as the 2000 roadster, or SRL311. The Datsun 2000 was built for racing with hopes of creating a sporty image for Datsun. It was raced in SCCA in the D-Production class where it had very consistent strong finishes. Paul Newman was one of the more famous of the drivers to pilot the car. Production of the 2000 roadster ceased in 1970 when Datsun introduced the famous 240-Z car.

By Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2006