1964 Datsun 1500 SPL310

The original Fairlady, introduced in 1500 form in 1963, was Datsun's first series attempt at building a sports car. Available in both left- and right-hand drive configurations, the Fairlady 1500 wore Italian styling with some distinctly Japanese styling cues. They were well equipped with a clock, radio and tonneau as standard. The early examples had an unusual side-facing rear seat for a third passenger and had a single-carburetor version of the G15 engine sourced from the Cedric sedan, providing nearly 80 horsepower. Many of the other mechanical components were shared with the 310 series Bluebird. The twin carburetor models, built between 1963 and 1965, had side draught 38 HJB Hitachis which brought horsepower to 85 at 5000 RPM. A facelifted model was introduced in 1965, with the original SP310 joined by the 1.6-liter SP311 version and a Silvia Coupe derivative. The ultimate 2000 model of March 1967 was continued to the end of production in 1970.

The small Datsun sports car would prove its performance characteristics and durability in Sports Car Club of America events during the late 1960s, winning the C and D production classes with the help of John Morton, Bob Sharp and others. As well as success on the track, the Fairlady found commercial success, with over 50,000 examples sold. They inspired future generation of Datsun sports cars, including the 240Z.

In the United States, the 1964 Datsun 1500 SPL310 2-passenger sports convertible had a price of nearly $2,500. The inline, overhead-valve four-cylinder engine displaced 72.5 cubic-inches and offered 60 horsepower and 67 lb-ft of torque. The engine was backed by a four-speed manual transmission, and stopping power was provided by four-wheel drum brakes. Standard equipment included a tonneau cover, whitewall tires, roll-up windows, race-type steering wheel, tachometer, and a radio.

By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2020