1960 Datsun Fairlady SPL212

Datsun introduced the SPL212 in 1960 and was produced until 1962 with approximately 495 examples built. They were built exclusively for the export market, and the 'L' in the name was in reference to the 'left hand drive' configuration. This was Datsun's first sports car imported to the United States. The company's first Sports model was the 1959 S211, powered by a 988cc C-series straight-4 offering 36 horsepower. It was based on the Datsun 211 sedan and wore a design by Yuichi Ohta, who had previously designed the Datsun DC-3 and the prototype to the S211, the A80X. The S211 had a fiberglass body while the SPL212 had steel bodywork. The 1189cc E-series straight-4 engine offering nearly 50 horsepower and was based by a four-speed manual transmission. Drum brakes at the front and rear provided the stopping power.

The Datsun SPL212 was the first vehicle to wear the 'Fairlady' name. It was named after the Broadway musical 'My Fair Lady,' a beloved musical of Nissan Motors Chairman Mr. Katsuji Kawamata

by Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2020