Curbside Find: 1974-1976 Datsun 710 Wagon - Still Running, Still a Little Weird

Curbside Find: 1974-1976 Datsun 710 Wagon — Still Running, Still a Little Weird

– Posted on October 18, 2026

Sightings of Seventies Japanese cars used to be a very regular CC staple, but they’ve become increasingly rare in recent years. The last time I shared a Datsun 710 from that era was two years ago, and on that post Paul noted in the comments section that Eugene’s 710s were apparently all gone. But a few survivors are still earning their keep in the good ol’ USA, as this wagon found in New Orleans and uploaded to the CC Cohort by Michael Courtney demonstrates.

We’ve covered the odd Datsuns of the Seventies in detail before, with the 710 getting a few posts of its own (links below). In short, the 710 (first-generation Violet in Japan) seems to embody both the goods and ills associated with Japanese cars—and Nissan in particular—from this era. The styling was wonky, yet not quite odd enough to be endearingly quirky. It was just… off, wrapping conventional, uninspiring mechanicals. Yet the 710 also embodied the qualities that made Japanese cars of the era appealing: decent assembly, straightforward and easy-to-maintain hardware, and above-average reliability that could keep one going for ages (as long as the tin worm could be kept under control).

As the images make clear, the 710 followed Nissan’s detour into curious “Fuji-lage” styling (Paul’s term) that marked Datsuns of the early Seventies. It also offered uninspired driving qualities and a cheapened feel that were becoming increasingly common in the company’s lineup at the time. Part of that was Nissan’s interpretation of Seventies Broughamatic plushness (and cost cutting), which made some sense then, even if it made their products less memorable than earlier hits like the 510 and 240Z.

Still, some of these cars proved remarkably long-lived, surviving to almost spooky degrees, like this one. And their weirdness clearly appeals to some, as the irony-laced bumper stickers suggest. Datsuns of this era seem almost postmodern to me, with their contradictory styling cues: flowing fuselage lines, Brougham touches, and fake-wood accents. How very postmodern—and how perfect for the irony-loving owner of this one. Even one who doesn’t believe in free will.