You gotta trust me, CComrades, Ccolleauges and CCompanions of the Curbside, when I advocate that there is no more desirable ‘60s drop-top than the second generation Datsun Fairlady. Well, it still is CConvertible Week, so we might as well try, try and try again to fire up some enthusiasm for this lovely roadster. Others have tried before, as did I not too long ago – all virtually to no avail. Perhaps this gloriously attractive baby blue early-model will succeed in opening some eyes, preferably both of them.
What’s not to like about the Datsun Fairlady? I mean aside from the name – but then, it’s a Nissan, so the weirdo moniker comes with the territory (et tu Cedric, Violet and Rasheen)? No, but seriously, isn’t it the perfect CC? Just look at it! It’s so lovely, it’s almost giving me a buzz. I’m hooked!
Never mind the suspiciously Austin-esque engine and basic chassis design – it owes nothing to BMC. In fact, it came out before the MGB that everyone thinks it looks like. Some in the British press even claim that Nissan cribbed MG in developing this car. In reality, it should be the other way around: the MG looks like the Fairlady — the Datsun came out first, after all. Time travel is the purview of the De Lorean, not the Fairlady.
It’s exotic, yet original. It’s not emanating from some Italian carrozzeria or high-price consultant, so it’s a fully-fledged Japanese car. And yet, it doesn’t look like a rejected Soviet design, unlike a number of its JDM contemporaries and most of its predecessors. It’s pretty conservative, yet perfectly in tune with its era and still quite usable half a century later. In this early model guise, it has the Cedric’s 1.5 litre OHV 4-cyl., mated to a 4-speed manual. Earth-shattering it is not, but entirely capable and just as competent any contemporary wearing a Fiat, Triumph or Sunbeam badge.
The SP310 was Nissan’s first truly modern sports car, but it also came from a pretty long tradition of Datsun drop-tops, dating back to the early ‘30s. Nissan’s transition from building Austins under license to having a full-fledged home-grown range was remarkably swift: their small 1-litre saloon turned into the Bluebird in 1959 and their first full-size (for Japan) car, the Cedric, arrived in 1960. The S211 drop-top, based on the 1000 saloon / pickup, was shown as early as 1957, but it took two years for a handful of actual sales to follow – all for export to the US.
In 1960, the SP212 was announced, using the Bluebird’s 48hp 1.2 litre engine and a bit more chrome. It also came with the “Fair Lady” nameplate, once again due to a fortuitous brainwave of Nissan CEO Katsuji Kawamata, who had seen the hit musical on Broadway the previous year and enjoyed it immensely. No word on what Nissan’s marketing department or foreign subsidiaries thought of that bright idea, but the name would stick to sporty Datsuns for many, many years. Less than 1000 of these early Fairladies were made in three model years, so these cars were still somewhat artisanal.
The all-new Fairlady SP310 was one of the stars of the 1961 Tokyo Motor Show, but production only got going in late 1962. The engine, as we’ve seen already, was upped to the Cedric 30’s 1500cc unit, but mated to a shortened and lowered Bluebird 310 chassis, with a double-wishbone and coil front end and a leaf-sprung live rear.
Sales started in earnest in 1963 for the JDM, soon followed by export models. The very first Japanese market cars were single-carb and only offered 71hp, but in June 1963, all cars received the twin SUs and 80hp of the export models. Given the car’s 910kg weight, performance, even with this modest cavalry, was deemed quite acceptable.
Until mid-1964, the Fairlady 1500 was sold as a three-seater, with the third seat being situated just behind the driver, but at a right angle (facing left). Our feature car hides this novel attribute under a tonneau cover, but I have found pictures of the same car online, and it does have that third seat.
In May 1965, the Fairlady got a makeover, including a new 90hp 1.6 litre engine and front disc brakes, making it the SP311. The final evolution of the species came in 1967, when the SR311 arrived. This was an altogether more seriously sporty Datsun: 2-litre OHC twin carb engine giving 145hp, all-synchronized 5-speed manual, maximum speed: over 200kph. Production lasted to early 1970.
One interesting thing about the this Fairlady is that, esthetically, this 1963 version and the late-model red SR311 that I wrote up a little while back look remarkably similar. Even in the fast-paced and style-obsessed ‘60s, this car was not so dated that Datsun felt it needed drastic or repeated facelifts, unlike some Alfa Spiders I could mention, or outlasted its welcome like those sad rubberized MGBs. Datsun instead focused their development Yens on turning the Fairlady from a gentleman’s cabriolet into a genuine sports two-seater.
The trick was both to limit the model’s lifespan to a reasonable amount of time (i.e. under a decade), but also to get the looks of the car right from the get go. Certainly, one could never accuse this Fairlady’s bulbous predecessor of that – those look like they were squeeze out of a tube, rather than styled. This is all the more remarkable in that the SP310 was designed entirely in-house, under the responsibility of Hidehiro Iizuka. This was his first effort at a complete exterior design. Beginner’s luck or sheer genius? You be the judge…
A quick and utterly unscientific Google image search shows that quite a few Fairlady 1500s were sold in this colour – possibly the third-largest contingent after red and white. My phone’s camera was in a bad way when I took these pictures (which are now a few months old), so I’ve had to Photoshop these quite a bit to get something usable. This can play havoc with the colour balance – I’ve tried to correct this as best I could. The photos above and below, as well as the top picture, are good representations of what the true colour was like. Nowadays, it’s only ever seen on the odd Fiat 500 or a few kei cars, making this Datsun stand out even more.
In summation, I hope that those of you who never looked at these twice will do so now (and do so again). Because it’s one of those shapes that really grows on you. Perhaps this particular one’s whitewalls or grille design is all you needed to be won over, or some other detail. A quirky rear seat for your mother-in-law, a reasonably peppy engine and an eye-popping gender-reveal blue that you probably haven’t seen in decades: what a combination! So come on, CC. Show this Japanese MG some love – it really deserves it.
Related posts:
Curbside Classic: 1967 Datsun Sports 1600 (SPL311) – My Fairlady’s MGB, by PN
COAL #6: 1969 and 1970 Datsun 2000 Roadsters – Pint Sized Pocket Rockets, by Ed Hardey
CC Outtake: Datsun Fairlady(Sports) 2000 – Winter Is Coming., by Geraldo Solis
CC Capsule: 1965 Datsun Fairlady – A Real Lady Tells No Stories On Herself, by Jim Grey
CC Capsule: 1969 Datsun Fairlady 2000 (SR311) – Putting The “Lion” In Pygmalion, by T87
Well I never, the Fairlady was once Powered by Cedric! Never knew he had it in ‘im, you wouldn’t know by looking, would you?
Anyway, after the inevitable divorce and the insertion of more, er, interested bits like OHC and such into herself, her Ladyness was able to be more of a goer, better able to arouse the needle higher, as it were. 100 mph, I beleive.
But despite your eloquent plea, Dr T, I’m afraid I must decline.There’s just too much that distracts the eye to buy.
What was with the tailight meeting, done under the influence? “And another one ! And another one! And another one!” Who put the boot hinges on the outside when they tried to sober up? Who made the front all Soviet and upright, about as relaxed as a visit to Stalin’s tomb? Probably the same dude who made the side panels too deep and heavy and the screen far too high, I guess.
No, she stumbles and crumbles under the weight of these sort of things, and ends up a grudge purchase when that 124 spyder got too expensive.
It must be allowed that, here, she tries her best, in a pretty colour and whitewalled and generally very scrubbed-up and ready.
Alas, sadly, you can put lipstick on a car, and it still looks like lipstick on a car – not terribly attractive, and easily removed and forgotten.
I will politely disagree with Justy, as I find this car quite nicely done. I would not classify it as “attractive Japanese design” – which is like an asterisk or “good job buddy, everyone gets a trophy” kind of denigration. I consider this simply a good design – an attractive car that was quite modern for 1961. Park this next to a contemporary Triumph Herald and try to tell me the Datsun requires a condescending pat on the head.
If I had one criticism it would be the tail end – the wide flat panel and the multiple taillights look as though the stylists were on some kind of a timed exercise and needed another half hour to really finish up. But if that is the worst part of the car, it is pretty successful overall.
Yes indeed, baby blue was an evergreen (sorry) color from the late 40s into the mid 80s but has vanished completely in the decades since. I will confess that it is not a favorite of mine – I don’t hate it, but it would not be a top contender either. Maybe I might feel differently if it was offered as an alternative to the normal silver/gray/white/black/red color selection.
My guess is they saw a Singer Gazelle and liked it, Isuzu built Hillmans and possibly their derivatives in 50s Japan.
Well, now I know how this vehicle got the ridiculous name “Fair Lady.” I have always liked these cars. I do disagree with a dark red interior with a powder blue paint job, which also shows up on the interior where it is an absolute clash of color. This is a fun type of vehicle. Thanks for the essay.
I think it was seeing it on two-seat Thunderbirds at car shows that made me hate baby blue (and most pastels) on cars. It’s also cop bait.
I’m still feeling a bit faint about the Fairlady name and the pale young females in the ads.
That’s a labor-intensive body to construct. There are no visible seams around the headlight buckets (unlike the later Fairlady Z) In fact there are no visible body panel seams anywhere, other than the one between front clip and rocker panels.
I don’t see MGB here, I see Italian influence such as Fiat or Lancia or even Simca. And someone pointed out that this design was underway long before the B. It stands on its own merits, it is a good design.
This is the first one I’ve seen in this color. The factory colors I’ve seen are white and red.
I’m sort of tripping on the ad for the 1960 SP212. It takes place in a grimy boatyard with what looks like the S.S. Minnow on blocks in the background. The car is a little confection and the driver is wearing goggles? A diving mask? Hard to tell at this distance. She appears to be waving at whatever is attached to the other end of those dangling feet high up in the frame. I mean the choices are weird and raise more questions than they answer. There is a Funky 1950s Japanese Sci-Fi vibe to the ad campaign.
They hit a homerun with the restyled SP310/1500.
A valiant sales pitch, but I must decline. To add (pile on?) to what JP and Justy said, the back end is a hot mess, made worse on this example due to the various stickers and extra light beneath the bumper.
The color is nice but the package does nothing for me. To be fair about it all, the topless portion is appealing however the petite size would leave me feeling vulnerable and exposed if any other vehicles were around.
I think the trick to falling in love with this is to see it in the context of its time and place of origin. For a Japanese car of the early 60’s it’s beautiful. It works for me on pretty much every level when I present it to myself through that lens.
I also have a “thing” for that baby blue color on cute, spritely little cars. I really wanted the 500 1957 Edition the first time I laid eyes on it.
“Mine is the power baby blue Fairlady!”, said no one ever – at least in English.
I guess the Japanese have always had an addiction to cuteness. I thought it was a modern affliction.
Nice. Cute. Estrogen-filled goodness.
At least in SRL311 form, with the wider front track (I assume, or was it just different wheels?) I think these look great. Not hugely distinctive, but overall, as pleasant as an MGB and better proportioned than the 124 Spider which has nice details but never excited me. And I actually saw TWO Datsun Roadsters on the road last week, both 2000’s however, separated by a few days and 100 miles. In fact, not Datsun-related, but in a similar vein, last Sunday I saw a 246 Dino and a 365GTC4 Daytona, both driving on the freeway and again 100 miles apart so presumably unrelated. Wish I had a dash cam …
The ‘Fairlady’ badge is still in use on Nissan sports cars the Z is only the export model and of course the ex JDM Fairladies show up over here as used imports.
Yes, and the original Fairlady Z – the 240Z here – followed this car in 1969. Whatever the shortcomings of this car (and I believe like others that seen through the lens of its times, it was a desirable car), you can’t say Datsun didn’t apply the lessons learned here, very well indeed.
I appreciate the sales job and I believe I will take one! I’m not deeply familiar with classic Japanese cars generally, so I did a quick comparo with other 60’s JDM roadsters. I would say the Fairlady comes off favorably next to any of them. Prettier than the Honda S600, more conventionally attractive than the Toyota 2000GT and certainly the Mazda Cosmo. There’s hardly a bad line on it.
The rear is perhaps a little suspect, but I don’t really have a problem with it. Considering it was 1963 (the owner was first in line for those license plates!), the little finlets and separate round taillights were pretty conventional. The back panel is super plain, but better to err in that direction than over the top. The only thing I don’t care for is the stance, it looks a little saggy in the rear especially as compared to the front that sits a little high. I imagine that would be worse with a couple passengers in it.
I love the name and had no idea the origin before now! It sounds a bit like a translation from Japanese that maybe to speakers of the language would have a meaning closer to “hot babe”, which would be a great sports car name. I find it interesting that the model at the Japanese car show is anglo, and the model in the Japanese ad is kind of ethnically ambiguous. Was the car ever sold outside of Asia?
It was sold in Australia.
In the mid 1970s I worked at one of the largest Datsun dealers in America. I was assistant service manager, and I oversaw what automobiles were assigned to specific mechanics. [We averaged about 12 to 15 Datsun mechanics, and around a dozen BMW mechanics as well]]
NONE of the mechanics wanted to even touch a SP311. If the car was assigned to a mechanic late in the day, he would decide to go home early rather than work on one. Part of this was the fact that Datsun of North America didn’t include ANY SP311 or 411 spare parts in the dealer inventory, any part that was specific to the 311 and 411 cars had to be ordered, and that meant the car would sit around for weeks until the parts came in. We had quite a few SP311 cars in the area, yet Datsun wasn’t interested in maintaining parts inventory.
In the zone meetings I attended, the parts manager would complain that when he tried to order SP311 parts for inventory, they would never get them. It got to the point he would have to include a VIN to order the parts, even for popular parts intended for inventory.
While I couldn’t tell the car owners why, I would sometimes suggest they get the parts elsewhere, and ask us to install them. That way my mechanics would be less likely to go home!
Wonderfully eccentric design details on show here. This is why I love Japanese cars and design. The rear end reminds me of a happy face in a Takashi Murakami artwork, or Hello Kitty for that matter. If a car can make me smile I’m in! Thanks Mr T!
I remember these cars well when I was a kid, They sold lots of them here in the Islands. Unfortunately the salt air took its toll on them, as did most most Japanese vehicles at the time.
I would call this one a tie, up against an early MGB. The B’s tail end is better done, and the proportions of the B behind the seats are different and a bit better (not carving out the space for the third seat). The early MGB interior is much more elegant and well conceived as a whole than this car. However, the MGB got worse with age, as the interior got cheapened out well before the rubber bumpers showed up. Throw in the single Z-S carburetor, and anything after the late ‘60s was a comedown with the MGB. Meanwhile, the Fairlady grew some real and welcome horsepower, before leaving the stage.
The MGB started off on the better foot, but the Fairlady’s swan song and exit made for a much better end-of-the story. Either one built in the ‘60s (just call it all of this generation of the Fairladies) is worthy of the breed, IMO.
? Where did my post go ? .
I foolishly passed on a 1970 (IIRC) with the 2 liter engine that needed a valve job for $1,800 in the late 1990’s, I should have bought it as I really like how these cars look and drive .
The styling looks fresh and good to these old eyes .
-Nate