Tokyo’s a big place. If you look hard enough in this town, you can find anything. Even a scruffy-looking high-trim Bluebird. I actually have two of these SSS U12s in my files, but the other one is the usual super-pristine type, freshly resprayed and aftermarket-shod. Originality has a higher value than cleanliness, in my book, so we’ll have a look at this well-worn example.
We’ve actually already had a quick look at this generation of Bluebird hardtop, but not in this grade. What we have here is the near top-of-the-range, the SSS Attesa (Nissan-speak for AWD). Not sure what the “X” stands for exactly. Maybe it was formerly known as the Attesa-Twitter. Or maybe it’s the adult-only version, the triple X triple S, if you will. Too many letters, my dear Nissan. The real range-topper, in terms of luxury, would be the SSS Limited, I believe. But no matter, this will do us fine.
Being a later car of the U12 breed (1987-91), this SSS also boasts the famous 140hp SR20 two-litre DOHC 4-cyl.; the turbocharged version of this engine took over from the 1.8 litre CA18 as the model’s top performance engine in late 1989 on the Attesa Limited, where it produced a very respectable 205hp — just as much as the SSS-R rally car that NISMO offered at almost ¥3m a pop, but with more creature comforts.
Hence why the SSS-R’s popularity went downhill very fast in the U12’s later years: the standard SSS was about as fast and much better value. Still, if there’s one U12 Nissan that could be termed as a genuine collectible, it’s this one here.
Besides, the SSS-R was only available with the saloon body, as opposed to the much racier-looking hardtop we have here. And this is a genuine 4-door hardtop, none of those “pillared hardtop” shenanigans that Toyota and Honda were playing at the time. The rear windows might not go all the way down, I grant you. But who else was making 4-door hardtops in the early ‘90s?
Inside, it wasn’t all fun and games, though. Black plastic dash and grey pinstriped seats and door cards – all quite business-like. Maybe a bit too business-like, in my opinion, but that’s not the case with all U12 Bluebirds. When I covered this model back in 2020, the one I found then had a very sexy combo of a brown dash and red velour upholstery. So they did have colour back then.
Obviously, not everyone is keen on earth tones for their car interior. I can understand that. But this one feels rather cold. Well-appointed, very well put together and airy, but a touch impersonal. Very much of its time, I guess.
Hard to believe that this is a JDM Stanza, platform-wise. Stanzas were pretty much the bottom-feeders of Nissan’s North American range, the thing they tried to fob off to clients who felt the Maxima was a little too rich for their bank balance. In Japan, the Bluebird could be both your bog-standard family grocery-getter or a swanky turbocharged AWD hardtop.
Not that this can save any car from the pits of banger-dom, which is where this one is headed fast. It’s obviously sleeping outside and has had more than a few scrapes. It looks as old as it is, in other words. Not a bad thing by any means, but in this country, appearances matter a lot. It probably is still being driven by the person who ordered it 30-plus years ago, and said person is also likely to be kinda rusty by now. Once that moderately careful owner finally gives up their license (or kicks the bucket), this Bluebird’s probably done for. It’s too old to be exportable and too shabby to be worth anything in Japan, so the future looks bleak. I took these pictures in early 2021, so there’s a fair chance it’s already gone to the boneyard.
A damn shame, I’m sure you’ll agree. There’s a slim chance someone will have recognized it for the AWD pillarless wunder-Bird it actually is and is giving it the TLC it needs to keep gracing the roads with its presence. Perhaps, if it’s still alive, a well-heeled foreigner (so, not me) might be better placed to undertake this altruistic work of auto-avian preservation. If the locals won’t, then maybe, say, a Norwegian would?
Related posts:
CC Capsule: 1990 Nissan Bluebird (U12) Hardtop – JDM Extrava-Stanza, by T87
CC Capsule: 1989-1992 Nissan Stanza (Bluebird U12): The Shrinking Violet, by PN
Curbside Classic: 1989-92 Ford Corsair/Nissan Pintara – A Lame Duck Bluebird, by William Stopford
In the US Nissan lineup, it was overshadowed by not just the Maxima but the smaller, cheaper Sentra. The Altima redesign brought style and was a credible Accord alternative in its first couple generations. Big Altima Energy came later still.
This one has the SR20DET, the turbocharged version, correct? I had an SR20DE (no T) in my ‘93.5 Infiniti G20 and while it was a wonderful engine and car (when paired with the five-speed manual), it didn’t produce anywhere near 200hp… A shame, that, as uprated with the turbo and awd like this one would have made for an extremely compelling vehicle.
This one certainly makes a Stanza far more compelling than it ever was otherwise as a driver’s car, the Bluebird name isn’t much better than Stanza though, it certainly removes some if not a lot of the sizzle (SiSSle?) . The hardtop is a nice shape in general, at first glance of just the top photo (front) I was seeing our Maxima of the day which was likely the high point of that nameplate over here. The front’s certainly got it going on, what with the fogs and deep-ish spoiler and the mesh grille, it falls apart a little bit towards the rear where it could be your pastor’s Sunday sermon car, it needs a little affectation like a painted but spongy little rear lip spoiler like a Maxima SE.
Nope, this one is NOT a turbo.
The turbo (i.e. SR20DET) engine was only offered on the SSS ATTESA Limited and the SSS-R. All other Bluebird trims were normally aspirated. The Limited also got a different interior cloth on the door panels and seat centers than the regular SSS models.
For this generation, Nissan split the Bluerbird into either SSS (sport model with black trim) or Urban Saloon (broughamy model with chrome trim) branches, available on either the full sedan or hardtop bodies, and in either front-wheel drive or 4WD (ATTESA) versions.
Thanks, then I’m not understanding something, I find it hard to believe that Nissan was getting 205hp out of the naturally aspirated SR20DE back in the early 1990s. Isn’t this basically the same engine that was in my Infiniti G20 with around 140hp?
205hp was the rating for the SR20DET in the Limited and SSS-R. The regular SR20DE was the 140hp version in the G20.
Thank you for that – it was a little unclear to me from the sources I perused to write this, and it’s not clear in what I wrote either as a result… Will amend the text!
“Norwegian Would” ! Isn’t it good ?
I see what you did there ! Isn’t it good ?
I miss those days of the 1980’s when we would get container cars full of low mileage JDM engines. I would take this engine, and the SSS emblem off the grill, and the rest of it can go become a new LG fridge. I still have my Toyota 18R-G sitting in the corner of the garage 🙂
No its not too old to be exportable. I have seen older cars sold overseas.
Friend of mine had two a exJDM hardtop sedan which was totalled, then the dealer gave her another in regular fordor with out the snowtyres that put the first one into a bank,she liked it and habitually bought Nissans for years.Old bangers like that cant be imported now.
These used to be everywhere here back in the 90s/00s! In fact one of my flatmates at University bought one of these Greybirds in 1994 – same colour inside and out as the featured one, but with steel wheels and plastic hubcaps. I loved the truly-pillarless styling and passengering experience, but the ‘bird was a bit cramped inside (and I’m not big!), which led a few years later to my series of pillarless Laurels.
My first car was a 1974 Datsun 710, also in the “Violet” family, which I had till 1981. I’ve since jumped over to VW but my 2 youngest sisters bought 4 different Nissan 200/240 SX (all coupes); my middle sister still has a 1997 she bought new, so still in the family.
I’m getting to the age where I’m thinking I should trade my manual VW for something with an automatic, but I’m not a fan of CVT, which Nissan puts in place of discrete ratio unit. Something of this vintage would be just right, other than it being older model than my current car. Somewhere I think I still have a brochure for a 1992 Stanza, something like that would be about what I’m looking for…if I could find one in reasonable shape.