It was during the oil crisis of the early 1970s that Japanese cars really started to take a chunk of market share in the United States. One of the vehicles responsible for that shift was the subcompact Datsun B210. Dealerships marketed the car as a “Mini Z.” What it lacked in performance, it made up for in fuel economy.
The Pick of the Day is a 1974 Datsun B210 listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in San Jose, California. (Click the link to view the listing.)
“Hello to all lovers of classic Datsuns,” the listing begins. “This is a great weekend warrior or daily driver.”
The seller reportedly acquired the car from its original owner with only 20,000 miles on the odometer. It now has about 31,000, as “she sat dormant for many years.” The vivid turquoise exterior was the first thing to catch my eye on this vintage hot-hatch; the interior with its orange carpeting is equally eye-catching. The compact cabin appears largely original aside from an Alpine AM/FM/CD audio system.
The “210” name was used for a variety of Datsun/Nissan cars over the years; the B210 for 1973 through 1977 corresponded with the third generation of the Nissan Sunny subcompact.
Datsun called the B210 “an economy champion” and another magazine ad said it was “Built to keep its figure.” By the word “figure,” Datsun meant the car’s EPA ratings of 41 miles per gallon on the highway and 29 in the city. “All Datsuns are designed to get good car mileage as well as good gas mileage,” an ad said, “For instance, the steel body is of one-piece unibody construction. So, it will stay in one piece.”
The engine responsible for that impressive fuel economy is a petite yet peppy “A13” 1.3-liter inline-four paired with a five-speed manual transmission (this car originally came with a four-speed, but it has since been upgraded). Recent mechanical service includes oil and fluid changes. The listing says, “She runs cool with an upgraded aluminum radiator, electric fan system, and electric distributor.” As an added benefit to California-based folks, the car is smog-exempt, since the state of California does not require emissions testing for any vehicle from pre-1975.
The asking price is $20,000 or best offer, which will include documentation, a spare tire, a jack, an uninstalled air conditioning kit, and spare parts galore. What are you waiting for? A package deal this compelling doesn’t come up very frequently.
Click here to view the listing for this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com.
Source: www.classiccars.com