More than an old car #135: Datsun Bluebird 310

It is always a pleasure to find classics that I had never thought would exist here, especially older Japanese cars. People often wax lyrical about the golden age of Japanese motoring in the 80s and 90s, but I decided to show love to them as well, such as this 1963 Datsun Bluebird 310 DeLuxe!

Introduced in 1959, the 1st-generation Bluebird was also known as the 310 series, following its previous 110 and 210 series cars. Interestingly, its name is derived from the 1908 play L'Oiseau bleu (The Blue Bird) by the Nobel-Prize winning playwright Maurice Maeterlinck. The then-president of Nissan Motors, Katsuji Kawamata, named it as such after changing it from 'Snowbird', which was slang for 'drug addict'. As with cars of that era, it adopted styling cues from larger US cars

Initially released in sedan form, an estate version was introduced in 1960. In 1961, the engine was upgraded and cars were known as the 311. In the same year, a facelift was done to the front grille and the headlights and it was known as the 312, along with a larger engine upgrade: Nissan learnt from the success of the VW Beetle and felt that a more powerful car could be a game-changer. The 310 was available with a variety of trims, the highest being the DeLuxe which sported a full-length stainless steel strip on the body. It was powered by a 1189 cc E-1 i4 engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 120 km/h with an acceleration of 24 seconds [0-100 km/h]. It was 3915 mm long and weighed 900 kg, with a fuel consumption of 11 litres/100 km.

Production of the Bluebird 310 ended in 1963 with about 210,000 units made. They were sold in Singapore from 1959 by Tan Chong Motors, back when we were still part of Malaya. It sold for RM 5,975 [S$11,432 in today's money], which was a manageable price at that time. This unit was recently imported from Japan and is currently on sale, although there does not seem to be any takers yet.

It is indeed a very quirky little car to own, and the fact that not many Japanese cars from the 1960s survive does speak volumes about its durability. On the other hand, this unit is most likely one of the few that still exists worldwide. Will there be any takers? Who knows, maybe you may consider getting this when it is still available!

Historic classic rides #1: Nissan Cedric 330/ Datsun 220C

(Credits to Wong Ye Yong on Facebook)

For this particular piece, I decided to write about old cars in Singapore that I have not seen personally before. Previously, I preferred to write about cars that I had photographed as it felt original. However, I was also attracted by the variety of rides that existed before my time, which subsequently became extinct. I figured it could be a nice history lesson of the old cars that existed before some of you were even born, and it was also due to popular demand. Let me kick off this series with the Nissan Cedric 330/Datsun 220C taxis!

The 330 was the 4th generation of the Cedric range and was first introduced in 1976. It still carried a distinctly American styling, as Japanese designers were still relying on continental cars as inspiration. In export markets including Singapore, it was known as the Datsun 200C/220C/260C/280C, with reference to its engine capacity. As with previous generations of Cedrics, they were also popular as taxis as seen in the picture. These units were powered by a 2164 cc SD22 diesel i4 engine, allowing it to reach a theoretical top speed of 170 km/h. It was more likely, however, that their top speed was controlled in some way. The Cedric 330 was 4690 mm long and weighed 1420 kg. It was first sold here in 1976 by Tan Chong Motors, our local Nissan dealer, where it was made available for civilian use too.

Production of the 330 ended in 1979, where it was replaced by the 5th-generation 430. These cars here belonged to the Singapore Airport Bus Services (SABS), which also operated a fleet of buses that ferried tourists from Changi Airport to various hotels. SABS was first formed in 1977, where it was under the management of Singapore Bus Services (SBS), which is the bus company that we know of today. While the bus services were well-received, this was not the case for the taxi branch: many Singaporeans had the misconception that it only carried tourists, and the fact that it was not licensed to enter the CBD during morning peak hours also hurt its reputation.

SABS had a fleet of 200 taxis and drivers could rent them at S$31 per day [S$61 in today's money]: the drivers would pay only for the fuel while SABS bore the maintenance costs. Compared to its competitors with rental rates between S$36-38 [S$71-75 today], it was attractive to potential drivers. There were special taxi stands for SABS taxis, where they could pick up passengers during the evening rush hour. However, SABS incurred much losses over the years and it faded quietly off the radar some time in 2004.

This concept was rather interesting during its time but with the rise of ride-hailing services, such a service would not last long today. Nonetheless, it is a unique piece of history that many people may not be aware of: I had to read up about SABS online initially. Furthermore, none of the Datsun 220Cs have survived today, as with most Japanese cars of that era. It would have been lovely to see one still hanging on all this while...and I hope that this was informative for you!

PS: if you have old pictures of your own car/family car (ideally already extinct in Singapore), you are welcome to send them to me and I'll try to feature it!

More than an old car #77: Datsun 280ZX

Datsun was at the forefront of the 70s as the oil crisis promoted a resurgence of smaller Japanese cars. While riding high on the success of the 240/260/280Z, Datsun proceeded to release the Nissan S130, also known as this 1980 Datsun 280ZX.

It was a complete redesign as it focused more on driver comfort rather than racing: changes included sound insulation, high-end audio system and more comfortable seats. The dashboard included a computerised read-out indicator that showed whether the lights were in working condition. The exterior design was less rounded and included a set of safety bumpers. However, people felt that this car betrayed their idea of what a Z car should be. This was partly due to its less powerful engine where it could be outrun by a Mazda RX7.

Despite the naming, there were both 2-litre and 2.8 litre engines offered: export markets got the 2.8 litre version while the Japanese domestic market had both versions. It was powered by a 2753cc L28E i6 engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 203 km/h, with an acceleration of 9.4 seconds [0-100km/h]. It was 4340 mm long and weighed 1205 kg.

Production of the S130 ended in 1983 with about 420,000 made. They were actually sold here starting from 1979 by Tan Chong Motors, our local Nissan dealer. It received positive reviews from the local news as shown here. This unit has been imported recently from the UK and it has gone through 2 number plate changes. I recalled seeing the EQ plate on a Volvo P1800, so it seems they have the same owner. Z cars in general are very rare here, and perhaps you will be able to see it soon!

More than an old car #58: Datsun Sunny 1200

Many of you would be familiar with Nissan even if you are not into cars. From Uber/Grab cars, to Cabstar lorries or even your parents' car, chances are that you would hit a Nissan if you were to throw a rock randomly. However, Nissan's history stretches way back and it was renowned for producing classics such as this 1971 Datsun Sunny 1200.

In 1911, Masujiro Hashimoto founded the Kaishinsha Jidosha Kojo ['A Good Company Automobile Manufacturer'], and in 1914 it produced its first car called the DAT. The car's name was an acronym of the company's investors' surnames: Kenjiro Den, Rokuro Aoyama and Meitaro Takeuchi. The company's name was later changed to Jidosha-Seizo Co. Ltd in 1934, which later became part of Nissan Motor Co. Ltd in 1934. The Nissan name came about as an abbreviation of Nihon Sangyo, the holding company.
At this point, you may be already confused by Nissan and Datsun, but remember that they are the same company. The Datsun name was phased out in 1985 and subsequent cars are produced under the Nissan name.

The Datsun Sunny 1200, also known as the B110, was produced in 1970 as a competitor to the Toyota Corolla. Back in 1965, Nissan held a national campaign to name its newest product and after 8 million suggestions, the name 'Sunny' was chosen after being nominated 3,105 times. Variants included a 2/4 door sedan, a 3/5 door station wagon and even a pick-up truck. Its popularity increased when it performed well in Japanese rally events, and fulfilled a market gap for small cars in places like Australia.
It was powered by a 1172cc Nissan A12 i4 engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 150km/h with an acceleration of 14.8 seconds [0-100km/h]. It was 3830mm long and weighed 715kg.

Production ended in 1973, where it was replaced by the Datsun B210. I believe there are a few more out there on our roads, although this specimen is the most visible as it makes regular appearances at car meets. This specimen has been restored quite lovingly, along with a front lip spoiler. Fender mirrors also add a touch of classic JDM feels--this feature is something you don't get to see often. However, it can also be a nuisance to adjust if the mirrors become misaligned inadvertently. It is really cool to see such classic machines that once ruled our roads back then, and it is really commendable for the owner to save an otherwise nondescript vehicle. Do keep a lookout for it and appreciate its uniqueness behind its boxiness!