Jalopnik: datsun 710

The Next Big Thing: Datsun 710 Theme Song

Murilee Martin — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST

Sometimes a car speaks to you, and what it says moves you so profoundly that you must burst into song! Such was the case with the Datsun 710 and BABE Rally veteran Timothy Hansen.

Mr. Hansen is also the guy who sold a running '72 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 4.5 to a LeMons racer for 500 bucks, so that we might have a Roten Sau shoving those boring E30s and RX-7s into the perceptual background noise. OK, here's "710" for your dancing enjoyment:

1975 Datsun 710

Murilee Martin — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST

Welcome to Down On The Street, where we admire old vehicles found parked on the streets of the Island That Rust Forgot: Alameda, California. Here's a sight you won't see often: a survivor Datsun 710!

Known as the Datsun 140J in Europe and the Nissan Violet in Japan, the Datsun 710 was priced between the sporty 610 and the bare-bones B210 in the North American market. You got a 100-horsepower L20 in your $3,469 2-door 710 in 1975, which was pretty steep compared to the $2,769 Pinto or the $2,786 Vega. In fact, $3,195 would have bought you a brand-new '75 Dodge Dart with a V8... but inflation and crazy gas prices were making the Datsuns look pretty good to car buyers back then.

It's always fun when I can get more than one DOTS car in a single photograph, as we see here with the '73 BMW 2002tii in the background.

First 500 DOTS Vehicles • DOTS FAQ

Datsun XLink Concept Envisions Datsun As A Lifestyle Brand

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:20:00 EDT

Though you may not see it at Geneva, the XLink Concept thesis project hints at what Datsun could be if resurrected by Nissan. The challenge for Benjamin Nawka at the Nissan Yulon Design Center at Pforzheim University was to create a compact car that utilized "fresh design language" and unique features. The result is a four-seater compact hatchback with a bold presence and adjustable winglets above the rear that feature lights and rear mirror cameras. Nawka considers the XLink to be "the first product of the new lifestyle brand DATSUN, whose re-introduction is based on the excellent image of the 240Z and other cars which were mainly affordable, reliable and easy-to-use." We see more of the Datsun 710 in this concept, but in a good way.

Jalopnik Snap Judgment: Though this is just a graduate project, it would be interesting to see Nissan use Datsun as way to launch a competitor to Scion and, possibly, Saturn in the USA. We also like the envisioned navigation system that not only lets you know where friends are, but also suggests random driving adventures — though that's probably the setup for an awesome lawsuit. [Benjamin Nawka via Carbodydesign via Carscoop]

Datsun 710 Endures 30 British Columbian Winters

Murilee Martin — Fri, 23 May 2008 14:00:00 EDT

Remember the Datsun 710? You still see 510s around, maybe the occasional 610, and the early Maxima was actually an 810. A 710 sighting, however, doesn't happen every day, so we were very happy when Anthony sent in these excellent shots of a 710 wagon he spotted in New Westminster, B.C. It's rusty, but doing pretty well for such an oxide-prone vehicle in a wet climate.