What comes to mind when you think of the Datsun 510? Do you imagine the little coupe being hammered around a track with a transplanted SR20DET motor under its hood? Do you think of it flying around a rally course, beaten half to hell but still going like a coked-out Japanese Energizer bunny?
Today, the 510 is thought of as one of the best budget racecars ever made. Its small size and RWD setup have made it ideal for motorsports since its inception. But there was also a time when the 510 was a respectable car for normal people who had traditional moral values and little inclination for drifting.
This ad, which appears to be from the late 1960s, shows us a time when the 510 had a much more quiet life. In it, we see a young woman driving her Datsun to pick up her husband at the airport. She carefully uses its independent rear suspension to navigate the construction hazards that threatened to overwhelm her meager lady-brain. Then she breathes a sigh of relief as her husband (Father? He looks quite a bit older) takes the wheel and she no longer has to drive.
It's not as absurdly sexist as the infamous Goodyear Polyglas ad, but it's close. All the while, the 510 putters along at legal speeds while idyllic jazz-flute music plays in the background. It's enough to put you to sleep.
We know you're bored, little Datsun 510. But hang in there — one day, you will be called upon to do battle with a Dodge Neon or a first-gen MR2 in some Lemons race. Your time will come.