Nissan Bluebird

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310 Bluebird #2

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310 Bluebird #3

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410 1963-1967

In September 1963, Nissan brought the Bluebird up-to-date with boxier styling (by Pininfarina), resembling European designs, particularly the Lancia Fulvia. The 410 was built from 1964–1967. The appearance appears to have had an influence on Nissan's first V8-powered Nissan President in 1965, and the Nissan Sunny in 1966.

This generation Bluebird was introduced in time for the 1964 Summer Olympics as Nissan wanted to offer an all new, modern appearance in time for the games.

Two basic models were built: 410 (1964–1965) with a combination rear lamp set consisting of round and rectangular lenses, and 411 (1965–1967), which featured the same combination rear lamp set as the earlier 410 through 1966, changing to higher mounted rectangular tail light sets for 1967. On both, the rear direction indicators were red or amber, according to market – New Zealand, which allows either, took the 410 with both and the 411 with red only. This Bluebird was one of the first Japanese car lines assembled in New Zealand, initially imported under a tariff/duty arrangement allowing 300 cars a year (the so-called '300 Club') with CKD kits built up by Motor Holdings at Mount Wellington in Auckland. The 410 series sedan and station wagon plus a light delivery van was assembled in South Africa at a factory in Rosslyn Pretoria. These cars were all in CKD format.

A sporting model, the Bluebird SS, was launched in Japan in March 1964, with a tuned 1.2 L engine. The SS was originally available only in a four-door configuration (MTK), but a two-door (RTK) joined about a year later. Two versions of the SS were built: the DP410-MTK/RTK and the DP411-MTK/RTK. The DP410 was powered by a 71 hp (53 kW) version of the 1.2 L Nissan E-1 engine. The 78 PS (57 kW) double-carburetted version of the J13 powered the DP411. All SS models were equipped with a four-speed manual transmission.

Initially, only a four-door sedan and five-door station wagon were in the range, but a two-door was added in September 1964. The two-door SS was launched in February 1965. The 410 and 411 were also available in a deluxe version (DP410 and DP411). A "Fancy Deluxe" version was also available in the home market. A DP411 SSS was entered in motor sport by the Datsun factory in South Africa and was used as test car for Nissan Japan. A Datsun DP411 SSS was also entered in the 1964 Monte Carlo rally, where it was driven by a South African called Ewold van Bergen.

To minimize production costs for export, the windshield wipers used a pattern where the wipers started in the center and wiped towards the edge of the windshield, instead of from the passenger side towards the driver.

In May 1965 the base engine was enlarged to a downtuned version of the 1.3 L unit already used in the 411-series SS, now with a single (twin-barrel) carb and developing 67 PS (49 kW) at 5,200 rpm. The transmission remained a three-speed. The SS was downtuned somewhat, now with 72 PS (53 kW) but still with the four-speed unit. More excitingly, a twin-carb 1.6 L SSS model was launched the same month, with no less than 90 PS (66 kW). This begat a line of famous Nissans in Japan, with the Bluebird SSS a mainstay of the range until its deletion in 2001.

As usual, a pickup truck version was developed and sold in parallel. For some reason it broke with the earlier standard of simply changing the second digit of the chassis code to a "2", instead labelling it the 520. The commercial-use 520 further marked the divergence of Datsun's Bluebird and truck lines as it continued to be available until 1972. Later versions received a modernized front end, similar to the contemporary 510 Bluebird.

In the United States, only the four-door sedan and wagon were offered; the two-door was never available. The 1.6 litre, featuring the same R16 engine as the SP(L)311 Roadster, was only available in 1967. The 1.2 and 1.3 410 and 411 series' had a manual gearbox, while the 1.6 litre was available as either a manual or automatic. The cars were labeled DATSUN, with no mention of Bluebird either on the car or in the owner's manual.

In Taiwan the Bluebird 410 was built and sold as the Yue Loong YLN-705B.

Source: wikipedia.org

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410 Bluebird #2

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410 Bluebird #3

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410 Bluebird #4

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510 1967-1972

Launched in August 1967, it was one of the most comprehensive Bluebird ranges in terms of body styles: a two-door sedan, a four-door sedan, a five-door station wagon, and a two-door coupé (added in November 1968). The "510" still enjoys considerable fame in the U.S.

Like its predecessors, the 510 Bluebird line was imported into New Zealand, this time as a single 1.6-litre, four-speed manual Deluxe model, assembled from CKD kits by Campbell Industries (later Toyota New Zealand Thames assembly plant). Local content included glass, radiator, upholstery, carpet, paint, wiring and numerous other items. A few automatic and twin carburettor SSS versions were imported built-up from Japan, primarily for buyers who had access to funds overseas and could utilise the country's 'no remittance' new car purchase scheme to avoid lengthy waiting lists.

The trim designation "SS" was changed to "SSS" as General Motors was already using the term for performance branded Chevrolet products called the Super Sport starting in 1961.

The P510 sedan and coupé were built in South Africa [Pretoria] from 1969 to 1974 and had the L16 engine, available as 1600 SSS (twin carbs) and as the single carbed 1600 DeLuxe. An automatic gearbox model was also available for the DeLuxe range. The factory also made two versions of the two-door coupé. They were a 1600GL and a 1800GL. The 1600GL had a single carburetor or twin carbs and 1800 cc cars had twin carbs. The 1600 SSS was also used in motorsport as test cars for Nissan Japan. The cars were used in numerous motorsport rallies by Ewold van Bergen from Pretoria, South Africa, who was a test engineer for Nissan Japan.

Source: wikipedia.org

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510 Bluebird #2

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510 Bluebird #3

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510 Bluebird #4

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510 Bluebird #5

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510 Bluebird #6

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510 Bluebird #7

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610 1971-1976

The 610 series was launched in Japan in August 1971 and was badged as the Datsun Bluebird-U. The meaning behind the U suffix is "User Oriented", to signify the higher comfort levels than what the 510 predecessor could muster. A domestic advertising campaign used the catch-line "Bluebird U – Up You!", and was short-lived due to the innuendo. The 610 was one of the first Nissan products to adopt a popular styling appearance, called "coke bottle" which appeared internationally during the 1960s and 1970s, an appearance shared with the larger Nissan Cedric, as both vehicles were available at Japanese Nissan dealerships called Nissan Bluebird Store.

For the Japanese domestic market, the 610 was pitted against the second generation Toyota Corona Mark II. Also in Japan, the 610 was initially sold alongside the 510 but eventually replaced the 510. 610's were available as a four-door, two-door hardtop (HT), and a five-door wagon. Trim levels in Japan were GL (Grand Luxe), SSS (Super Sports Sedan), DX (Deluxe) or STD (Standard). It borrowed its suspension and drive train from the outgoing 510, with some modifications. Likewise, the 610 four-door and two-door retained the class-leading, independent rear trailing arm design, while the wagon reused the rear live axle with leaf springs from the 510 wagon.

Whether four or six-cylinder models, all 610's were equipped with Nissan's L-series inline engines. In many export markets, including UK, Europe, and Australia, the 610 was badged as the 160B or 180B with respect to particular engine displacement. The Bluebird name also often appeared in advertising and in brochures. In the UK the popularity of the 160B/180B/180B SSS Coupe range further strengthened Datsun's position as the leading Japanese importer. As a result of Japanese Government passage of emission control regulations, Nissan introduced their emissions technology in 1975, using a badge that said "Nissan NAPS" (Nissan Anti Pollution System) on vehicles thus equipped. Most 610s worldwide came equipped with either a four-speed manual or a three-speed automatic transmission, but a five-speed manual transmission was available in the Japanese and Australian markets.

As with the 510, the SSS trim included miscellaneous sport options and a higher output engine with twin-Hitachi carburetors. A Japan-only SSS-E model was equipped with Bosch electronic fuel injection, and so was one of the first, mass-produced Nissan vehicles to be sold without a carburetor. Another 610 never exported was the inline-six U-2000 GT and U-2000 GTX (nicknamed "shark-nose" in Japanese), which shows some visual similarities to the Pontiac GTO and Oldsmobile Cutlass. Called the G610, it came with a stretched front end to accommodate the longer engine and featured a different grill and other aesthetic modifications. This model was not available as a wagon. The most powerful GTX-E received fuel injection and 130 PS (96 kW).

The 610 Bluebird received a facelift in 1974, with prominent turn signals mounted on the front corners and with a more squared off grille, along with other changes. This means that the 610 was available with three different front ends: original, facelift, and the "shark-nose" six-cylinder front. A minor upgrade to the front suspension (offset strut tops) for the 610 led to slightly improved handling before the introduction of the 810. Japanese market vehicles with engines identified as 2.0 litre obligated Japanese owners to pay more annual road tax, which added to their exclusivity.

In Australia, Datsun released the locally-produced 180B in October 1972 as a four-door sedan in Deluxe and GL trims, and a two-door SSS coupe. The engine fitted was the 1.8-liter L18 engine paired to a four-speed manual or three-speed automatic transmission; Datsun upgraded the SSS to a five-speed manual in 1975. Over the base Deluxe, GL models added: vinyl roof, radio with separate speaker, upgraded interior upholstery and trim, cut-pile interior carpeting, chrome exhaust extension, rear mounted GL badge, and whitewall tyres. In early 1974, wrap-around front indicators, new tail-lights and cabin trim changes heralded a range-wide facelift, while a fully imported (not locally manufactured) luxury GX sedan arrived in November 1974. The GX model could only be differentiated on the exterior by its grille, wipers and badges, although the interior gained luxuries such as cloth inserts for the vinyl upholstery and a three-way adjustable driving seat (fore/aft, recline, thigh support). A GX wagon followed in June 1975, followed by a minor trim and grille facelift in 1976. The 180B proved popular right to its discontinuation in October 1977, when the P810 200B range arrived in Australia.

In the United States and Canada, the car was sold simply as the "Datsun 610". The four-door sedans, a two-door hardtop coupé, and a five-door station wagon were available. For 1973 and 1974, North America was the only market outside Japan to have its 610 HT models equipped with the unique, six-bulb tail lights that covered the entire rear panel, requiring the license plate to be mounted below the rear bumper. All 610's received the larger 2.0-liter L20B engine as did the Datsun 710, although with only 97 hp (72 kW) (SAE Net); this is less than what was claimed for a Japanese market 1.6. California-spec cars have 94 hp (70 kW). The federal/Canadian version took leaded fuel and depended on an EGR system for pollution control, while the California cars have a catalytic converter and require unleaded gasoline. Gross horsepower ratings are 110 and 107 respectively.

Until the 1977 introduction of the six-cylinder 810, the 610 was Datsun's largest car sold in North America.

Source: wikipedia.org

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610 Bluebird #2