Datsun Model History

Japan · founded 1931

Japan's original budget-car export brand — home of the iconic 240Z, the cult-classic 510, and a generation of beloved compact trucks before merging into Nissan in 1986.

Models

240Z

The original Z-car — an affordable, elegant Japanese sports coupe that rewrote what a performance car could cost.

Sports car · 1970–1978
280ZX

The second-generation Z — a softer, more GT-oriented sports car that still sold over 330,000 units in the US.

Sports car · 1979–1983
Sports / Roadster

Datsun's open sports roadster of the 1960s — a SCCA champion that paved the way for the 240Z.

Roadster · 1960–1970
510

The 'poor man's BMW' — an advanced rear-drive compact with independent suspension that won back-to-back SCCA Trans-Am championships.

Compact car · 1968–1973
1200

Datsun's tiny early-1970s subcompact — the most fuel-efficient car the EPA rated in 1973, and an SCCA champion.

Subcompact car · 1971–1973
B210

The fuel-crisis-era subcompact that succeeded the 1200 — practical, economical, and a strong seller during the oil shocks.

Subcompact car · 1973–1978
610

The successor to the iconic 510 — a slightly larger and more refined mid-decade compact sedan.

Compact car · 1973–1977
810 / Maxima

Datsun's upscale mid-size sedan of the late 1970s — the first to carry the Maxima name before the brand became Nissan.

Mid-size car · 1977–1983
620 Pickup

Datsun's popular compact pickup of the 1970s — simple, durable, and a decade-long best-seller.

Compact pickup truck · 1972–1979
720 Pickup

The 620's successor and Datsun's final compact truck — the first Nissan/Datsun vehicle assembled in the United States.

Compact pickup truck · 1979–1985
Go / Go+

The short-lived revival Datsun — an ultra-affordable hatchback and MPV for emerging markets, discontinued in 2022.

Subcompact car · 2014–2022

Other makes