Datsun 810 / Maxima History

Mid-size car · 1977–1983

Sample hero image — replace with real model photography.

History

The Datsun 810 arrived in North America in February 1977 as the brand's top-of-the-range sedan, offered initially as a sedan and wagon before adding a hardtop coupe for the 1979 model year. Unlike the four-cylinder Bluebird 810 it shared a name with in Japan, the US-market 810 was fitted with larger straight-six engines to appeal to American buyers.

For 1981, Nissan introduced the Maxima badge — first as the 'Datsun 810 Maxima' on a revised second-generation body, then as the 'Datsun Maxima' from the 1982 model year onward. The car ran under the Datsun name through the 1983 model year before becoming the Nissan Maxima for 1984 as Nissan retired the Datsun brand in the US.

Generations

First generation (810) · 810 (1977–1980)

Photo: “1977 Datsun 810 Wagon” by eric molina from San Francisco, United States; cropped and lightly altered by uploader Mr.choppers / Wikimedia Commons , licensed under CC BY 2.0 . Cropped to 16:9.

The original US-market Datsun 810 — sedan, wagon, and coupe with straight-six power.
- 1977
  Photo: “1977 Datsun 810 Wagon” by eric molina from San Francisco, United States; cropped and lightly altered by uploader Mr.choppers / Wikimedia Commons , licensed under CC BY 2.0 . Cropped to 16:9.
Second generation (810 Maxima / Maxima) · 810 Maxima (1981–1983)

Photo: “Datsun 810 Maxima Wagon Diesel” by TKOIII / Wikimedia Commons , licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 . Cropped to 16:9.

The 'Datsun Maxima' era — the Maxima badge appears for the first time before the Nissan rebadge.