The car scene in South Africa during the 50s and 60s? Total snoozefest. Sure, you had your muscle cars, all guzzle and growl, but for the average Joe, it was a wasteland of boring sedans. Then, in 1958, something kinda weird happened. A little Japanese automaker named Nissan, under the Datsun flag, decided to bring their, uh, unique brand of cheap rides to South Africa.
These weren't your dad's luxury liners. Datsuns were the ramen noodles of the car world: cheap, cheerful, and surprisingly filling. The early lineup was a whole mess of oddball names - 110, 210, 510 (it's "five-ten," not "five-one-oh," don't be that guy). These boxy things were built on a budget, with interiors that felt like a monk's closet and engines that wheezed like a sick hamster. But here's the kicker: they wouldn't. Die. Ever.
Datsuns were like cockroaches, but way cooler. They could survive a nuclear apocalypse, a rogue shopping cart attack, and even your cousin Earl's questionable mechanical "skills." They were perfect for college kids, young families, or anyone who valued getting from A to B over having all the fancy bells and whistles (which, let's be real, was most of South Africa back then).
But Datsun wasn't content to just be the king of boring beige. In 1969, they dropped the 240Z. This sleek, Italian-designed coupe with a motor that actually roared was a game-changer. Here, for a price that wouldn't make your wallet cry, you could get a real sports car. The 240Z, and its later versions like the 280Z and 280ZX, became track legends and the ultimate poster child for affordable performance.
By the 80s, Datsun had a whole crew of devoted fans in South Africa. But Nissan, the company behind it all, felt the Datsun name was getting a bit, well, dated. So, in 1984, they made the controversial call to ditch Datsun and go with Nissan across the board.
Find the best Datsun Car Prices in South Africa for 2025. Choose your favorite model to check specifications.
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