Nissan · 1955–1934

Nissan Hardbody Truck

The Datsun Truck is a compact pickup truck made by Nissan in Japan from 1955 to 1997. It was originally sold under the Datsun brand, but this was switched to Nissan in 1983. It was replaced in 1997 by the Frontier and Navara. In Japan, it was sold only in Nissan Bluebird Store locations.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Datsun 720 · Successor: Nissan Frontier|Nissan Navara

All Nissan Hardbody Truck data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

Predecessors

=== Pre-war === The Datsun Truck line began with the Type 13 in April 1934, and was later used as the basis of the Datsun DC-3 Roadster. A series of small trucks based on their passenger car counterparts, the 14T, 15T, and 17T, continued to be built until early 1944. Post-war. The 17T was followed by the post-war Datsun 1121 in 1946, which was nearly identical technically but had an extremely simple body made out of simple pressed metal (with almost no chrome) and many body parts made from wood, to enable production in resource-starved early post-war Japan. Early trucks also depended on leftover stocks of pre-war parts. The engine was the 15 PS (11 kW) Type 7 unit. As the supply situation improved the new 2124 and then 2225 took over in July 1947 and at the end of November of the same year. A rapid stream of changes and new model numbers followed in this early post-war area, as pre-war parts dried up and new designs were substituted. The naming followed a clear system: the first number represented the chassis/engine iteration, with "1" being the pre-war (17T) design. The second digit was for the bonnet and grille, the third digit for the cab, and the fourth and final digit for the rear body. 1121 thus had mostly pre-war parts, with a post-war design for the cab. The 2225 had post-war chassis and front end designs, with a fourth redesign of the rear bodywork. The grille was a plain, painted pressed steel piece. Some numbers were assigned but never used, such as rear body designs 2 and 3. The 2225 was succeeded by the 2125 at the end of July 1948; this seemingly retrograde step marked the return to the more ornate pre-war 17T grille. In January 1949 the 3135 took over, followed by the January 1950 3145 model with a slightly different cabin. In August 1950 the Datsun 4146

Datsun 120

The Datsun 120 was a load-carrying version of the Datsun 1000 sedan (110 series), and was introduced in January 1955 as the latest Datsun truck with up-to-date styling. Delivery van, panel van (120 only), and double cab versions were available. Until 1959 it used the 25 PS, 860 cc Datsun Type 10 engine with a four-speed floor shift (column shift for the 123 and later versions) manual transmission. It was joined with a larger commercially focused vehicle called the Nissan Junior. This was one of the first Nissan products to be sold in Europe, when an order of 200 units were shipped to Spain in 1956. During its six years in production, six main models were built: 120 (Jan. to Dec. 1955), 122 (Dec. 1955 to May 1956) and 123 (Jun. 1956 to Sep. 1957). For reasons unknown, Nissan skipped the 121 designation. The L123 was the first left-hand drive version built by Nissan, in response to requests from importers in the Middle East. The L123 also received the new hydraulic clutch system developed for the upcoming 210/220 cars and trucks, as Nissan's engineers did not want to use a rod to transfer clutch pedal movements, fearing vibrations and noise. After the introduction of the re-engined 220-series truck, the Datsun 124 was introduced in October 1957 as a modernized low-cost option. It continued to use the same bodywork and engine as the 123, although with less chrome trim. This was then followed by the re-engined Datsun 125 in 1959 and finally by the Datsun 126 in 1960. While the 124 was still powered by the Type 10 engine, the 125 and 126 received an improved version of this engine called the B-1, rated at 27 PS (20 kW). Datsun 220. In November 1957, the Datsun 220 was introduced, which was capable to carry a 850 kg (1,874 lb) payload. Largely unchanged in appearance from the

Datsun 320

In August 1961 the new 320 Series was released. It was produced until 1965 in three series (320–322). The 320 Series' underpinnings were largely inherited from the earlier 120/220, although with clear improvements and using body panels and overall design language of the new 310-series Bluebird. It used the Nissan E-1 engine which had already been seen in the earlier 223. This engine produced 60 PS. Nissan updated the larger commercially focused Nissan Junior in 1962. All Datsun trucks kept the A-arm torsion bar front suspension with leaf-spring rear ends and had a 1/2 ton load capacity. Rear end gearing was a low 4.875:1 along with a four-speed transmission; as a result, the 320 was not freeway friendly above 60 mph. Fender emblems showed "Datsun 1200" and "60 HP" ("55ps" for models sold in Japan) with a "Datsun" emblem on the front nose of the hood. Available body styles included a single cab "truck" (320), a long wheelbase single cab truck (G320), a double cab "pickup" with flush sides (U320), and a three-door "van" (V320). Though described (and taxed) as a van in the Japanese market, the V320 is essentially a two-door station wagon. The 320 came in two cab and bed versions: Regular, and as the N320 "Sports Pick-Up" (1963–65) variation which is a rarer (around 1,000 produced) version with the cab and bed of a one-piece design. Its back half is greatly different from that of the standard, separate bed 320 pick-up; it uses much of the rear sheet metal and the taillights from the V320 Light Van. Bed and luggage space were in addition to the expansion, with the support of the market characteristics and the robust chassis engine was easy to handle, it was a best seller in the truck market segment. The 310 chassis was also a sales hit with the reinforcement of the Datsun

Datsun 520

The Datsun 520 was built from May 1965 to May 1968, when it was facelifted and became the 521. The 420 designation, which was next in sequence, was skipped as it is a homophone for the Japanese word for "rudeness" or "impolite" (see Japanese wordplay). It used the new 1.3-litre, 67 hp Nissan J13. In 1965 and 1966, the 520 had two headlights (one per side). For 1967, the 520 was slightly redesigned and received quad headlights (two per side). This design was carried on until the end of 520 production. Single cab (520, and L520 for left-hand drive version), LWB Single cab (G520), Double cab (U520) and delivery van (V520) versions were available. "G" was used to identify the long wheelbase versions. The fender emblems said "Datsun 1300". A grille emblem was added in 1966 and simply said "D". In late 1967, a slightly altered model appeared, now with a slightly changed chrome grille with a distinct frame. In 1967, Nissan added the Sunny Pickup Truck, which was exclusive to Nissan Saito Store locations, which closely shared the dimensions, engine displacement and load carrying duties of the 520 Series truck. The 521 was the facelifted version of 520, with a so-called "flat-deck" style. This meant it featured a flattened bonnet and front fenders as well as a new grille design. It used the Nissan J engines (the previously mentioned J13 or the larger J15, rated at 77 hp) and later had a 70 kW (94 hp; 95 PS) Nissan L16 engine, always with a straight rear axle. The 520 strongly resembles a Datsun 410/411 from the front, since it shares most sheet metal with that car. The fender emblems said "Datsun 1300", "Datsun 1500" or "Datsun 1600" (depending on engine fitment). Van/delivery van (V521) and double cab (U521) versions were also available. It was manufactured from June 1968 until

Datsun 620

In February 1972, the Datsun 620 was released and was in production until 1979. It was a regular cab truck (a longer "King Cab" [Nissan's trademark for their extended cab trucks] version was released in 1977) and two wheelbases were offered, for a total of six different models. There was also a delivery van version, offered only in Japan. Naturally, there were bare chassis models, and many importers installed locally made flat decks. There was also the U620, which is a crew cab "Utility" version. It uses a shorter, fully integrated bed for comfortably seating four people. The U620 was essentially a 620 pickup from the doors forward, with the bed and rear end being the only difference. Nissan continued the strong rhythms and styling of its previous vehicles, with a shoulder "wing line" or "Bullet Side" accent running alongside the vehicle. In most of the world the 620 was equipped with the J15, producing 57 kW (77 hp; 78 PS) and a claimed top speed of 135 km/h (84 mph). A 2.2 liter diesel engine with 49 kW (66 hp; 67 PS) was later made available in many markets. The 620 was also the first Datsun pickup truck to be available with a longer "King Cab" passenger compartment (called "Custom" in Japan). This used the bed from the normal 620 truck, but has a cabin stretched by 24 cm (10 in), all placed on the longer wheelbase. The 620 was redesigned slightly for 1978, with changes to grille and front bumper. The suspension was also revised, increasing track at both ends by 30 mm (1.2 in). This also marked a name change in South Africa, where it had been sold simply as the Datsun One-Ton Pick-Up, to "Datsun 680". A four-door crew cab variant was also offered in some markets. North America. In North America, the 620 continued to use the Nissan L engine. The 1972 and 1973 models

Datsun/Nissan 720

In October 1979, Nissan introduced the Datsun 720 as successor to the 620. A four-door crew cab version of the 720 was available in most markets (excluding North America). In addition, some overseas models continued with the early style beds in the later model years as well as the lower cost round headlamps, and included various combinations of Datsun and Nissan badging while retaining the Datsun name throughout all model years. In Japan, round headlights were standard but higher-end models like the GL received square headlamps. In Japan, the standard engine was originally the J16 but in 1982 this was changed to the more modern Z16 derivative. In 1983, the front end underwent a transformation with a larger grille, bumper, and corner lights. There was also a revised dashboard with round instead of square gauges. At the same time, the regular cab was lengthened slightly and the air extractor vents behind the cab doors changed from the high "flag" look to long, narrow ones that matched the height of the window opening. The cabs of the King Cab versions were unchanged. Engine and Drivetrain. In 1980, US models were powered by Datsun's 2.0L carbureted L20B I4 engine, but soon after switched to the Nissan NAPS-Z engine line for 1981 (Z22S). "NAPS" was the terminology Nissan used to describe their pollution control technology as a result of emission regulation laws having been enacted in Japan, starting in 1975. In the Middle East, it was powered by Datsun's 1.8 L carbureted L18 engine. The 1981–1982 models used the Z22 carbureted 2.2 L engine and an optional SD22 diesel of the same displacement. In mid-1983, Nissan introduced the Z24 2.4 liter twin spark four-cylinder engine, producing 77 kW (103 hp; 104 PS), 2.3 L SD23 OHV diesel Inline-4, and the SD25 diesel. The diesel en

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name: Datsun Truck
Manufacturer: Nissan (Nissan Shatai)
Production: 1955–1997, (predecessors since 1934)
Class: compact pickup truck
Layout: FR layout
Predecessor: Datsun 6147
Successor: Nissan Navara

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q929618CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datsun_truckCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1371177539 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nissan_Hardbody_Truck_4x4_1990.jpgPublic domain · Photo: FactsAndFigures at English Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-10-01
Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.