The Datsun 510 was the third generation of the Datsun Bluebird, sold from 1968 to 1973. "510" is Nissan's internal model code but was also used as the car's name in the United States. In Japan it was sold as the Datsun Bluebird, a name also used in some export markets. In most markets outside of Japan the car was sold as the Datsun 1300/1400/1500/1600/1800 (depending on engine variant), although the "Bluebird" would sometimes be referenced in advertising.
The rear-wheel drive 510 Bluebird's engineering was inspired by contemporary European sedans, particularly the 1966 BMW 1600-2 – incorporating an overhead camshaft engine and four-wheel independent suspension by means of MacPherson struts in front, and semi-trailing arms on the rear wheels. The styling is attributed to Datsun in-house designer, Teruo Uchino.
Nissan USA president Yutaka Katayama pushed for offering this generation of the Bluebird with a larger overhead cam engine with more power than the preceding models. The design originated with Prince Motor Company, which merged with Nissan in 1966. The Bluebird series had been Datsun's smaller offering, but the 1966 introduction of the 1-litre Sunny allowed Nissan to move the Bluebird up into the mid-size category.
The 510-series Bluebird was released in the domestic Japanese market on August 15, 1967. In the United States, the Datsun 510 was launched in October 1967 as a four-door sedan, followed by a two-door sedan (June 1968), five-door station wagon, and two-door coupé (November 1968). In Canada it was sold as the Datsun 1600.
The range became famous for Nissan's rallying successes outside Japan and paved the way for greater Nissan sales internationally.
The series was available with either a four-speed manual transmission or optional three-speed automatic. 510s, in some markets, offered twin Hitachi side-draft carburetors, which were a smaller version of the British SU design used on Jaguars and MGs. These engines also used enhanced compression and camshaft profiles to produce more power. SSS models (not offered in North America) offered upgraded instrumentation and interior trim, as well as appropriate exterior badges.
Popularity
Affordable performance combined with simple mechanicals helped the Datsun 510 remain a popular automotive enthusiast's car for many years after its discontinuation. Avid collectors can be found around the world with significant numbers in the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand.
One advantage of the early Datsun cars is that many of the parts were interchangeable – engines, transmissions, and suspension setups, for example, were all similar enough to swap with minor modifications. This allowed the Datsun 510 to be easily upgraded from the 1.6l – L16 engine, to the 1.8l – L18 engine, and later to the 2.0L L20B engine, and to go from the four-speed manual transmission to the 63 mm (shaft-center distance) five-speed transmissions made available for the early (S10) 200SX and (A10) HL510, and the 71 mm five-speed transmissions used in the (S30 & S130) 280-series Z cars, 1980 to '83 (S110) 200SX, the 1977 to '80 (810) 810, the 1981 to '84 (910) 810/Maxima/Bluebird, and the C210/R30 series of Skylines. The 71 mm five-speed transmissions also saw extensive use in the 620/720/D21 series pick-up trucks in both long and short (rare) extension-housing versions.
Its positive reputation in North America also led to Nissan re-using the 510 model name there later on for the unrelated, 1978–1981 A10-series Nissan Violet in an effort to capture this range's glory - an effort reviewers considered a failure.
Hot Wheels manufactures several versions of the car.
Variations and market differences
The P510 (RHD) and PL510 (LHD) were the most prevalent models in many export markets, including the U.S. The 1969 KP510T two-door coupe version arrived in small numbers to right-hand-drive markets, predominantly Japan's domestic market, unsaddled by engine emission regulations. The K prefix cars are coupés, with a swept roofline and shorter deck lid, while wagons carry a W prefix. For the 1974 model year, the 510 four-door sedan was dropped in favor of the 1974 PL610 series cars. Around the world, the J series pushrod-engined model was most common.
<gallery widths="200" heights="150">
File:Datsun 1600 (14951295867).jpg|Datsun 1600 4-door
File:1968 Datsun Bluebird wagon.jpg|1968 Datsun Bluebird estate wagon
File:Datsun Bluebird Coupe (510) 001.JPG|Datsun Bluebird SSS coupé (Japan)
File:1970-1972 Datsun 510 2-door sedan in Mexican Orange, front left.jpg|1970–1972 Datsun 510 2-door sedan (USA; first facelift)
</gallery>
Japan
When first shown, at the 1967 Tokyo Motor Show, Japanese customers received the overhead-camshaft 1.3-liter engine with a claimed – according to Nissan, an engine more capable than competitor Toyota's 1.5-liter version. The little engine was not helped by being married to a three-speed manual gearbox. From the beginning, however, North American customers received the larger 1.6 coupled to a four-speed all-synchro transmission. The 510-series Bluebirds differed widely depending on the market. In South America, Asia (excluding Japan), and in Africa, the 510 sedan, and two-door models traded rear independent suspension for a leaf-sprung solid axle. (All station wagon models were equipped with a solid axle). The engines for these markets also differed. Rather than the OHC L-series, they received pushrod inline four-cylinder engines from the J-series with either 1.3 or 1.5-liter displacement. These variants were also known as Datsun 1500 (J15 engine) and Datsun 1300 (J13 engine).
thumb|1972–1973 Datsun Bluebird 1400 Deluxe (510N, Japan)
In September 1970, the 1.3 and 1.5-liter engines were replaced with 1.4-liter units. In September 1971 the new, larger, Bluebird U (610) appeared in Japanese showrooms, but the 510 continued on sale as a lower-priced, more compact version. It also received a minor facelift with plastic surrounds for the headlamps, while the 1800 cc models were discontinued. The chassis code was changed to 510N.
North America
Originally only available as a four-door sedan or a station wagon for the 1968 model year, the two-door sedan saw a limited introduction during the summer of 1968 - making this the rarest U.S. 510 year and model. In Canada it was marketed as the Datsun 1600 rather than using the internal, "510" model code. For 1969, the grille was changed and now has an unpainted, stainless steel central section with rounder bars than those found the year before. The wide "DATSUN" text was replaced with an upright rectangle with a "D" in the middle. The windshield wipers were changed for a more traditional layout and round side marker lights were added at the rear. These cars were very popular for motor sport in South Africa. The cars were used in numerous rallies by Ewold van Bergen from Pretoria, South Africa, who was a test engineer for Nissan Japan.
Later years
The Datsun 510 model name continued in Canada and the U.S. from 1974 until 1981, but the vehicles which wore the badge were quite different from the original flagship 510s, with updated styling, solid rear axles, and rectangular headlights. The 1981 model had a 2.0L (L20B) engine rated at 96 HP. In 1982 the 510 was replaced by the (Nissan) Stanza.
In 2013 and 2014, Nissan showed the Nissan Freeflow IDX and NISMO IDX at various auto shows, said to be influenced by the Datsun 510.
Motorsport
thumb|right|1970 Datsun Bluebird 510, the winning car of the 18th East African Safari Rally
thumb|Australian Northern Territory Speedway Champion circa 1970 – Still holds records today
The 510 is best known in the United States for its competitiveness in the Trans Am Series under 2500cc class. John Morton won the 1971 and 1972 championships driving Pete Brock's BRE Racing 510. The Datsun 510 remains one of the most popular production cars in numerous SCCA classes of amateur racing, partly due to Nissan Motor Corporation in USA's commitment to providing an extensive selection of common replacement parts from its many area parts distribution centers, special replacement parts from their master parts distribution center (based in Los Angeles), as well as parts from Nissan Motorsports, Nissan's performance division (based in Tennessee).
The Datsun 1600 was also very competitive in the Australian Rally Championship with outright and class wins throughout the 70s and the 80s and currently in historic classes.
Major motorsport victories
:{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; "
! Event / Series
! Year
! Driver
! Co-driver
! Car
|-
| Ampol Trial
| 1970
| Edgar Herrmann
| Hans Schüller
| Datsun 1600 SSS
|-
| East African Safari Rally
| 1970
| Edgar Herrmann
| Hans Schüller
| Datsun 1600 SSS
|-
| SCCA Trans Am 2.5 Championship
| 1972
| John Morton
| N/A
| Datsun 510 2 door sedan
|-
| Australian Rally Championship
| 1982
| Geoff Portman
| Ross Runnalls
| Datsun 1600
|-
| Australian Rally Championship
| 1983
| Ross Dunkerton
| Geoff Jones
| Datsun 1600
|-
|}