Miss Datsun

Our KP510 is a 1969 Datsun 1600 SSS Bluebird 2door Coupe

original 33000 miles, four speed manual L16 with airconditioning and everything still running like brand new with East African Safari Rally & JAF/Japan Automobile Federation badges still on front grille

KP510TK - 1600 SSS engine, 100 PS with twin SUs, 9.5:1 compression, big port 219 head, wood steering wheel and shift knob, SSS dash with round gauges (clock, tach w/oil press inset, speedometer w/trip meter, combo amp/water, temp/fuel gauge), brake booster, SSS grille emblem, SSS pillar vent and rear panel badges. The most notable difference distinguishing the 1969 Bluebird Coupe is the dashboard, the 1969 SSS model received the four-pod individual gauge panel in cast-metal housing, the front trim features cast headlight bezels and a unique grill, the C-pillar air vents are also cast pot metal instead of plastic. This vehicle also had the optional extras of "Coupe" insignia floormats, twin hood vents, simulated 5-lug mag wheel covers, grille mounted fog lights and black plastic bumper overriders.

The Datsun Bluebird Coupe

The Coupe is unique because of its rarity outside Japan as it was never sold and exported outside Japan by Nissan/Datsun whereas the wagon, four door and two door sedans were and if they were outside Japan they were privately exported, therefore the history of the coupe is not widely known and finding any source of correct information for this vehicle which is nearly 40 years old, especially for a coupe owner (especially in Australia also) is an absolute nightmare even with today's search resources like the internet.

We've been through it and constantly still get people trying to tell us incorrect information when we know this car back to front as we own one and have spent countless hours trying to find the right people who know the correct information on the coupe and in the beginning we even went to the extent of contacting Nissan Japan who no longer have information that old on record.

We've even had people argue the point that we don't know what we're talking about that there is no such thing as two different models (the two door sedan and the two door coupe). We've even had a local Nissan dealership parts department argue the point that a Datsun 1600/510 wagon was never made so we drove our wagon to them to show them, also the wagon does not get the recognition it deserves in regards to demand and price because of its rarity due to the numbers that we're originally bought into Australia versus the sedans and also because of it's rarity of parts like differences in bumper and door sizes to other models.

Coupe owners are being told incorrect model codes or being sold incorrect items and insurance companies thinking it is a P510 two door sedan and wanting to insurance it for less and not knowing how rare and unique these vehicles and their many unique features and options really are, even more so depending on the year model and make due to so many differences and being only manufactured between 1969 to 1971.

Therefore, we believe Coupe owners and other Coupe and 510 enthusiasts need and deserve to know this valued information.

The Bluebird Coupe

In November of 1968, Nissan Japan introduced the Coupe model to the already successful Bluebird 510 series of sedans and wagons. Coded KP510, Nissan was eager to add another car to the model line to expand sales and the Coupe was brought to the market for the 1969 model year in both a base and SSS version. The Coupe was based on the two door Bluebird sedan and was redesigned from the ground up.

Originally, Nissan intended to export the Coupe model to other overseas markets and magazines featured teaser photographs of the new 510 at its debut but it was not to be, likely because of the additional cost of the many features that made a Coupe unique; the success of the 510 sedans and wagons could not support adding a more expensive model as Nissan was still an emerging player in the market. Adding a car that had many unique features would complicate a long line up that shared so many common parts with other cars in the series.

Imported Coupes

Despite never being sold outside Japan, Bluebird Coupes have been privately imported into many countries. The earliest known Bluebird Coupes privately imported were in the mid 1970's. Up until the early 1990's the US Bluebird Coupe population was about 10-12 cars. In the early 1990's the DOT and EPA relaxed their rules for cars over 25 years old and private imports of the sought after Coupe increasingly trickled into the country. Privately imported Bluebird Coupes have found their way into Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Pakistan, Portugal and Greece.

to be continued ...