They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, yet Datsuns of the 1960s and 70s never really jumped out at you and said "give me an award for good looks".
While their European counterparts produced pretty, rounded cars like the Porsche 911, the Escort Mk 1 and the Renault Alpine A110, Datsun's efforts looked as though they'd been cut out of a cereal box.
The Datsun 1200, 1600, Stanza and Bluebird all featured boxy designs that literally looked as though they were just an evolution of the same car ..... which I guess they were.
Neil Taylor's 710 SSS at the Motorclassica event in Melbourne. Nigel Stevens Photography
Yet amongst it all, there was one Datsun that stood out from the crowd, and even though it was never made in large numbers, or came to Australia, for many it still ranks as the prettiest Datsun of them all.
And, when painted in the gorgeous red, white and blue 'works' livery, the Datsun 710 SSS really is a thing of beauty.
Victoria's Neil Taylor owns what is probably Australia's best example of a 710. While it's not an actual works car – just a faithful replica – its preparation is second to none.
Good enough, in fact, to win the "Best Restoration" award at the recent Retro Rally Day in Victoria.
The 710's curvaceous good looks make it one of the most popular Datsuns ever built.
* * * * *
A young Neil Taylor first spotted a works Datsun 710 in the mid 70s when Nissan brought them to Australia for the Southern Cross International Rally.
At that time he and his brother Adrian were running factory-supplied Hondas in the Australian Rally Championship and the ‘Cross, and he began to think “I’d like to own a 710”, which in time came to be, “I wonder what it would be like to make it look like a 710 rally car?”
This wasn’t Neil’s first special Datsun project, however, since he already owns an ex-works Datsun 1000 that had raced at Bathurst, and a full-spec Datsun 1200 GX coupe.
But no Australian Datsun enthusiast, regardless of how keen, could pop into his or her local dealer on Monday morning, and drive out in one of Nissan’s curvaceous creations.
The works livery, as run in the Southern Cross Rally in the 1970s.
At one point Neil enquired with the Datsun dealer in Lae, Papua New Guinea with a view to importing a complete road-going car, but found the cost prohibitive. In those days a Chrysler Charger cost $2000, while the little Datsun would have set him back over $4000.
But good things come to those who wait, and a few years later, while sitting at a set of traffic lights in his home town of Brisbane, a shiny white Datsun 710 SSS drove across the intersection in front of him. When the lights went green Neil took off in pursuit, but lost the car in traffic. The hunt was on.
Twelve months passed and Neil decided to donate blood for the first time in his life. He dutifully drove to the Red Cross building and parked beneath it, and there in the car park was, you guessed it, the same white 710 SSS!
He lost no time in enquiring as to who owned the car and discovered it belonged to one of the doctors. Although the gentleman didn’t wish to part with it, Neil took his details and uttered the ever-important words, “If you ever want to sell it…”.
Many original 'works' parts make the 710 just about the real thing. Nigel Stevens Photography
Another year elapsed and Neil returned to the Red Cross to part with a pint of vital fluid, but discovered to his horror that the doctor’s car space was filled with a brand new Nissan Bluebird.
The doctor informed him the 710 had been traded at the local Datsun dealer, Ira Berk, in Moorooka.
So, when the staff had extracted the last available drop of blood he disappeared out the door and sped down to the dealership, only to be told they had just sold the car.
Disappointed but far from beaten, Neil kept tabs on the car for two more years, before phoning the new owner and asking how he was going with it; “Funny you should ask,” came the reply, “I want to get rid of it.” At last!
The LZ double overhead cam engine produces over 240 brake horsepower.
Like a kid with a new toy, Neil was thrilled to finally have such a rare car in his very own garage after four years of chasing.
Fortunately the two previous owners had left it in original condition, and everything was in great working order.
Imported from South Africa, the car came badged as a Datsun 160U, unlike the more common 160J or Violet nomenclature.
It was fitted with a standard SSS 1600cc engine sporting twin SU-style carburettors, “dog-leg” overdrive 5-speed gearbox and even air-conditioning.
For quite a few years it was his daily driver, until in time he came to have other cars, and the little Datsun spent more time sitting in the shed. Not that his interest had waned, far from it.
Intricate detail and signwriting set this 710 SSS apart from others.
Since first buying the 710 he had begun the process of acquiring the parts to turn it into a works replica. The objective was always to build it to original works specifications, so first up was the purchase of the factory competition manual and parts lists directly from Nissan in Japan.
Perhaps most important of these parts were the cavernous wheel arch flares that gave the rally cars their distinctive shape.
There are some things that money cannot buy, and Neil has been fortunate to be given not just information about the works cars from the former Datsun Rally Team mechanics and drivers, but also small, but important, parts that they would rather see go to a good home than sit around in their sheds for many years.
Everything about Neil Taylor's 710 SSS shouts "do you think I'm sexy?".
“I’ve been pretty lucky, the guys [former works mechanics] have been quite open. They realised I wasn’t tyre kicking and I wanted to do something pretty special.
“I didn’t build it as a car to be rallied as the 100 plus 'works' components that make up the car are super rare and well used.
“My goal was always to build a car that was visually and mechanically 100%, using genuine works parts. I did not want to build a tribute car (colour scheme and stickers and running modern components).
"With the body shell now the only major part that is not a 'works' item, I believe I have met my goal," Neil says.
The original 'works' items include: lights, radiator, works LZ Twin Cam engine, strut brace, exhaust headers, carbies, air cleaners, alternator, Option 1 gearbox, dash, sump guard and brackets, diff guard, R180 diff, shock absorbers, rear crossmember, MK63 Sumitomo 4 spot brakes all round, mudflap brackets, wheel arch flares, Enkei rims, reversing light, work lights, kill switch, ignition box and dip switch.
Most came out of the Fury driven car that was crashed heavily in the 1977 Southern Cross Rally.
George Fury's crashed 710 SSS after the 1977 Southern Cross Rally - the donor car for Neil's 710.
One of the most important facets of the build is Neil's exclusive private access to Nissan's Zama Museum and Nissan's Restoration team.
He regularly visits the museum's Restoration Team in Japan for project meetings and information gathering, to ensure his build is to exacting standards of the works cars.
Neil acknowledges that without the 30+ year relationship with the guys in Nissan Japan (who have supported his build), he would not have been able to recreate such an accurate 710 using 'works components'.
Other than Nissan's Restoration Team acknowledging the accuracy and authentic componentary of the build, Rauno Aaltonen, Jeff Beaumont and Lofty Drews gave the car their blessing at the 2016 Motorclassica, where the car won "best car on display" from all the car clubs that were on show.
Datsun legends Rauno Aaltonen (left) and Jeff Beaumont at the Motorclassica event in 2016.
“It’s great to be able to draw people’s feelings and memories out, and let them remember when they last saw, and importantly, hear a 710.”
Additional information supplied by Jeff Cameron
Photos: Peter Whitten, Jeff Cameron, Neil Taylor
Jeff Beaumont signs an original Datsun 710 poster from the 1977 Southern Cross Rally.
TECH SPEC – 1974 Datsun Violet 710 SSS
Model: KP711 (711 when LZ Engine fitted)
Body: 1974 SSS coupe, modified with works wheel arch flares, “Southern Cross” paint scheme.
Engine: Genuine Works 'LZ' double overhead cam
Capacity: 2082cc
Carburettors: 2x 50mm Solex
Power: 242 brake horse power at 8000rpm
Lubrication: Dry Sump
Compression: 10.5:1
Gearbox: Datsun Option 1, 5-speed, direct drive top
Differential: 4.625:1 R180 LSD
Maximum speed: 160+km/h
Weight: 1100kg approx.
On display at the Historic Rally Association's 'Rally Retro Day' in early April.
The interior is just like it would have been in the 1970s - compact, yet purposeful.
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