In spite of the fact that a relatively small number were built (around 50,000), many people seem to have owned one or knew someone who did. They appear to have been a first sports car for quite a few people and are fondly remembered by most.

But the true significance of the Datsun Roadster (called a "Fairlady" in Japan) goes far beyond that. It represents the beginnings of a turning point in the auto industry and the end of a lineage of sports cars. To understand it, a little history lesson is required. And just to clear up one little point, the company's name is Nissan; the make of car is Datsun. Kind of like General Motors and Chevrolet.

(For a more thorough understanding of the Japanese auto industry, I highly recommend "The Reckoning" by David Halberstam)

Nissan built a series of convertible vehicles in the 1950's but none were exported, and they are virtually unknown today. The earliest, called the DC-3, resembled a cross between an MG-TA and a Bantam. The later ones were four-seaters, not technically sports cars in the purest sense.

However the potential was there. In a supporting race for the Japanese Grand Prix in 1963, the Fairlady, in its first race outing, defeated a field of cars having displacements of up to 2500 cc, including Triumph TR-2's, -3's and -4's, two MGA's and an MGB. It began to gather a following of enthusiastic racers in Japan.

A word of explanation is in order about Datsun naming conventions. The model name follows the position in the model line and stays with that position regardless of how the basic structure changes. The Roadster was called the "Fairlady." When the sport model changed to what we know as the 240-Z, the name stayed. The Z was called the "Fairlady" in Japan and the 300-ZX is still called the "Fairlady" today. Nissan soon found that the name didn't sell here, and reverted to a numerical designation ("1500") indicating the engine size. Hence the Fairlady became the Datsun 1500, 1600 and 2000, which we generically refer to as "the Roadster".

Compare this with Ford, whose Thunderbird began in 1955 as a two-seater and evolved into today's luxo-cruiser. The Thunderbird's sporty place in the line was taken over by the Mustang in 1964.

In 1966 the Roadster received a new 1600 cc engine and 14" wheels that allowed the fitting of front disk brakes. From a performance standpoint, the 1600 was roughly the equivalent of the MGB, which had also been introduced in 1962 (So much for the claims of the Datsun being a copy of the MG). Structurally, the Datsun has more in common with Triumphs and Sunbeams than it does with the MG, the Datsun having a full frame as compared to the MGB's unibody. Fortunately it didn't share their Lucas electrical systems, so it was considerably more reliable.

The Z was followed in 1971 by the Porsche 914 and later by the Fiat X-1/9 and others. The whole concept of what an affordable sports car was had changed. Japan would not export another true roadster until the Mazda Miata.

The other historical line represented by the Datsun Roadster is the beginnings of the presence of the Japanese auto industry in the world performance car scene. Even though its production volume was small, the Roadster made the sports car community sit up and take notice, and when the 240-Z arrived, it was obvious that a new force was loose in the auto world.