DATSUN/AUSTIN CAMBRIDGE A50 1956
Looks like every other Austin Cambridge doesn't it ! Look closer and you'll
notice the rear vision mirrors (only the Japanese would put them up there) and
those orange fog lights, look even closer and you'll see another feature
Cambridges don't usually have, Build Quality ! Nissan built Austins under
licence after the second World War. The Datsun version has a straight copy of
the Austin 1498cc 4cyl. engine. After they stopped building Austins, Nissan's own
cars started to look like Austins. They took the Austin engine designs and
improved them dramatically. They looked similar but were much more efficient and
more powerful thanks to better balancing and greater precision in their
manufacture. (put a Cedric cylinder head on an MGB and you'll get an extra 5hp minimum)
DATSUN BLUEBIRD 210 1957
A big increase in power thanks to a new engine based on the Austin design. It
had a 988cc 34hp 4cyl. engine. Nissan's production almost doubled after the
introduction of this model.
HISTORY
1952 - Nissan signs licence agreement with Austin of England.
1955 - Datsun/Austin A40 Somerset.
US Occupation forces return ownership to Nissan.
1956 - Datsun/Austin A50 Cambridge.
NISSAN JUNIOR B40 SERIES 1957
Workers look on with pride as the first Junior rolls off the line. The B40
Junior was a mid-sized, 1 ton pick-up. It was based on the mechanicals of the
Austin A40 and had a 1498cc 4cyl. engine.
Isuzu Hillman Minxes
A little known fact is that more than one type of Hillman Minx was made in Japan by the Isuzu company.
After World War II Japanese manufacturers entered
into Technological Assistance Agreements with car makers from several countries,
including the Rootes Group from Britain. Beginning in 1953 Isuzu began making
Minxes, although it was not until 1957 that they were able to produce all the parts locally.
(The Japanese, incidentally, drive on the left, as we do in Britain).
The first Japanese Minx was the Isuzu PH10, a 'Mark Minx' According to information from the Toyota
Motor Museum, the car was powered by a 1265cc side-valve engine, producing
37.5hp, had a 4-speed column shift, wheelbase of 2362mm and weighed 962kg.
The Datsun A-series Engine
Believe it or not, the Datsun 1200 is actually very
closely related to the Austin/Morris A-series engine. The Datsun A10 engine was
rated at around 1000cc and apart from superior manufacturing and machining processes, was in fact a
clone of the good old 850 and 948cc engines of the late 1950's.
The Japanese, with their know-how of taking a good
idea and making it great, transformed the ageing BMC lump into a fairly good
performing, high(ish)-revving engine of 1170cc. This powered a range of Datsuns from the early 1200 series
of cars through to the 120Y and Sunny family cars.
