Datsun 200B
Encyclopedia
The Datsun 200B is an Australia
n-market mid-size car
sold from 1977 to 1981. Continuing with the Japan
ese styling, the first 200B's were all fully imported in sedan, station wagon
and coupe
, the latter retaining the SSS badge. In January 1978 local assembly began for the sedan, followed shortly by the wagon. The sedan trim levels were GL and GX, while the coupe remained as a hardtop
, however unlike the previous model, Datsun added an opera window
in the rear pillar. The coupe was discontinued in Australia in 1979.
Almost immediately the 200B became Australia's top selling four-cylinder
car, a position it held until it was displaced by the Mitsubishi Sigma
. Its popularity however remained strong right through the production run, family buyers appreciative of the plentiful interior room and standard features. It may have been somewhat conservatively styled, but the effort Nissan had put into the engineering of the car made it reliable and tough, qualities most Australia
ns rated higher than a more advanced design.
The engine
for the 200B was a larger version of the L series engine from the 180B, dubbed the L20B its capacity was increased to 1952 cc, making it good for 72 kW.
Only the early fully imported 200B sedans and coupes retained the independent rear suspension from the 180B, locally assembled 200B sedans instead switched to coil spring
s with trailing arms, while the wagon had a live axle
in the rear with leaf spring
s. Seen as a giant step backwards, the reason for the change was certainly not a cost cutting measure, but simply the need for Nissan to reach an 85% local content quota that the then Federal Government demanded of Australian car manufacturers. However, in practice the live rear axle, being an Australian development, proved to actually benefit the car's overall handling dynamics.
The biggest downside to the 200B was the noise the driver would have to endure. The 2 litre overhead cam engine could be very loud when pushed up through the rev range, and to make matters worse there was always plenty of drive line vibration. These issues prompted an exhaustive correction programme to be undertaken by the parent company in Japan
, and thankfully later models were somewhat improved.
A sportier version of the 200B sedan was released in June 1978. The new SX featured a revised grille, front spoiler, alloy wheels, revised door and seat trim (striped seat inserts) and tachometer, while the suspension was altered to improve handling. The colours available for this model were simply blue, white or red, and the only transmission available was a 4-speed floor shift. Significantly the SX was a unique model to Australia, the added input from Nissan's Australian design engineers signified a step away from just assembling cars. This in turn led to the locally built Datsuns, and later Nissans, being re-engineered to better suit Australian conditions, with many components being sourced locally a tradition that would continue right up until 1991, when Nissan ceased local manufacture.
In October 1979, the 200B was revised with a new grille
, bumpers, seats, trim, and dashboard. The seats were a unique Australian design for the locally built cars. This facelift was penned by Paul Beranger, a former Holden
designer - years later he would style the 2006 Toyota Aurion
.
In 1980, a limited edition 200B Aspen GL sedan was released featuring distinctive shadow tone paint available in green, blue, or grey. Both the 180B and 200B models were extremely popular with Australian motorists, although it is rare to see one on the roads today. The time is fast approaching when 1970s nostalgia buffs will lust for a good clean example, only to find there are none.
The 200B was discontinued in May 1981, replaced by the Datsun Bluebird.
Australian comedy band, Tripod, have written a song about the 200B, called "200B."
For the first few months of production the cars were fitted with a 1.8L unit, hence they retained the 180B nameplate.
During 1978 a number of changes were made on the car, namely an engine enlargement to 2.0 (renaming the car 200B), and a mild facelift, using new dual rectangular headlights and a new grille. Due to New Zealand's favour for smaller engined models, a 1.6L 160B variant was also introduced.
Production of the New Zealand
160/200B continued until late 1980, when it was replaced by the Datsun Bluebird.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n-market mid-size car
Mid-size car
A mid-size car is the North American/Australian standard for an automobile with a size equal to or greater than that of a compact...
sold from 1977 to 1981. Continuing with the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese styling, the first 200B's were all fully imported in sedan, station wagon
Station wagon
A station wagon is a body style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door , instead of a trunk lid...
and coupe
Coupé
A coupé or coupe is a closed car body style , the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...
, the latter retaining the SSS badge. In January 1978 local assembly began for the sedan, followed shortly by the wagon. The sedan trim levels were GL and GX, while the coupe remained as a hardtop
Hardtop
A hardtop is a term for a rigid, rather than canvas, automobile roof. It has been used in several contexts: detachable hardtops, retractable hardtop roofs, and the so-called pillarless hardtop body style....
, however unlike the previous model, Datsun added an opera window
Opera window
Opera Windows are small porthole sized side windows in the C-pillar of some cars. Typically offered in unison with a vinyl roof, they were a very common design feature of American automobiles during the 1970s. The design was new at the time, "... and would prove to be very popular, indicated by its...
in the rear pillar. The coupe was discontinued in Australia in 1979.
Almost immediately the 200B became Australia's top selling four-cylinder
Straight-4
The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
car, a position it held until it was displaced by the Mitsubishi Sigma
Mitsubishi Sigma
Mitsubishi Sigma may refer to one of several vehicles manufactured by Mitsubishi Motors between 1976 and 1996:*The Mitsubishi Galant Σ , a version of the Mitsubishi Galant sedan built between 1976 and 1987...
. Its popularity however remained strong right through the production run, family buyers appreciative of the plentiful interior room and standard features. It may have been somewhat conservatively styled, but the effort Nissan had put into the engineering of the car made it reliable and tough, qualities most Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
ns rated higher than a more advanced design.
The engine
Internal combustion engine
The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of the high-temperature and high -pressure gases produced by combustion apply direct force to some component of the engine...
for the 200B was a larger version of the L series engine from the 180B, dubbed the L20B its capacity was increased to 1952 cc, making it good for 72 kW.
Only the early fully imported 200B sedans and coupes retained the independent rear suspension from the 180B, locally assembled 200B sedans instead switched to coil spring
Coil spring
A Coil spring, also known as a helical spring, is a mechanical device, which is typically used to store energy and subsequently release it, to absorb shock, or to maintain a force between contacting surfaces...
s with trailing arms, while the wagon had a live axle
Live axle
A live axle, sometimes called a solid axle, is a type of beam axle suspension system that uses the driveshafts that transmit power to the wheels to connect the wheels laterally so that they move together as a unit....
in the rear with leaf spring
Leaf spring
Originally called laminated or carriage spring, a leaf spring is a simple form of spring, commonly used for the suspension in wheeled vehicles...
s. Seen as a giant step backwards, the reason for the change was certainly not a cost cutting measure, but simply the need for Nissan to reach an 85% local content quota that the then Federal Government demanded of Australian car manufacturers. However, in practice the live rear axle, being an Australian development, proved to actually benefit the car's overall handling dynamics.
The biggest downside to the 200B was the noise the driver would have to endure. The 2 litre overhead cam engine could be very loud when pushed up through the rev range, and to make matters worse there was always plenty of drive line vibration. These issues prompted an exhaustive correction programme to be undertaken by the parent company in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and thankfully later models were somewhat improved.
A sportier version of the 200B sedan was released in June 1978. The new SX featured a revised grille, front spoiler, alloy wheels, revised door and seat trim (striped seat inserts) and tachometer, while the suspension was altered to improve handling. The colours available for this model were simply blue, white or red, and the only transmission available was a 4-speed floor shift. Significantly the SX was a unique model to Australia, the added input from Nissan's Australian design engineers signified a step away from just assembling cars. This in turn led to the locally built Datsuns, and later Nissans, being re-engineered to better suit Australian conditions, with many components being sourced locally a tradition that would continue right up until 1991, when Nissan ceased local manufacture.
In October 1979, the 200B was revised with a new grille
Grille
A grille or grill is an opening of several slits side by side in a wall or metal sheet or other barrier, usually to let air or water enter and/or leave but keep larger objects including people and animals in or out.-Spelling:In the United States, "grille" is used to differentiate the automotive...
, bumpers, seats, trim, and dashboard. The seats were a unique Australian design for the locally built cars. This facelift was penned by Paul Beranger, a former Holden
Holden
GM Holden Ltd is an automaker that operates in Australia, based in Port Melbourne, Victoria. The company was founded in 1856 as a saddlery manufacturer. In 1908 it moved into the automotive field, before becoming a subsidiary of the U.S.-based General Motors in 1931...
designer - years later he would style the 2006 Toyota Aurion
Toyota Aurion
The Toyota Aurion is a mid-size car produced by Toyota in Australia and parts of Asia since 2006. The Aurion, given the model designation XV40 is essentially a Toyota Camry with revised front- and rear-end treatment, along with changes to the interior...
.
In 1980, a limited edition 200B Aspen GL sedan was released featuring distinctive shadow tone paint available in green, blue, or grey. Both the 180B and 200B models were extremely popular with Australian motorists, although it is rare to see one on the roads today. The time is fast approaching when 1970s nostalgia buffs will lust for a good clean example, only to find there are none.
The 200B was discontinued in May 1981, replaced by the Datsun Bluebird.
Australian comedy band, Tripod, have written a song about the 200B, called "200B."
New Zealand 160B/180B/200B
This model was also released to New Zealand in 1977, assembled CKD in 4-door sedan and 5-door wagon forms. A coupe model was also released, imported built-up from Japan. Unlike the Australian models the sedans used the independent rear suspension system of the Japanese specification models.For the first few months of production the cars were fitted with a 1.8L unit, hence they retained the 180B nameplate.
During 1978 a number of changes were made on the car, namely an engine enlargement to 2.0 (renaming the car 200B), and a mild facelift, using new dual rectangular headlights and a new grille. Due to New Zealand's favour for smaller engined models, a 1.6L 160B variant was also introduced.
Production of the New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
160/200B continued until late 1980, when it was replaced by the Datsun Bluebird.