The very first Datsun to arrive on these shores where a small cache of B10's and 510's. Britian despite the fact that we drove on the left hand side of the road (like Japan and Australia) was relatively late in getting the first 'invasion' of Japanese cars. The fact was the Japanese realised that potential fully loaded and reliable cars where going to be a sure fire success pays tribute to these early pioneers.

The Australian and American market where the first to embrace japanese car market, after reliability tests and rallying successes it didn't take long for the public to accept these cars. Datsun where keen to export to European markets, but needed to test the waters before a full scale assault was deployed, using countries like Finland and Cyprus the first Datsuns where being tested in both extremes of weather.

Much of Datsuns success in the UK must be complimented to Octav Bontar, a German car importer at the time also responble for Audi/NSU cars coming into the UK. Using his skills to help establish the cars in the UK, combined with rally success and Dastun offering a car a full range of cars for every pocket, all kitted with many features which weren't even an option on many cars on sale, Datsun couldn't lose.

The B10 was introduced into the UK in 1969 - in its last year of production. A press car - OKJ 213F a four door saloon was used by many of the motoring magazines at the time and most concluded that the first effort was largely a well made car and represented good value, but this didn't effect the sales of the direct competition - the Vauxhall Viva, Ford Escort and BMC 1100 but it did give Datsun a slight toe hold of the market. At the same time a larger model designated the 1300/1600 (510 Bluebird) started competing in the very competitive Ford Cortina market, as a result it was marketed more seriously despite less than 4000 UK sales. The 510 was the latest of a long lined of cars rallied and raced, and became the template for all future Datsun sporting success. Two other models the 1800(C30) and 2000(130) (predecessor of the Laurel) made even less of a noticeable impact in the showrooms. Both were conventionally engineered cars aping a very similar style to contemporary American cars. However the marketing men in the UK were in for treat once Japan announced that the 240Z sports car was to shipped over to the UK. The car transformed Datsuns image and with the already strong rally reputation of previous models helped Datsun's become a more common name in this country. The bulk of exports were sent to North America, but the car was warmly received here and became the worlds best selling sports car.

Datsun were to begin the seventies with rightful optimism spearheaded by the introduction of the B110. This simple engineered car was the replacement for the B10, and was Datsuns first volume seller in the UK. Combined with its ease of driving, equipment, economy and mechanical efficiency it couldn't fail. Sold with the first incarnation of the long running 1171cc Overhead unit, this car continued in three guises, saloon, estate and for the first time in the UK a coupé.
In 1971 Datsun released a technological breakthrough in the form of the Datsun 100A. This car established Datsuns marketing power and this car remained unchanged until 1977 when a redesigned body shell took over the familiar mechanics. The way Datsun designates its cars rely on the engine size; 120Y signifying a 1200cc engine, 140J a 1400cc engine etc. Early Datsun cars where also marketed but never wore names i.e Sunny, Cherry, Bluebird. Despite the somewhat effeminate names it didn't seem to hinder sales. By 1973 Datsun had introduced the 160B/180B (610 Bluebird) - a replacement for the 510. In the same year two other cars the 140J/160J (710 Violet) and more significantly the Datsun 120Y (210 Sunny) where quickly establishing Datsun as the number importer of cars into the UK.
The 120Y was mechanically based on the B110 which it replaced in 1973 - a simple layout combined with proven mechanics. Datsun also marketed two doored coupé models as sports cars with exceptional economy, using simple and effective marketing. All models included a 2 door coupé variant most of them specified with larger engines than their saloon counterparts but giving the punter a little bit more style. In the case of the 120A cherry and 120Y coupe the styling excesses of the seventies were evident. The range was further completed by an admittedly confusing array of filler cars namely the bigger Granada sized 200L (C130), the 240K (C110) and 240C/260C (230/330). The 240Z by then had grown into the bigger engined and less sporting 260Z. By 1974 Datsun had over 250 Dealers, helped by the construction of a new headquarters in Worthing, Brighton.

By 1975 the British government imposed a quota in the sales of all Japanese cars into the UK. By this time the British car industry was in ruins. Strikes where hitting the car industry hard thanks to trade unions. This didn't help the domestic manufactures to fight off the continuing onslaught of japanese cars. Just before the 10% import quota was imposed Datsun where indeed selling more cars than Vauxhall. By the end of the seventies the whole range were in their 3 or 4th incarnation and still selling well with the secondhand market for japanese cars very buoyant.

In the early eighties Datsun gradually changed much of its range to front wheel drive, in keeping with the car industry trend. The Cherry had grown into a hatchback variant of the Sunny, so in late 1982 a new baby car (Micra) was launched to replace in effect what was an updated version of the 1970 100A with a hatchback. In the same year another new model named the Prairie was marketed in the UK as one of the UKs first people carriers, some 3 years ahead of Renaults Espace. Before the cherries demise in 1986 Nissan without foresight joint forces with Alfa Romeo to produce the Nissan Cherry Europe/ Alfa Romeo Arna. It was never a success and was an unfitting end to the Cherry designation. The Sunny continued its best seller status gaining front wheel drive but retaining the previous generations engines. The hatchback and saloon Stanza range replaced the Violet in 1982, but never sold well enough due the serious competition from Ford and Vauxhall. The Bluebird (910) continued (and this model had yet an important part to play in the development of the company in the UK) in its saloon, estate and coupé styles. Like the Bluebird the slow selling Laurel, Skyline, 280C and 280ZX remained rear wheel drive. In 1982 Datsun also introduced to the UK the 4 wheel drive Datsun Patrol to its range, in both short and long wheel base in an attempt to take up sales from Land Rover and Toyota. In 1983 the Datsun name was replaced by its parent company name Nissan, and all cars were marketed as Nissan from then on.