Datsun badge revs up for a comeback

Datsun Sunny enjoyed considerable success in South Africa as the 120Y.

Datsun Sunny enjoyed considerable success in South Africa as the 120Y.

Published Oct 6, 2011

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Here's one to make anybody old enough to remember the Datsun 1600 SSS smile - Nissan is looking at reviving its original nameplate.

Datsun built a strong brand identity in the 1970s with cars such as the iconic 240Z (still a cult car in the US), the 1600 SSS and the Sunny, which enjoyed considerable success in South Africa as the 120Y, and was then rebranded as Nissan.

But now, according to Auto Express, the company is planning to extend its ownership of the name - with a new, modern logo - as an econocar sub-brand, much as sister company Renault did with Dacia. In fact, it's possible the cars could simply be rebadged Dacia models.

Apparently the low-rent Datsuns would be aimed at large, developing markets such as Russia and China, as part of what Nissan is calling the 'Power 88' programme - an ambitious plan to launch a new model every six weeks for the next six years.

Auto Express quoted a Nissan spokesperson as saying: "We are looking at various brands and the option to acquire various brands for use in the future, should we want to. We need to make sure that we own the Datsun name. If we were to use it, Datsun would most likely be a brand for large, developing markets such as Russia and China."

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