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Remember the Datto? The classic Japanese coupé Aussies loved
On this episode of In My Garage, Mark meets Brian, the owner of a 1974 Datsun 180B SSS.
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Media duration: 15minutesmins
Drive
3 min readDrive
On this episode of In My Garage, Mark meets Brian, the owner of a 1974 Datsun 180B SSS.
Published
3 min read
Text size
Published
Text size
Younger drivers might not recognise the car brand Datsun. Nissan phased out the badge worldwide in the 1980s, folding its cars under the now-familiar Nissan stable. But in the 1970s, Datsun was a household name in Australia, going toe-to-toe with the country's big three motoring giants for a place in the driveway.
WA's favourite Datsun, the 180B, often cited as the best-selling model of its time, is about as iconic to Australia as a snag fresh off the barbie, for those who saw them in all their glory. But for all their popularity, you'd be hard-pressed to find a 180B on the road today, compared to other classics. It was a favourite daily driver that, for most owners, eventually succumbed to rust and years of hard use.
Not so for Brian. Nestled neatly in his garage is his 1974 Datsun 180B SSS, the rarest of them all. It’s his pride, joy and has been his daily car for most of the 36 years it's called his garage home. He first crossed paths with the SSS in Albany and remembers his first impression clearly: "It was absolutely beautiful." When the owner mentioned it was for sale, it didn't take Brian long to say yes.
And it's easy to see why. The Datto exudes the charm of 1970s motoring. Unlike the standard 180B sedan, the SSS coupé borrowed its attitude from American muscle cars of the era: a long bonnet, short deck and fastback roofline that wouldn't look out of place next to a Mustang, all wrapped around Datsun's famously nimble underpinnings. Its pillarless design meant that with both windows wound down, the whole side of the car opened into a single unbroken glasshouse, a detail unique to the SSS that set it apart from its more common 180B siblings.
It had a vinyl roof, which Brian had repainted to match the car's retro beige colour scheme, and the only upgrades he's made over the years are a fresh set of mag wheels, a one-speed-higher gearbox, and a handful of charming little badges as a personal touch.
For Brian, though, the SSS was never a garage queen. Unlike many classics that spend their lives cosseted by collectors, this one has been on the road for decades. He's lost count of how many times the odometer has ticked over and reset itself. Getting behind the wheel again, Brian recalls all the offers he's had to sell over the years, and there have been plenty. His answer is always the same: "It's part of the family."
Watch the full episode of In My Garage on the Horizons by RAC YouTube channel.
