Nissan Violet

}} Introduced in January 1971 the Nissan Violet was a smaller version of the Datsun Bluebird 610, which was sold outside Japan under Nissan's Datsun brand as the Datsun 140J/160J — except in the United States where it was marketed simply as the Datsun 710. This model was built as a two-door saloon, two-door coupé, four-door fastback, (and later as a regular four-door saloon), estate, and as a van. Introducing the Violet allowed Nissan to moderately increase the dimensions of the existing Datsun Bluebird. The sporty SSS model has rear independent suspension, others have a leaf sprung rear. Aside from the different name, the North American market 710 received large separate bumpers rather than the curved, fitted pieces used in other markets to comply with United States bumper legislation in 1973. Early export market cars were fitted with tiny chrome cover plates to hide the holes left on top of the front fenders by the Japanese market rear view mirrors. The most powerful version offered in Japan was the fuel injected 1600 SSS-E with JIS at 6200 rpm. In export markets the twin-carb 160J SSS claimed DIN, five more than the regular 160J. In Japan, the 1800 cc engine arrived in October 1975 and was only available running on LPG, for taxi use. This vehicle was available for sale around the same time as the first generation Toyota Carina. The original four-door bodywork was quite swoopy, with a fastback line. It was one of the first Nissan products to introduce "coke bottle styling", an appearance that had debuted internationally during the 1960s and 1970s. Its controversial appearance led to a certain number of customer complaints, not only about the looks but also at the limited rear vision and dark rear cabin - especially for children. Taxi companies refused to purchase any more Violets, and in a rather drastic facelift gradually introduced beginning in February 1976 Nissan resorted to replacing the entire rear end (including the roof panel and the doors) with more traditional, notchback bodywork. This provided more space and comfort for passengers, while also minimizing blind spots. This version also received a new chassis code, 711, while the smaller-engined part of the range gradually became replaced by the newly introduced, carburetted version of the 1600. The coupés and vans/wagons did not undergo any bodywork modification. The two-door sedan was discontinued, while the coupé received the new chassis code and remained on sale alongside the four-door 711 and the 710 Van. The 1975s produce (SAE Net) in 49-state and Canadian trim versus California-spec cars. The federal/Canadian version took leaded fuel and depended on an EGR system for pollution control, while the California cars have a catalytic converter and require unleaded petrol. Gross horsepower ratings are 110 and 107 respectively. Aside from the new engine, the 710 saw some additional modifications for 1975: the steering was adjusted to decrease driver effort, while noise levels were reduced, and gear ratios were adjusted to boost petrol mileage. Externally, the bumper overriders received a slight chrome molding in the middle. Mysteriously, while wagons usually have a smaller petrol tank of rather than , the California-market 710 wagon has the same size petrol tank as the sedans and hardtops. and all were presold before they arrived. All were keenly sought-after and hard to secure as they were better specified as standard (tinted glass, AM pushbutton radio, etc.) than the NZ-assembled CKD kit imported models, which consisted of the 1200 sedan and wagon, and 180B (Bluebird) and 260C (Cedric) sedans. Almost-new 140Js were often resold soon after first registration for hundreds of dollars more than their retail prices, such was the model line's initial popularity. The Japanese assembly quality of the 140J was better than the NZ-built Datsuns of the time which were assembled by outside assembly contractors - Nissan themselves did not open its own 'temporary' plant in Mt Roskill, Auckland, until the mid-1970s and a dedicated, purpose-built factory in Wiri in 1978. ;South Africa In South Africa, the 1976 "711" facelift arrived in October 1976 and continued in production for a while longer than in Japan. It was sold as the Datsun 160U or 180U, depending on engine fitment. Deluxe and SSS sedans as well as an SSS Hardtop were available. A batch of 100 SSS models (some of which were Bluebirds) with special "Mexican" upholstery was also built in 1978. == A10 series (1977–1981)==

| 1397 cc A14 I4 (A10/11) | 1595 cc L16/L16S/L16E I4 (PA10) | 1595 cc Z16S/Z16E I4 (PA11) | 1770 cc Z18/Z18E I4 (RA11) | 1952 cc L20B I4 (HA10) | 1952 cc Z20S I4 (HA10) }} }} When the first generation Violet was replaced in May 1977, it grew more rational and somewhat larger than the over-designed original model. Nissan increased the glass area by ten percent vis-à-vis its predecessor. It was also joined by two badge engineered versions: the slightly more expensive Nissan Auster went on sale alongside the Violet and was aiming for an air of "quality and youthfulness." This was accomplished by having a different grille treatment, a somewhat altered dashboard with more round gauges, and offering the option of a dog-leg, five-speed manual transmission. The Auster lineup also received a rear stabilizer bar, for improved handling. The more luxurious, more "European" Stanza followed in August 1977; it was only offered in the higher equipment levels and was also differentiated by having a different bonnet and single rectangular lights rather than the twin round units seen on the Violet and Auster. Nissan introduced their emissions control technology with this generation, called NAPS, and the cars received a new chassis code of A11. The more luxurious Stanza was never available with the 1.4-litre engine in Japan, only with a 1.6 until larger engines joined the lineup. In November 1978 a 1.8-litre engine was added at the top of the line-up, mainly for the domestic Japanese market. The 1800 "NAPS-Z" engine was initially only available in the more luxurious Stanza model and received the RA11 chassis code. It was available either carburetted or fuel injected, with at 6,000 rpm respectively. Five body styles were on offer: two- and four-door saloons, a three-door hatchback coupé ("Violet Openback" and "Auster Multi-Coupé"), a 5-door hatchback (only introduced in August 1979, quite late in the car's production run) and a five-door estate. The three-door coupé offered a split, folding rear seat which increased flexibility, but the lowered roofline limited headroom for rear passengers, effectively making this bodystyle a 2+2. The A10/A11 wagon was not replaced in 1981, with the all-new Nissan Prairie or Nissan Vanette instead filling its place for cargo carrying duties in the Japanese market. Transmissions offered were a four-speed manual (not available on Auster 1600s), a five-speed manual (not available with the 1400 engine), and a three-speed automatic. This generation was available for sale around the same time as the first generation Toyota Celica Camry and the Honda Accord, which formed direct competitors in the domestic marketplace. Export markets Australia The Stanza was assembled in Australia from 1978 to 1982, in 1.6-litre four-door saloon form, primarily to fill a gap between the Sunny and 200B. Trims available were "GL", "GX", and sporty "SSS". While popular with buyers, the Australian Stanza was heavily criticized by the motoring journalists of the day (particularly Wheels Magazine), who regarded the car as being "unadventurous", particularly with regard to its styling and conventional drivetrain. In 1979, 120 two-door coupé models were assembled in Australia, apparently due to a mix-up with Nissan Australia's kit ordering system. They were released into the market anyway with no promotion, and promptly sold out. New Zealand The A10 series was sold in limited numbers as the Datsun 160J in New Zealand. A batch of three-door hatchbacks were imported when assemblers could not keep up with demand with the locally assembled 120Y Sunny and 180B models. Europe In the United Kingdom, this generation was marketed as the Datsun Violet, and was sold in 1.4 L "GL" and 1.6 L "GL" engine/trim combinations. No estate models were offered. In the rest of Europe it was usually sold as the 160J (or 140J), a variety of bodystyle and equipment combinations were offered, with a Coupé SSS with twin SU-carburetors available at the top of the lineup. Power outputs were for the 140J, for the 160J, and for the 160J SSS. A fuel-injected version of the 160J was also available in some European markets, with . Thailand In Thailand it was marketed as the Datsun Stanza (with additional Nissan badges during the transition period) by local assembler Siam Motors. It was only available with SU-carburetted 1.6-litre engines, producing SAE in the four-door sedan and in the sportier liftback coupé version. Mexico The A10-series Violet was commercialized in the Mexican car market from 1978 to early 1984. Introduced as a 1979 model, it superseded the previous 710-series as the second generation "Datsun 160J". At first, the Mexican A10 Violet range only included the 4-door saloon and the Wagon, being (as previously) respectively marketed as "Datsun Sedan" and "Datsun Guayin" (badged Violet Van in Japan), continuing the former promotion strategy of the Nissan Mexico lineup. For the first time here, the 2-door saloon version was added to the range. From 1979 to 1981, the Mexican-produced A10 units had pretty much the same design of the Japanese-spec A10 Violets produced between the 1977-1979 lapse. The front grille of the 4-door and wagon featured the same doubled-circle headlight set (i.e. two pair of circular lamps), while the 2-door saloon sported a distinctive front grille, with only a set of single circular right and left lamps. For 1982, the Mexican A10 cars sported the same facelift works made on the 1979-1981 Japanese-produced Violets, going on a bit with the North American-spec A10 units (marketed in the USA as Datsun 510, hinting then the well-gained reputation of the former 510-series Bluebird model of the late 60s-early 70s). This slight facelift focused majorly on the updated front grille, featuring a singled or doubled set of new squared or rectangular-shaped headlights. From here, the commercialization of the Mexican A10 lineup changed to Datsun 180J, referring the more powerful 1.8-litre carbureted engine swap. Also in 1982, the 5-door liftback/hatchback version of the A10 Violet certainly was launched toward the Mexican market, as Datsun Samurai. It intended to be a sleek, sporty while -by then- modern style saloon in the Nissan Mexico lineup. In 1984, in a context of the Nissan's brand global name unification, the Datsun brand name was phased out off the world's market, in favor of the single Nissan brand name. Thus, the Mexican A10 Violet production was phased out by Nissan Mexico, switching its manufacture to the domestic market production of the B11 Sunny/Sentra range by then, launched as the all-new Nissan Tsuru (1st. gen / B11). North America In the United States and Canada the Violet was sold as the Datsun 510, to cash in on the popularity of the earlier 510 Bluebird. It was available as a two-door sedan, a three-door hatchback, a four-door sedan, a five-door hatchback, or a five-door wagon. It was powered by the 2.0 L inline-four L20B engine, although in 1980 US-spec. cars received the Z20S NAPS-Z inline-four of the same displacement. For the 1980 and 1981 model years, this was the only engine available to the 510. Power is at 5,200 rpm. The four-speed manual was standard in the A10 models while the FS5W63A five-speed manual or 3N71B three-speed automatic were available as optional upgrades. South Africa South African-made Violets were sold as the 1600J or 1800J depending on engine fitment between 1978 and 1980. Four-door saloon or station wagon bodywork was available, with the 1800 sedan also available as a sporting SSS model. Motorsports The Violet 160J was Nissan's most successful car in the World Rally Championship. It won the Safari Rally in Kenya from 1979 to 1982 consecutively, all with Shekhar Mehta behind the wheel. The 1979 and 1980 winners were powered by an SOHC engine; the 1981 and 1982 winners were Violet GT models with a DOHC engine. These Safari records are only matched by the Toyota Celica GT-Four which won the 1992–95 events. Driven by Timo Salonen, the Violet also won the 1980 Rally New Zealand and the 1981 Rallye Côte d'Ivoire. In 1982 Nissan homologated the Nissan Silvia coupé as a bodystyle variant of the Violet, under the name Nissan Violet GTS, which can cause confusion between the competition histories of these two cars. WRC victories : == T11 series (1981–1986)==

}} A front-wheel drive Stanza was introduced in 1981 – the first middle-class Datsun to be of that configuration, and the first Japanese car in the category built to the principles which had been established in Europe for this class since a few years back. In Europe, front-wheel drive and a liftback design were becoming the norm in this segment, although more traditional Japanese buyers still preferred the rear-wheel drive Bluebird. It remained on sale in Britain until 1986, after which Nissan sold the first British-built Bluebird as its only product in this market sector. Nissan was previously building a smaller, front wheel drive car, beginning with the 1970 Nissan Cherry, and then reconfigured the Violet to front wheel drive. 3-door hatchback, 4-door saloon, and 5-door liftback models were produced. After 1982, Nissan tried to standardize the Stanza name in its export markets – in addition to phasing out the Datsun marque in favor of Nissan. In the United States the T11 Stanza with the CA20S engine replaced the 510 for the 1982 model year. In the United States, the Nissan Prairie was also sold as part of the range, renamed the Stanza Wagon. In 1984, Nissan changed the engine in the Stanza from the carbureted CA20S to the fuel-injected 2.0 L, straight-four CA20E. This car was 1981 Semperit Irish Car of the Year in Ireland. Japanese and some other export models were called "Stanza FX", and were offered with 1.6 and 1.8 L engines. This version was sold in the United Kingdom and Europe as the Nissan Stanza; the range was "L" 1.6 L, "GL" 1.6 L, "SGL" 1.6 L and "SGL" 1.8 L. Some markets (such as Belgium, where it came fitted with the full SGL equipment) also received a 1.7-litre turbodiesel engine with , beginning with the 1984 model year. European market cars were generally fitted with very long gearing, making the car one of the most fuel economic in its class. It was first sold in Britain from January 1982, alongside the similar-sized rear-wheel drive Bluebird saloons and estates, which later also switched to front-wheel drive. This meant that Nissan was in the position of offering traditional rear-wheel drive saloons and estates alongside similar-sized front-wheel drive cars including hatchbacks, as this market sector was in a period of transition in the early 1980s. Nissan-Datsun New Zealand occasionally imported later generation Violets and other models for evaluation, or imported a small production run if additional import licences became available (there was a trading scheme enabling importers to trade unused annual license allocations with each other). One highly specified, five-door, third generation, front-drive model with automatic transmission - and then-rare air conditioning - was imported for an international distributors' conference held in NZ in 1981 and was later used by a company executive's wife before being resold through the company's own dealer network. There was also a small later shipment of cars for public sale (this time without a/c) but, as usual with low-volume imports of this type by Nissan and rivals, most were presold before the ship docked. A number of Stanzas also arrived as used imports from Japan in the late 1980s. In Indonesia, the T11 Stanza 1.6 L was a popular car taxi in the mid-1980s. The facelifted Japanese models have an upright nose, similar to that of the Bluebird U11 series. The Stanza was available in Japan at Nissan Satio Store locations, while its badge engineered companion was sold as the five-door hatchback from 1981-1982, then replaced by the smaller Pulsar based three-door hatchback. The Violet Liberta was sold at Nissan Cherry Store locations but only as a five door hatchback. The Auster was a higher specification and sportier version of the Stanza for the Japanese domestic market, with the emphasis towards a younger demographic. The three-door hatchback Auster GT-ES was equipped with a five-speed manual transmission. Various trim packages were labeled, 1600 CS-X, Auster JX, GS-X Extra, and the 1800 GS-L Super Saloon. The Auster was exclusive to Nissan Prince Store locations, as a lower cost alternative to the Skyline, but was slightly larger than the Nissan Langley. The Stanza T11 series was the only time in the US market that a Nissan was rated more-reliable than the Toyota Camry, between 1983 and 1986, according to 1983-1986 Consumer Reports magazine. In early years, Toyota had major problems with the Camry's mufflers. Since 1987, Nissan have again fallen behind to Toyota and Honda in reliability. The Stanza nameplate was discontinued in Europe after the 1986 model year, and rebadged as a "Bluebird." ;Derivatives In Taiwan a car closely based on the T11 Nissan Stanza got the name Yue Loong Feeling 101 and in a facelifted version Yue Loong Feeling 102. Both were available as a sedan and in a hatchback variant. The vehicles later got an aggressive redesign with angled headlights and more sporty rearlamps. These versions were the first indigenously developed Taiwanese cars and were even exported in small numbers. == T12 series (1986–1990)==

}} }} Nissan renewed the Auster and Stanza lines in 1986 (T12 series), introducing squared-off styling. Japan and the US received this model. The US Stanza used the same CA20E engine found in the previous generation. The car was unusually heavy for its class, due to sharing a platform with the contemporary Maxima and as a result of its small engine, underpowered. In markets outside of North America, Nissan also offered turbocharged models, badged "Bluebird GTi" in Europe and "Stanza Supremo" in Japan; the sister model was called the "Auster XTT". Europe received a version of the Nissan Auster as a Datsun/Nissan Bluebird replacement. These were built in Sunderland, in the United Kingdom, and badged as the Nissan Bluebird. The estate was the only "real" Bluebird in this range, imported from Japan. In the Middle East, the T12 Auster/Stanza T12 was called the Nissan Liberta (not to be confused with the Nissan Liberta Villa), a partial replacement of the Nissan Liberta Violet T11. The Stanza line was not seen in most other export markets after the 1986 model year. The growth of the Sunny and Pulsar models from below meant there was little room for it. Bluebird (Europe) The T12 was introduced in Europe in 1985 as a replacement for the U11 Bluebird. From July 1986, the T12 was imported as a knock-down kit from Japan and assembled at Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK. The saloon versions (four door) were available first and the hatchback (five door) became available in January 1987. Using the U11 platform, Bluebird Estates were still sourced from Japan. Although it was not the first Japanese car to be built in Britain (the Honda-based Triumph Acclaim predated it by five years), the Bluebird was instrumental in proving that a British factory could produce vehicles to the same quality standards as those built in Japan. As the earliest cars from the plant were assembled in kit form, they still counted as Japanese production and therefore formed part of Nissan's import quota. It was not until early 1988 that the amount of UK-sourced content in Sunderland-built Bluebirds exceeded the sixty percent threshold and they were legally considered "British", immune from import restrictions. The Bluebird proved so popular that in December 1987 Nissan announced the institution of a third shift, in order to bump production from 29,000 to circa 40,000 cars annually. Being built in the United Kingdom, it was possible to sell the Bluebird in markets like Spain and Italy without the quota limitations imposed on Japanese-made cars and by October 1988 they were available in nine European markets. The later T72 models replaced the T12 during 1987, followed by a facelift around a year later. This is a point to note, as it is a common mistake to class all pre-facelift models as T12s. The facelift models had a more modern and European look, with round front and rear bumpers and the corporate slatted grille. These were eventually built entirely in England. In 1990, Nissan replaced the Bluebird with the Primera. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Nissan Bluebirds were very commonly seen as taxis, their drivers racking up phenomenal mileages. The bodyshell's resistance to corrosion has become legendary - it is not uncommon to see Bluebirds as old as 1987 or 1988 vintage still on British roads with virtually no trace of rust at all. However, the Bluebirds' reliability and all-around robustness has ultimately led to its demise – as a banger racers' car of choice. Almost all petrol T12/T72 Bluebirds came with 8-valve versions of Nissan's CA Engine and either a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic transmission. The diesel models used the normally aspirated LD20 engine. Performance was average for its class, the 1.6 struggling more with its lower torque characteristics that did not seem suited to the weight of the car. The turbo models used the CA18ET engine with giving a 0 – time of 8.6 seconds. This engine used a small turbocharger producing 0.60 bar of boost. This is the same engine used in the European Nissan Silvia S12. Power outputs for the naturally aspirated engines ranged from from the 1.6 through the 2.0-litre version, while the diesel offered . The members of the Bluebird Car Club got to meet the employees who built their cars and view the firm's modern manufacturing operations first-hand. File:1987 Nissan Bluebird LX 1.6 Rear.jpg|1987 Nissan Bluebird 1.6 LX hatchback File:Nissan Bluebird T72 1.8GS Hatchback at sunset.jpg|1989 Nissan Bluebird 1.8 GS Hatchback File:1990 Nissan Bluebird Turbo GTI (T72) (4575667145).jpg|1990 Nissan Bluebird Turbo GTI File:日産オースターXi.jpg|Nissan Auster (T12) ==U12 series (1989–1992)==

In the 1990 model year the American version of the Stanza was replaced by a basic version of the Nissan Bluebird (U12), wearing Stanza badges. In Japan, the Stanza was replaced by the Nissan Cefiro while the Auster was replaced by the Nissan Primera for the 1990 model year. The JDM Bluebird has the rear license plate higher between the tail lights, whereas the Stanza's is mounted on the bumper. In Australia, this generation is called Pintara, and it's similar to the JDM model. The fourth generation was offered in North America in two trim levels, "XE" and "GXE", with a sportier SE trim added for 1992. The 4th Gen used the 2.4 L inline-4 Nissan KA24E engine, an upgrade from previous generations in displacement (from 1974 cc to 2398 cc), power (from to ), and torque (from to ). The KA engine was not used on Japanese-spec Bluebirds. The fourth generation had EPA estimated fuel economy of city and highway for the 4-speed automatic transmission. For the 5-speed manual transmission the Stanza has EPA estimated fuel economy of city and highway. The Stanza was discontinued after the 1992 model year, superceded by the American-built, Bluebird-based Altima. The last American Stanza was assembled on 27 March 1992, its nameplate used on in the first generation Altima, which was marketed as the "Nissan Stanza Altima". ==References==