Nissan began realigning its export names with its home market names with the 910 series in November 1979. The ‘B’ tags were dropped in favour of ‘Bluebird’, though the models were marketed as ‘Datsun Bluebird’ initially. The Bluebird 910, which was the last rear-wheel drive Bluebird, featured simple clean-cut squared-off lines, unlike the “Coke Bottle” styling of its predecessor. It did however retain the same engine range, the same MacPherson strut suspension and the same wheelbase as the 810.

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When first shown, at the 1967 Tokyo Motor Show, Japanese customers received the overhead-camshaft 1.3-liter engine with a claimed 72 PS (53 kW) – according to Nissan, an engine more capable than competitor Toyota’s 1.5-liter version. The little engine was not helped by being married to a three-speed manual gearbox. From the beginning, however, North American customers received the larger 1.6 coupled to a four-speed all-synchro transmission. Indeed, by October 1968 the Bluebird was made available with a 1600 cc engine to Japanese buyers as well.

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The 810 was introduced in July 1976. Engine options were largely carried over, with all petrol engines offered in Japan meeting the 1976 emissions requirements thanks to Nissan’s NAPS system. Styling was an evolution of the 610s, with slightly squared off features but retaining a slight “coke bottle” shape. No two-door sedan was available, but the four-door sedan, two-door hardtop coupé (SSS Coupé) and five-door station wagon were offered. As usual, the wagon was mainly sold as a “light van” in Japan, meaning that it was engineered with cargo in mind and had a live, leaf-sprung rear axle rather than the independent rear suspension of the saloons and coupés.

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The 610 series was launched in Japan in August 1971 and was badged as the Datsun Bluebird-U. The meaning behind the U suffix is “User Oriented”, to signify the higher comfort levels than 510 predecessor could muster. A domestic advertising campaign used the catch-line “Bluebird U – Up You!”, and was short-lived due to the innuendo. The 610 was one of the first Nissan products to adopt a popular styling appearance, called “coke bottle” which appeared internationally during the 1960s and 1970s, an appearance shared with the larger Nissan Cedric, as both vehicles were available at Japanese Nissan dealerships called Nissan Bluebird Store.

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