Datsun Bluebird 1979-1984 (910)

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. It went on sale in Europe over the summer of 1980, where its main competitors were traditional rear-wheel drive saloons including the Ford Taunus/Cortina and Opel Ascona/Vauxhall Cavalier. It also had a number of front-wheel drive rivals, including the Peugeot 305 and Renault 18. Nissan had enjoyed significant sales success in Britain since the early 1970s and the Bluebird sold reasonably well there, although it was not as popular as the smaller Cherry and Sunny. For the export models, a ‘Nissan’ badge began appearing in 1981. However, in Australia, where 130,000 910s were built between 1981 and 1986, the name change from Datsun Bluebird to Nissan Bluebird did not occur until 1983. After eight years the Bluebird returned to the Taiwanese … Continue reading Datsun Bluebird 1979-1984 (910)