Datsun statistics span early Japanese vehicle production, overseas shipments, historic model specifications and Nissan’s later company-wide milestones. The figures below identify the relevant year, geography and population, because some measures describe Datsun vehicles while others describe Nissan as a whole.
Key Datsun Statistics
The most useful headline figures include:
- In 1933, Nissan’s annual production was 202 vehicles in Japan, covering company output rather than a Datsun-model-only breakdown.
- In 1934, annual production rose to 940 vehicles after the move to Yokohama in Japan.
- In 1935, annual production reached 3,800 vehicles after integrated chassis-and-body manufacturing began in Japan.
- In 1936, annual output increased to 6,163 vehicles in Nissan/Datsun production in Japan.
- In 1937, annual output reached 10,227 vehicles in Nissan/Datsun production in Japan.
- In 1934, the first Datsun exports totaled 44 vehicles shipped to Asia, Central America and South America.
- From approximately 1934 to 1944, Datsun exports totaled approximately 18,000 units across overseas markets.
- In November 1969, cumulative Nissan exports surpassed 1 million vehicles worldwide.
- In September 1972, cumulative Nissan domestic production surpassed 10 million vehicles in Japan.
- In December 1933, Jidosha Seizo Co. had ¥10,000,000 in initial capital in Japan.
- In 1938, the Datsun 17 Sedan used a 722cc four-cylinder engine and produced 12 kW, or 16 PS, at 3,600 rpm.
- In 1938, the Datsun 17 Sedan seated four people and had an 80 km/h top speed.
- In 1933, the Datsun 12 Phaeton used a 748cc four-cylinder engine producing 9 kW, or 12 PS, in Japan.
- In 1958, the Datsun 1000 Sedan Sakura used a 988cc engine producing 25 kW, or 34 PS, at 4,400 rpm.
- In 1958, the Sakura 210 completed a 16,000 km round-Australia rally in 19 days.
- From approximately 1965 to 1968, approximately 550 first-generation Silvia units were built in Japan.
- In 1966, the Silvia CSP311 produced 66 kW, or 90 PS, at 6,000 rpm.
- In 1932, Datsun first appeared in the Datsun 10 in Japan.
Contents
- Datsun production statistics in the 1930s
- Datsun exports and Nissan scale milestones
- Datsun history statistics from founding to postwar recovery
- Datsun sedan dimensions, capacity and performance
- Datsun compact-car engine and performance data
- Datsun sports-car statistics and limited production
- Datsun model timeline and measurable company milestones
Datsun Production Statistics in the 1930s
Nissan’s early production grew rapidly as manufacturing moved from Osaka to Yokohama and integrated production began. The annual figures are Nissan/Datsun company production in Japan, not a model-by-model Datsun sales series.
| Period | Annual production | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| 1933 | 202 vehicles | Nissan/Datsun production in Japan |
| 1934 | 940 vehicles | Nissan/Datsun production in Japan |
| 1935 | 3,800 vehicles | Annual company production |
| 1936 | 6,163 vehicles | Annual company production |
| 1937 | 10,227 vehicles | Annual company production |
Source: NISSAN LEGENDS: The Birth of Nissan Motor. The source notes that the Yokohama site occupied 661,200 square metres of filled ground in 1934, while its integrated-manufacturing conveyor line measured 70 metres in 1935.
These facility statistics describe site scale and equipment, not additional vehicle output. Together with the production series, they show the industrial setting behind the early Datsun expansion.
Datsun Exports and Nissan Scale Milestones
Datsun’s first overseas shipments were small, but the cumulative export record later became a Nissan-wide measure. Geography and scope matter: the early shipment figures are Datsun-specific, while the later milestones cover Nissan worldwide or Nissan domestic production.
- In 1934, the first Datsun exports to Asia, Central America and South America totaled 44 vehicles.
- Over approximately 1934–1944, Datsun exports totaled approximately 18,000 vehicles in overseas markets; Nissan presents this as an estimate covering the following decade.
- In November 1969, cumulative Nissan exports surpassed 1 million vehicles worldwide.
- In September 1972, cumulative Nissan domestic production surpassed 10 million vehicles in Japan.
- In July 1977, Nissan’s cumulative production surpassed 20 million vehicles worldwide and across the company timeline.
Sources: Nissan 90th Anniversary Booklet, page 5, Nissan 90th Anniversary Booklet, page 6, and Nissan Heritage Collection: 1970 timeline.
The 1-million, 10-million and 20-million milestones should not be read as Datsun-only totals. They are useful indicators of Nissan’s broader industrial and export scale during the period in which Datsun models were part of the company’s identity.
Datsun History Statistics from Founding to Postwar Recovery
The company’s early financial and market context helps define what the Datsun production numbers represented. Historical yen amounts below are nominal period values and are not inflation-adjusted.
- Jidosha Seizo Co. was established with ¥10,000,000 of initial capital in December 1933 in Japan.
- Japan’s 1934 vehicle supply included 896 finished imported cars, 33,458 cars imported in knockdown form, and 2,247 domestically manufactured vehicles.
- Aikawa’s 1934 mass-production plan set an annual output target of 25,000 cars.
- The same plan assumed a ¥1,000 loss per car, with a stated planned deficit of ¥25,000,000; these were planning assumptions, not realized results.
Source: [SHORT STORY] Birth of Nissan Jidosha (Nissan Motor) (https://www.nissan-global.com/EN/HERITAGE_COLLECTION/short_story/en_p09-01.html) and Nissan 90th Anniversary Booklet, page 5.
Datsun’s postwar model history includes the Datsun Sedan Model 110, which went on sale in January 1955 in Japan. This is a launch milestone rather than a sales count, so it should not be combined with production or export totals.
Datsun Sedan Dimensions, Capacity and Performance Statistics
The Datsun 17 Sedan illustrates the scale and capability of a late-1930s compact sedan. These are manufacturer specifications for the 1938 model, not results from modern independent testing.
| Measure | Datsun 17 Sedan, 1938 |
|---|---|
| Overall length | 3,187 mm |
| Width | 1,190 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,005 mm |
| Curb weight | 630 kg |
| Engine | 722cc, four-cylinder side-valve |
| Maximum power | 12 kW / 16 PS at 3,600 rpm |
| Seating | Four people |
| Top speed | 80 km/h |
Source: Datsun 17 Sedan (1938: 17) specifications.
The figures provide a defined snapshot of one model rather than a universal Datsun specification. In particular, the 630 kg curb weight, four-seat layout and 80 km/h top speed belong to the named 1938 sedan.
Datsun Compact-Car Engine and Performance Data
Datsun’s compact-car statistics changed materially between the 1933 Datsun 12 Phaeton and the 1958 Datsun 1000 Sedan Sakura. The models are separated by period and should be compared as specifications, not as independently tested performance outcomes.
| Model and period | Engine and power | Other specified measure |
|---|---|---|
| Datsun 12 Phaeton, 1933 | 748cc, four-cylinder side-valve; 9 kW / 12 PS | 2,710 mm length; 1,918 mm wheelbase |
| Datsun 1000 Sedan Sakura, 1958 | 988cc; 25 kW / 34 PS at 4,400 rpm | 65 Nm at 2,400 rpm; 925 kg curb weight; 95 km/h top speed |
Source: Datsun 12 Phaeton (1933: 12) specifications and Datsun 1000 Sedan Sakura (1958: 210) specifications.
The Datsun 12 Phaeton’s Osaka-delivery price was 1,350 yen in its 1933 model specification. That historical nominal price is location-specific and does not include an inflation adjustment in the supplied record.
The Sakura 210 also has a measured motorsport milestone: it competed in a 16,000 km round-Australia rally completed in 19 days during August–September 1958. The rally distance and elapsed time describe that course, not a consumer durability test.
Datsun Sports-Car Statistics and Limited Production
The first-generation Silvia combines limited production with a higher-output specification than the compact sedans listed above. Nissan presented it as the Datsun Coupe 1500 at the 1964 Tokyo Motor Show, and approximately 550 units were built over approximately 1965–1968.
| Measure | Silvia CSP311, 1966 |
|---|---|
| Engine | 1,595cc |
| Maximum power | 66 kW / 90 PS at 6,000 rpm |
| Maximum torque | 132 Nm at 4,000 rpm |
| Wheelbase | 2,280 mm |
| Curb weight | 980 kg |
| Production | Approximately 550 units over four years |
Source: Silvia (1966: CSP311) specifications.
The approximately 550-unit total is an estimate stated by Nissan, and the model was semi-handmade. It therefore describes limited historical production, not a complete global sales total or a modern collector-market population.
Datsun Model Timeline and Measurable Company Milestones
Datsun’s documented timeline runs from the Datsun 10 to increasingly recognizable Bluebird, Fairlady, Sunny and Z models. The dates below are introduction milestones; they do not imply the number of vehicles sold.
| Period | Model or milestone | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 1932 | Datsun 10 | First appearance of Datsun |
| 1935 | Datsun Model 14 | Nissan’s identification as Japan’s first mass-produced car |
| January 1955 | Datsun Sedan Model 110 | Went on sale in Japan |
| 1957–1959 | Datsun 1000 Sedan 210 | Last all-new Datsun before Bluebird launched |
| August 1959 | Datsun Bluebird Model 310 | Model introduction |
| October 1962 | Datsun Fairlady 1500 Model SP310 | Model introduction |
| April 1966 | Datsun Sunny 1000 B10 | Model introduction |
| October 1969 | Datsun Fairlady Z Model S30 | Model introduction |
Source: Datsun 12 Phaeton specifications and Nissan 90th Anniversary Booklet, page 6.
A later Nissan scale reference comes from the Annual Report 2015. It forecast 5.55 million global retail sales for fiscal 2015, up 4.4% from fiscal 2014, and a 6.5% global light-vehicle market share, up 0.3 percentage points from 2014; these are company-wide Nissan forecasts, not realized Datsun sales or Datsun brand share.
Source: Nissan Motor Corporation Annual Report 2015.