The Datsun 15T went into production in May 1936 and featured
a substantially different body to the previous 14T truck. The grille on
the 15T is a pressed steel design that is painted the same colour as the
body, the new grille stands more upright than the grille on the 14T. The
grille itself is much deeper than the chrome plated grille on the 14T.
As materials such as chrome were getting harder to source thanks to the
war effort in Manchuria, the cars began to use less of it. On the Datsun
15 pretty much all of the grille is painted the same colour as the body,
with the only chrome being a thin strip around the outside and a couple
of horizontal bars. The cute leaping rabbit from last year has been replaced
by an odd stylised mascot that looks almost like a streamlined rabbit with
huge ears.
The truck uses different engine covers than those on the
sedan. The sedan had a series of horizontal vents on the engine cover,
while the truck has a series of near vertical vents.
Mechanically the Datsun 15 was pretty much the same as the
Datsun 14. They both used the same 722cc 4 cylinder engine, but for the
15 the compression ratio was increased from 5.2 to 5.4, which resulted
in an increase in power from 15hp to 16hp. The gearing remained the same,
so the top speed remained at 80kph.
The Datsun 15T was in production from May 1936 until April
1938. A Datsun 16 sedan was built in 1937, but no attempt was made to built
a 16T truck, instead the 15T stayed in production through that time. |
A Japanese sales brochure for the Datsun 15T.
|
|
1936
Datsun 15
Specifications
Length - 3187mm
Width - 1190mm
Height - 1550mm
Wheelbase - 2005mm
Weight - unknown
Top speed - 80kph
Transmission - Floor change
3 speed |
Engine
Specifications
Model - Type 7
Side Valve 4 Cylinder
Capacity - 722cc
Bore & Stroke 55x79mm
Power - 16hp@3600rpm
Torque- unknown
Compression - unknown
Carburettor - unknown
...........................................................................................
Final drive - unknown |
|
