By 1948 both Nissan, and Japan's economy,
had recovered enough that it was deemed time to start building passenger
cars again.
At this time Nissan began production
of their first post-war sedan, the Datsun DA. The Datsun DA was based on
the pre-war Datsun 17T truck, rather than being based on the 17 sedan,
with the 17T having a shorter bonnet than the 17 sedan, and thus having
the windscreen and cabin area closer to the front. This all seems an odd
thing to do, but the reasoning was that they could simplify production
by having the sedan and truck using the same chassis and also having everything
from the windscreen forwards being the same, and also using the same doors
on both.
This meant that after having designed
the new 2124 body, Nissan now scrapped that and instead started building
what was in effect a 1938 Datsun 17T with a different grille. Because that
is exactly what the Datsun 3135 is, a pre-war 17T.
All of the panels on the 3135 are exactly
the same as the 17T. Chrome was still something of a luxury item in Japan,
and so rather than use the 17T's chrome grille, a new painted pressed steel
grille was made for the 3135. The 17T had chrome around the windscreen
and a chrome front bumper, but on the 3135 these were all painted.
Mechanically the 3135 is all the same
as the 17T, with it's 722cc 16hp side valve engine.
The 3135 was in production from 1949 until
it was replaced with the 4146 in January 1950. |
A Japanese language sales brochure for the Datsun 3135 truck.
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1949
Datsun 3135
Specifications
Length - unknown
Width - unknown
Height - unknown
Wheelbase - 2005mm
Weight - unknown
Top speed - unknown
Transmission - Floor
change 3 speed |
Engine
Specifications
Model - Type 7
Side Valve 4 Cylinder
Capacity - 722cc
Bore & Stroke 55x76mm
Power - 16hp@3600rpm
Torque- unknown
Compression - unknown
Carburettor - unknown
Final drive - unknown |
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