The Datsun 4146 could actually be the ultimate retro vehicle. The previous
model, the Datsun 3135, was a pre-war Datsun 17T truck that had a different
grille. The 4146 goes one better, it is a 17T with a 17T grille as well!
By the start of the 1950s Japan was
on the road to recovery, and as a result the material shortages that plagued
Nissan through the late 1950s were at an end. Chrome was readilly available,
and now there was no need to skimp on quality and to cut back on the details.
So for the new (!) 4146 they could ditch the painted pressed steel grille
and drag out the old presses and start making the old 17T grille again.
The grille is actually slightly different to that of the 17T. Before the
war Japan was starting to have supply issues with chrome, and as a result
the centre vertical bar of the grille on the 17T was originally painted.
For the 4146 this bar is now chrome plated. The other difference is that
on the bonnet, just above the vents, there is a long and narrow horizontal
badge that says Datsun 20. Apart from that, the 4146, body is a complete
replica of the 17T. There are some differences under the bonnet though.
The Datsun 20 badge on the bonnet is
a reference to the 4146's new power output. The old 722cc 16hp Type 7 engine
used on the 3135 has been upgraded and now produces 20hp.
The 4146 was in production from January
1950 until January 1951, when it was replaced with the 5147. |
A Japanese advertisment for the Datsun 4146 truck.
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1950
Datsun 4146
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 - 20hp@3600rpm
Torque- unknown
Compression - unknown
Carburettor - unknown
Final drive - unknown |
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