UK’S RAREST CARS: 1974 DATSUN 100A CHERRY SALOON, ONE OF ONLY EIGHT LEFT
John Johnsen is the proud owner of one of the rarest Japanese vehicles in this country, as there are believed to be only eight Cherry saloons remaining on the road. But just over 50 years ago Datsun’s first front-wheel-drive car became the first foreign-produced car for many Britons.
Nissan inherited the Cherry design after it acquired Prince Motors in 1966. The company decided front-wheel-drive would maximise interior space and enhance the straight-line stability and handling. The company evaluated several European front-drive models and the 100A’s eventual formula was reminiscent of the original Mini and the Austin/Morris 1100 although, unlike the British Leyland designs, it did not have the gearbox in the engine sump.
The Cherry debuted in October 1970, with its transverse engine, all-independent suspension and rack and pinion steering (another first for Nissan) provoking great interest in the motoring press. The original four-door saloon was eventually joined by a two-door alternative, an estate and a bizarre looking coupé that resembled a Lotus Europa combined with a delivery van.
UK sales of “The Car That Co-Ordinates Man and Machine” commenced in 1971 under the Datsun marque. The concessionaire was originally not keen on using the Cherry name in this country since previous models, particularly the Cedric, had not found favour in English-speaking markets. The Telegraph thought the 100A name rather prosaic but described the 100A as “unusually interesting” compared with other Japanese cars.
Unfortunately, while appreciating its handling, steering and “sporty styling”, this paper’s motoring correspondent was at first unimpressed with the Cherry: “After the first few miles I was ready to dismiss the Datsun as one of the worst cars I had tried for some time.” Only after “running in” did he appreciate the Cherry’s “unusually lively” engine.
Car magazine seemed more taken with the 100A in an article with the memorably awful headline: “Economical, yes! But would you let your daughter motor in one?” The steering was “almost like the legendary Mk1 Sprite, which was feather-light” and “if you need a sporting four-door, four-seater the Datsun is an obvious choice for it does everything con brio, albeit with a dash of noisiness to let you know it is working hard”.
Nissan soon found that demand for the Cherry exceeded its predictions and in 1973 Autocar wrote it had “made a name for itself as a rival to the best European small cars in terms of handling”. The magazine also found it had better than average performance from its “rather old-fashioned” 1.0-litre overhead-valve engine; an 88mph top speed was reasonable for the early 1970s. That year, Datsun GB sold 60,000 cars.
If the Cherry’s road manners were a central selling point, its equipment levels were a further attraction. The specification included two-speed wipers, reversing lights, electric screen washers, hazard warning lights and a lockable fuel filler cap. The following year, the two-door model cost £980 compared with £1,156 for the Austin Allegro 1100 De Luxe or £1,000 for a Mini 1000, which even lacked fresh air vents.
By the time 100A production ended in 1977, Datsun GB held about six per cent of the UK car market. Cherry import figures amounted to 73,331; 62,643 were the two- and four-door saloons. Johnsen was tempted to buy his 100A because “it reminded me of a car I had in the 1970s. I purchased the Datsun from Mathewsons of Bangers & Cash fame quite a few years ago when it was missing a front wing, but it came with two new ones in boxes”.
Johnsen planned to “simply put the wings on and just use it, but on closer inspection the Cherry was in remarkable condition and did not need any welding at all. What followed can only be described as a labour of love as I embarked on a proper restoration”.
Now his car, in its “Yellow Gold” magnificence, is a reminder of how the 100A became a familiar sight on British roads and generally popularised Japanese cars despite some strong prejudices. In 1971, Autocar reported that Datsun GB’s policy was “to go for ‘quality’ dealers; long-established family firms in good positions and with reasonable resources”, which further endeared it to British drivers.
And by 1974 the long-standing customers of such outlets were regularly trading in their unreliable Minis for the Datsun once described as “Outstandingly trouble-free”.
2025-02-07T12:35:22Z