Nissan Datsun Sunny 120Y (1973 – 1978) Review

Many believe that Datsun's mid-'70s success in the UK was as much about its cars' availabilty than any particular product strengths - after all, you didn't have to join a long waiting list, caused by striking workers, in order to buy  one. Your friendly, neighbourhood Datsun dealer could supply the car of your choice pretty much instantly. And you'd know it would start every morning.

The reliable and well-equipped Sunny was their indoctrination into Japanese car ownership. And although road testers tended to look down their noses at the under-damped under-geared 120Y, buyers loved them. The coupé, especially, picked up quite a following thanks to its swoopy styling and unmistakable ‘pie-dish’ hub caps. Most were driven into the scrap yards in the 1980s, healthy engines pulling their often rotten shells to their doom, but those that survive are loved and cherished now, thanks to the burgeoning Japanese car scene.