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.
The standard truck version of the 4146.
The Datsun 3135 was also available as a delivery van. The van is almost identical to the Datsun DA sedan, the only difference being that the van has a flat roof and the DA sedan has a roof that slopes downwards at the back.
The 1948 Datsun DS is a sedan that is based heavilly on the 4146 body structure and uses the same mechanicals. More details about this vehicle can be found on the Datsun DS page.
Length - 3147mm
Width - 1398mm
Height - 1580mm
Wheelbase - 2005mm
Weight - 650kg
Top speed - unknown
Transmission - Floor
change 3 speed
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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