The previous Datsun DS was little more than a sedan version of the pre-war Datsun 17T truck. The DS-2 featured all new styling and a completely new body, but was still based on the old truck chassis.
In 1948 Nissan had introduced the Datsun DB series, which would serve as their standard passenger car range right through until 1955. The Datsun DS series was introduced as an entry level vehicle that was more basic and would sell for significantly less than the DB series. Although there were never any badges on the cars to signify this, the vehicles in the DB series were refered to as the Datsun deLuxe, and from the DS-2 onwards the DS series was refered to as the Datsun Thrift, a name to signify it's place in the model range.
