Datsun K110 Convertible

1955 - K110 Series

A short lived oddity in the 1950s Datsun model line.

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Three years earlier in 1952 Nissan built their first post-war convertible, the Datsun DC-3. The car was far from a success and only 50 were ever sold. In 1955 the all new Datsun 110 series went on sale which featured a sedan, a wagon and a pickup variant, and interestingly this 2 door convertible version as well. This car too seems to have only been built in tiny numbers.

The car wasn't a full convertible, it's design was similar to that seen on the Fiat 500C Topolino from the early 1950s where the door and side window roof frame from the sedan was retained and the steel roof was replaced with a cloth folding roof section that slid backwards and was stowed under a fabric cover at the rear of the cabin. 

Most of the rest of the car was identical to the sedan, and it retained the 4/5 passenger cabin. Mechanically it was the same as the 110 sedan it was based on, which used the D-10 engine, which was little more than a slightly improved version of the pre-war Datsun engine. The D-10 was an 860cc side valve 4 cylinder engine with an Hitachi made version of the single throat down draught Solex carburettor that produced 25hp at 4000rpm. It featured a reverse Elliot I beam front suspension and a solid rear axle with longitudinal leaf springs front and back. Electrics were all 6 volt.

History doesn't record the total number of K110s produced, nor when production ceased, the only thing I have ever seen mentioned was that it had a "small production run". In December 1955 the 110 series was replaced with the new 112 series, and none of the brochures or literature I have seen shows a convertible version of the 112, or later 113, 114 and 115 models, so it is probably safe to assume the K110 was only in production in 1955.

However, below is a photo from the cover of the 1958 Datsun A20 Cablight sales brochure, and it shows a photo of the Cablight driving past what appears to be a K110 parked on the side of the road, but intriguingly the car in this photo doesn't match every other K110 photo I have seen. This car features the double stacked round tail lights that first appeared on the 1959 Datsun 211 sedan, and it also has a set of bumper bar overriders, which again were first seen on the 211. Whether this means a convertible version remained available in the later 112-115 models (and the more powerful 210-211 versions), or whether it was a prototype or even simply an owner modified car I am just not sure. All I can tell you is that in 30+ years of research I have never seen any evidence of the convertible being built after the end of 1955.
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Model Variations

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1955 Datsun K110

There were no variants of the K110.

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Datsun 110 Sedan

The K110 was based on the 110 sedan. 

1955 Datsun K110 Specifications

Length - 3860mm
Width - 1466mm
Height - 1540mm
Wheelbase - 2220mm
Weight - 890kg
Top speed - 85kph
Transmission - Floor change 4 speed
Final drive - 6.43:1

D-10 Series Engine Specifications

Model - D-10
Side Valve 4 Cylinder
Capacity - 860cc
Bore & Stroke 60x76mm
Power - 25hp@4000rpm
Torque- 37ft/lb@2400rpm
Compression - 6.3:1
Carburettor - Hitachi Solex VA-26-2 26mm single throat downdraught

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