Datsun 120Y 2-Door Sedan (B210)
What is the worst car ever?
Not an easy question to answer, and I'm sure it would be different in different places.
In Australia, for the past 40 years, you could be forgiven for thinking it was the Datsun 120Y.
Why?
The name? The Styling? The car? The image?
Probably all contributed, but perhaps unfounded. Oddly, the Datsun 120Y has become so un-cool, that its actually cool again. Well, maybe.
The name. The car replaced the Datsun 1000 - a worthy but dull car. The 120Y signified an increase in capacity of the engine to approximately 1.2 litres. Still completely gutless though. Next time around, Datsun's small car would be named 'Sunny' in part to rid itself of the 120Y reputation.
The styling. Part of the cool again thing, the 120Y was a miniature version of contemporary Detroit iron, thing Gran Torino, only narrower and shorter, though about the same height, With little wheels (13 inches) the car sat a little oddly on those proportions. Squint though, and you might just see that Torino. The car also came in an array of Groovy 1970s colours, including this aqua-blue. My next door neighbours had a burnt orange wagon when I was a kid - groovy indeed.
The car - honestly no better or worse than its contemporaries, mostly. My family had a same era Corolla, no ball of fire, but transport. I liked the RWD which the 120Y also had. And really, was a MkII Escort, Citroen Dyanne, FIAT Strada, Ford Pinto or Austin Maestro really any better?
I think all these things, combined with the mysterious 'cool' factor condemned the car here in Australia. As I said, they are almost cool again.
What can I say.
Datsun 120Y 2-Door Sedan (B210)
What is the worst car ever?
Not an easy question to answer, and I'm sure it would be different in different places.
In Australia, for the past 40 years, you could be forgiven for thinking it was the Datsun 120Y.
Why?
The name? The Styling? The car? The image?
Probably all contributed, but perhaps unfounded. Oddly, the Datsun 120Y has become so un-cool, that its actually cool again. Well, maybe.
The name. The car replaced the Datsun 1000 - a worthy but dull car. The 120Y signified an increase in capacity of the engine to approximately 1.2 litres. Still completely gutless though. Next time around, Datsun's small car would be named 'Sunny' in part to rid itself of the 120Y reputation.
The styling. Part of the cool again thing, the 120Y was a miniature version of contemporary Detroit iron, thing Gran Torino, only narrower and shorter, though about the same height, With little wheels (13 inches) the car sat a little oddly on those proportions. Squint though, and you might just see that Torino. The car also came in an array of Groovy 1970s colours, including this aqua-blue. My next door neighbours had a burnt orange wagon when I was a kid - groovy indeed.
The car - honestly no better or worse than its contemporaries, mostly. My family had a same era Corolla, no ball of fire, but transport. I liked the RWD which the 120Y also had. And really, was a MkII Escort, Citroen Dyanne, FIAT Strada, Ford Pinto or Austin Maestro really any better?
I think all these things, combined with the mysterious 'cool' factor condemned the car here in Australia. As I said, they are almost cool again.
What can I say.