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1978 Datsun 120Y COUPE

15 Bids
9:02 PM, 26 Jul 2018Vehicle sold
Sold for

£8,601

Background

The Datsun 120Y was a mainstay of the ‘Japanese invasion’ of the 1970s. It was offered in a bewildering range of bodystyles including a two- and a four-door saloon, three- and five-door estate, a three-door van and a three-door coupe. Available with a 1.2- or a 1.4-litre petrol engine, the 120Y helped cement Datsun’s place in the British lexicon, aided by its legendary reliability and relatively high equipment levels for the money.

Of course, like almost all seventies’ cars, the Datsun 120Y could suffer from hideous corrosion, turning even relatively young cars into nothing more than fodder for the scrapman’s crusher. This, coupled with heavy depreciation in the early years, meant many were beyond economic repair, and almost all of them have removed from our roads.

So, very few survived. In fact, there are only 30 Datsun 120Ys recorded as being taxed and on the road, with another 49 recorded as being on SORN in various states of disrepair – and who knows how many of those will ever be driven again…

Even those records, however, do not tell the whole story because they do not differentiate between the various bodystyles, lumping them all in under the one heading; given the coupe’s rarity when new, this makes the car we are offering here a very, very rare thing indeed...

  • 36,000
  • 1198
  • Manual
  • yellow
  • black

Background

The Datsun 120Y was a mainstay of the ‘Japanese invasion’ of the 1970s. It was offered in a bewildering range of bodystyles including a two- and a four-door saloon, three- and five-door estate, a three-door van and a three-door coupe. Available with a 1.2- or a 1.4-litre petrol engine, the 120Y helped cement Datsun’s place in the British lexicon, aided by its legendary reliability and relatively high equipment levels for the money.

Of course, like almost all seventies’ cars, the Datsun 120Y could suffer from hideous corrosion, turning even relatively young cars into nothing more than fodder for the scrapman’s crusher. This, coupled with heavy depreciation in the early years, meant many were beyond economic repair, and almost all of them have removed from our roads.

So, very few survived. In fact, there are only 30 Datsun 120Ys recorded as being taxed and on the road, with another 49 recorded as being on SORN in various states of disrepair – and who knows how many of those will ever be driven again…

Even those records, however, do not tell the whole story because they do not differentiate between the various bodystyles, lumping them all in under the one heading; given the coupe’s rarity when new, this makes the car we are offering here a very, very rare thing indeed...

Video

Overview

Of all the various bodystyles that are available, it’s the coupe you are looking at here that attracts all the interest. Fitted with the peppy, 1.2-litre, 70bhp engine and slick, four-speed manual gearbox this little Datsun 120Y is an absolute delight.

With only 36,000 miles recorded miles (a figure that the owner believes to be genuine thanks to its extensive and comprehensive service and MOT history) and only one owner between 1979 and 2005, this is a rare opportunity to buy this under-appreciated classic.

We have the car with us at The Market HQ and are quite taken by its condition and ‘charm’ – even if that is somewhat left-field!

Exterior

The yellow paintwork is in excellent condition – and completely free of rust and rot – the paint finish is impressive being exceedingly rich, very consistent and almost devoid of any orange peel. The records show that it has had some repairs made to the slam panel, front offside inner and outer wing, as well as the nearside sill. The offside front suspension turret has also been repaired, as has the front floor/bulkhead junction. None of this is unexpected given the age and the model’s reputation.

The rest is in very good condition, helped by the huge amount of rustproofing fluid that was liberally applied. So comprehensive was the treatment that it was even painted onto the bottom of the doors, necessitating some paint rectification as the underlying paint had become discolored, something the seller discovered when he removed it.

The result is a stunning, near-concours finish in its original colour – and the Datsun 120Y is such a nostalgic and unusual sight that simply driving it around will bring a smile to even the most jaded fellow motorist!

Interior

The interior is, if anything, even better than the exterior. It looks to be completely original, even down to still having its original radio in the dashboard. The seat fabric looks almost untouched and is completely free of rips, tears and other signs of visible wear. We have the car, it’s genuinely remarkable, and ‘worth the entrance fee alone’!

The same goes for the switchgear, carpets, door cards, steering wheel and gear knob, all of which are pristine. The rear seats are in even better condition, looking brand new. This makes for a very boring section to write but exactly the sort of classic car you should buy! Simply stunning.

Mechanical

The seller tells us that the engine starts and runs very well indeed and doesn’t burn any oil whatsoever. In fact, he says that the car is in very good mechanical condition and needs nothing doing to it. The car has been regularly driven, so everything has been kept well lubricated and free of the sort of degradation that can occur if a car has been incorrectly laid up for a significant period of time.

If you take the time to browse the numerous invoices and old bills that have been uploaded, you’ll see that it has been the subject of a strict servicing regimen, with any faults attended to as they have arisen.

The wheels are the original style and the tyres were all replaced two years ago and, given the car has probably covered fewer than 500 miles since they were fitted, they all still have good tread.

History

The car wonderfully has its original owner’s handbook, service history book, service manual and sales brochure. It also comes with a thick wad of old MOT certificates to help support the low mileage, along with a large quantity of old bills and invoices. 

Please visit the Gallery section of this listing where you will find well in excess of 50 invoices and various other bits of paperwork to support our claim that this car has an impressively comprehensive service history.

Summary

Given that we can’t find a comparable car for sale on the open market today, we aren’t sure how to value a car like this, especially given the rapidly growing interest in classic everyday Japanese metal from people who are starting to appreciate just how innovative and disruptive these cars were; in fact, if it wasn’t for cars like the Datsun 120Y, it’s arguable as to whether we’d even have a UK car manufacturing base now…

The condition and provenance of this outstanding example lead us to believe that it may well (and should) set a new British record for the model; the reserve is lower, but our guide is £7,500 to £13,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car can be seen with us near Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.


About this auction

Seller

Private: louiecoco88

Viewings Welcome

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and is strictly by appointment. To book one in the diary, please get in contact.

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