Nissan Silvia
A Japanese sports car line spanning hand-built coupes to mass-produced platforms.
The Nissan Silvia is a line of compact sports cars built by Nissan. For export, it was often sold as the 200SX or 240SX, and some export models carried the Datsun name. In Japan, the Gazelle was a twin model sold at different dealerships for the S110 and S12 generations; the Gazelle name also appeared in Australia for the S12. For the S13 generation in Japan, the Gazelle was replaced by the 180SX, a hatchback version of the Silvia with pop-up headlights, which was also exported as the 200SX or 240SX.
The first Silvia, the CSP311, appeared at the Tokyo Motor Show in September 1964 as the "Datsun Coupé 1500." It was a hand-built coupé based on the Fairlady platform, powered by a 96 PS 1.6-liter Nissan R series engine with twin SU carburetors. Because it was nearly entirely handmade, only 554 were produced, mostly in 1965, with production ending in 1968. Most stayed in Japan, but 49 went to Australia and 10 to other countries. Four were built with left-hand drive for European shows. In December 1965, Nissan supplied two CSP311s to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police for highway patrol. These were modified but kept the standard engine, and they were the first Japanese high-performance patrol cars, chosen because the Silvia was Japan’s fastest production car at the time, with a top speed of 165 km/h (103 mph), and had disc brakes for good stopping power.
The S10 was the first mass-produced Silvia, built on the new S platform, Nissan’s compact, rear-wheel-drive, sporty car platform. In Japan, it was sold exclusively at Nissan Prince Store dealerships alongside the larger C110 Skyline. Its styling was less traditional than rivals like the Toyota Celica and Mazda Capella coupé, sharing a look with the larger Skyline. Originally planned with a wankel engine, that idea was dropped due to the 1970s oil crises. The S10 was based on the Datsun Sunny Coupe. In the few export markets where it was available (excluding the United States), it was sold as the Datsun 180SX; in the US it was the 200SX, reflecting a larger engine. Over 145,000 S10/S11 units were produced before production ended in 1979.
In Japan, the S10, officially called "New Silvia," initially used a 1.8-liter L18S straight-four engine shared with the Datsun 610/Bluebird 180B, producing 105 PS at 6,000 rpm.
Quick Facts
- Manufacturer
- Nissan
- Production
- 1965–1968 · 1975–2002
- Class
- Sports car
- Layout
- Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The Silvia's origins trace to project A550X, a collaboration between Nissan, Yamaha, and designer Albrecht Goertz that was cancelled in 1964. The CSP311 was nearly entirely hand made, with only 554 produced, mainly in 1965. In December 1965, two CSP311 Silvias were supplied to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department for highway patrol, becoming the first Japanese high-performance patrol car. The S10 generation, introduced as the 'New Silvia' in Japan, was the first mass-produced Silvia on the S platform, initially intended to use a Wankel engine before the oil crises of the 1970s scuttled that plan. The S110 generation introduced a hatchback bodystyle, sold in Japan as the Gazelle at different dealerships, and was originally also planned for a rotary engine before being replaced by conventional piston engines.
Reader's Guide
The Silvia's significance lies in its role as Nissan's compact, rear-wheel-drive sporty car platform across multiple generations. The CSP311 established the nameplate as a performance benchmark in Japan, being the fastest production car in the country upon its debut. The S10/S11 generation, while not a major sales success against rivals like the Toyota Celica, saw over 145,000 units produced and was raced by Paul Newman in the 1978 IMSA Class C, winning 19 of 22 races. The S110 generation introduced the Gazelle twin model for different Japanese dealership networks and the 240RS homologation special with a 2.4-liter DOHC FJ24 engine, of which about 200 road-going examples were built. The Silvia's export variants—200SX and 240SX—brought the platform to North American and other markets under both Nissan and Datsun branding.
Did You Know?
- The CSP311 Silvia was the first Japanese high-performance patrol car, used by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police from December 1965.
- The S10 Silvia was originally intended to use a Wankel rotary engine, but the idea was scrapped due to the oil crises of the 1970s.
- Paul Newman built and raced a 1977 Datsun 200SX (S10) in the 1978 IMSA Class C, winning 19 out of 22 races.
- The S110 generation's hatchback model was sold in Japan as the Gazelle, while the coupe remained the Silvia.
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