The Rare Rides series has featured just two magnificent Datsuns in prior entries. The first was a 720 King Cab pickup truck, followed recently by the unfortunate looking 200SX coupe. Today’s entry is arguably rarer than either of those, as even local Datsun enthusiast and TTAC contributor Chris Tonn was surprised to see it.
Say hello to the F-10 wagon from 1977.
The model started out in 1970 as an all-new type of car for Datsun: a front-drive subcompact. Internally called E-10, its public name was Cherry. The timing was just right for such an entry in the European market, where Datsun sold the Cherry as the 100A, Cherry, or both. The British, disappointed with domestic brands from BL and the like, turned to Japanese makers for some much needed reliability. Datsun’s sales in the UK for 1971 totaled around 6,000 cars. The next year, they sold more than 30,000; the 100A was a success. A second-generation Cherry (the F-10) was just starting production in 1974, but the UK held on to their favorite E-10 version through 1976, when Datsun refused to build it any longer.
Datsun brought the F-10 to a new, larger market this time: the United States. The F-10 served as the first front-drive vehicle offered by Datsun in North America. Though other countries enjoyed engines of between 1.0 and 1.4 liters in displacement, the largest 1.4 was the only engine distributed in the United States. Said A14 engine produced 70 horsepower, rocketing the F-10 to a top speed of 85 mph. Most had manual transmissions, though there was a Sportmatic option that utilized a semi-automatic transmission with only two pedals.
The F-10 was offered as two- and four-door sedans, a three-door wagon, and a sporty two-door coupe. American customers chose from either the coupe or the wagon, and Canadians could also select the two-door sedan. Meanwhile, the UK market had all the options, and consumers continued buying lots of Cherrys.
Outside the UK, sales of the F-10 were disappointing. After a short run through the 1978 model year, the F-10 and Cherry names disappeared in North America and Japan. The model’s replacement for 1979 was the all-new Pulsar, engineered by Prince Motor shortly before it merged with Nissan. Americans would know it as Datsun’s 310.
Today’s Rare Ride was for sale on eBay recently. In charming beige and very clean condition, it asked (and sold) for about $9,500.
[Images: seller]
I give it up for this car’s owner – most people were ashamed to say they owned a F-10, but this guy reminds everyone what he’s rolling in with no less than three F-10 decals.
Way to rep F-10, guy!
Brown F-10 wagons were everywhere when I was a kid. They great in heavy, deep snow, and much more robust than Civics.
From the era of odd looking Japanese cars. I remember the F 10 from childhood.
I didn’t remember the F-10. I’m almost 50 and thought I remembered all the weird 70’s Datsuns…but apparently not. Good find, Corey.
Definitely never seen one in person, though my Midwest locale may have something to do with that.
I distinctly remember seeing one in a specific parking lot in a shopping center. I must have been maybe 10, not yet driving, and the car was really rusty and beat up. And it was dark green. I didn’t know much about cars then, but I remember thinking how ugly it was.
They don’t build em like that any more…Thank God!
I knew a guy that worked at a Datsun Dealer when the F-10s were new. He said the mechanics hated it, don’t remember why.
Later I had a customer with a Starion. His girlfriend had a Pulsar. I thought that seemed like one of those Kaiju films. Similar to Godzilla v. Mothra, Starion v. Pulsar.
The wagon was the good looking Datsun F10. The F10 coupe was like a Ford Mustang SportsRoof made by Saab.
I remember the B210 Honeybee, but I really don’t remember this. By 1970 standards this was pretty cool. That dash still looks good even today
Another miserable car from a decade of miserable cars.
I’ll trade you one Vega and a Pinto for this F-10
Throw in an AMC Gremlin and a Pacer and you’ve got a deal. Crap cars are only one of the reasons why the 1970s was the worst decade of the twentieth century after the 1930s.
I’d say that’s yellow, not beige. At least it’s not as weird looking as its hatchback sibling was.
$9500!?! That’s more than the retail price when new!
I’ll say, I bet you could get four of these new for $9500
LOL they won’t sell you a 63 Vette for MSRP, either!
The 510 was nicely simple, the 240Z was a classic, then THIS arrived.
Mind bogglingly ugly front end in the flesh. First time I saw one I thought it was a joke. Still, it had all the usual Datsun attributes of the period like sheet metal so thin it must have been doled out by the Gods of Parsimony.
Leave it undriven in your driveway in Atlantic Canada, and it had about a 3 and a half year shelf life. 3 summers, 4 winters. After that you could sweep up the debris and put it out in the garbage in leaf bags. Then you’d call Tony’s Salvage, Joe speaking, to come out and load the running gear onto his truck, and spend the resulting $20 on a fine dining at Micky D’s, when six bits would get you a quarter-pounder. Mmm mmm.
I remember Ferrari F10 but not this.
My wife had one when we met. It was a farm implement impersonating a car. She had owned a Nash, a Fiat, and a Gremlin before so this was, tragically, an improvement.
Your wife had a Nash? How old are you?
People inherit unwanted old cars. In Southern California they don’t rust, they linger. But to answer the question, I’m old.
! Hey now ! .
I’ll have you know that _I_ own a Nash and….
Oh, yeah, right.
Never mind .
-Nate
A friend’s mom drove one of these, with the four-speed. It was dorky but reliable. His dad’s car was cooler, a then-new 1980 Corolla SR-5 (5-speed) Liftback. So what was my friend daily driving? A ’66 Mustang convertible, restored, with 289 2-barrel and automatic.
This thing sold pretty fast, especially considering the price. The new owner should source a correct set of wheels (the offset on these is completely wrong), or be very careful driving over dips and bumps.
First thought in my head was vintage rally car candidate!
The C-pillar treatment is weirdly reminiscent of a contemporary IH Scout.
-FUGLY- when new, fugly now .
Glad it’s still here, the condition is amazing .
-Nate