![[Datsun 1200 encyclopedia]](/wiki/upload/wiki.png)
Datsun 1200s came with a traditional 3-speed fully automatic transmission. This was the JATCO 3N71B, as used in most Japanese cars in the 1970s. It is a very reliable transmission, typically not needing any service for 10 years or 100,000 miles. The car body is different in the tunnel area: Automatic-equipped cars had a significantly larger front tunnel area. The rear of the tunnel is the same. Cars with automatic weighed 75 pounds more than standard cars. All automatic 1200s have a small shift console box.
Identification by ID plate: B110...A... means an originally Automatic equipped car. Only sedans and coupes were fitted with autos. Wagons and Trucks (B120) never got them.
A side effect of this larger tunnel means an auto-equipped 1200 is the perfect donor for engine transplants. Larger transmissions fit more easily e.g. 63a B210 5-speed, L-series engine transmissions or CA18, SR20 transmissions.
See: Manual transmission conversion
JATCO stands for Japanese Automatic Transmission Company. JATCO was a joint venture between Nissan and Mazda, both owning 50%. The JATCO unit is very similar to a Ford C4 and almost bulletproof, the only thing that seems to go wrong with them is that (rarely) vacuum modulator diaphram ruptures and ATF gets sucked into the intake manifold, causing them to not shift right and the engine to billow clouds of oil smoke.
Apparently there never was a 4-speed auto available for the A series. 4 speed autos didn't show up until the mid 1980's, by then Nissan had stopped using the A series in any great numbers to make it profitable to do the design and engineering.