S&M Capsule Car Test
Datsun 1200

[top photo: Fastback is nice but, as with most cars, coupe [sic, 2-dr sedan] has more rear headroom.]

[lower photos: Small, four-cylinder engine is easy to get at for do-it-yourself servicing (above). It belts out 69 hp at 6000 rpm. Interior (right) is well laid-out, with room for six-footers up front. Seats recline to make beds.]

Just as the American manufacturers are rolling out their new VW-sized cars to stem the tide of imports, Datsun is the first to strike back with a smaller import! The Datsun 1200 is a two-door, four-passenger sedan available in coupe and fastback versions. It'ss powered by a water-cooled, 72-cubic-inch, 69-hp, four-cylinder engine. A four-speed manual transmission is standard. A three-speed automatic is optional in Japan and Datsun hopes to offer it here if there is sufficient demand.

The interior is surprisingly large for such a tiny car and has room for 6-ft Americans. The rear seats will accomodate 5-ft. Americans. Both models have fully reclining bucket seats and the fastback features a reaf seatback that folds forward expanding the trunk into a mini-stationwagon. Both cars weight in at around 1600 lbs. and offer sprightly performance and good maneuverability in traffic. The coupe has a list price of $1736 and the fastback is $1866. For about $1.10 a pound, you can't go wrong. - Paul E. Fewsay