Austin by Nissan -- Postscript

[HaraRyoichi]

I have received with thanks more than a dozen mails on and off list responding to my "dissertation" (as Thom put it) on 1952 Austin-Nissan agreement (localisation of Somerset saloons eventually extending to Cambridges). Some expressed surprise that such agreement existed, some were curious about interchangeability of the parts. I have since talked with Nissan owners, did some research and, have found a pair of articles in CLASSIC CARS magazine, published in London, most interesting. Written by Barney Sharratt, the first article, LETTER FROM TOKYO, August 1994 issue, is about the outline of the agreement and how it helped Nissan learn from Austin. "The agreement allowed Nissan to use Austin parts in other Nissan products". The time was when "Longbridge was brand new" and Nissan people were peddling shabby post-war model Datsuns at a rate of 3,000 a year and they "didn't believe Japan could ever compete... the aim was to produce cars as good as the British..." Not many people predicted the sudden surge of the Japanese economy in the 1960s. The second article, AUSTIN'S RISING SON, "looks at Nissans before and after the Fifties Austin agreement." The article includes a list of Austin-derived engies by Year, Type (7 variations), Specs and Car Types (12 or more including enormous number of pick-up trucks). According to the article, a total of 1,940,608 such engines were produced. The engines on Fairlady sports cars vary. The earliest model ('59) had the 1000cc unit followed by the 1200 Austin-version in '60, followed by the 1500, and so on. By the time MGB unveiled in 1962, Nissan had the improved version of B-series engines with more power. Then there were six-cylinder, SOHC and DOHC Nissan designed engines, too. There are several sites in English for Fairlady enthusiasts and I would suggest anyone interested to check it with those and/or do some readings. Fairlady cars were not imported to UK until about 1966 and a notion that the body design is a copy of MGB is incorrect. In conclusion, there must be more interchangeable parts and units between Nissan and BMC cars, especially the engines (smaller displacement but more power?). Whether an engine transplant meets the current criteria of originality is a question. (Would the "safety reason - TC's Forever" apply here?) We still do not know how systematically search/find what parts of what car fit which one. We may have to think more flexible in the near future perhaps. Happy Motoring, Rick Hara TC6903 Japan P.P.S. Pardon for the length