Pick of the Day: 1977 Datsun 200-SX

If you’re as old or young as me, you will remember these Datsun coupes that used to be all over the road, if not high-school parking lots. One of these interesting vehicles, a 1977 Datsun 200-SX listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in Denver, is the Pick of the Day.

The Datsun 200-SX of this era featured zoomier styling than most Japanese vehicles seen in America, though if you glance at the similar Nissan Silvia (as it was known in Japan), the American version was much less attractive thanks to regulation bumpers and the styling that was affected by such. They sat on a 92-inch wheelbase and were driven by the rear wheels at a time when front-wheel drive was beginning to gain traction.

The Japanese-market versions featured a 1.8-liter OHC four, but American versions used a larger, carbureted 1952cc engine that could zip to 60 mph in under 12 seconds. Standard was a five-speed manual, with a decidedly more mundane three-speed automatic as the only other choice. Nineteen seventy-seven was still part of the lean years of automotive production, so horsepower wasn’t even mentioned in the American version of the brochure.

The interior of the 200-SX was a bit less “it came from Japan” than the exterior, featuring an inviting wrap-around instrument cluster that seemed more GT than a vehicle based on the Datsun B210. With the 1979 redesign, the 200-SX moved one step closer to a Japanese-style Camaro as it did with the 1984 redesign. The 200-SX would continue as a truly sporty sister to the Z-car through 1999 when it was discontinued for the American market, though it continued elsewhere through 2002.

This 1977 Datsun 200-SX features the desirable manual transmission, power brakes, air conditioning and 40,000 miles per the odometer (though unconfirmed). When was the last time you saw one? In this condition? Sure, there are a few chips and imperfections, according to the seller, but this Datsun features unconventional Japanese styling with sporty pretensions and economy baked in.

The cost of entry for this Japanese relic? $17,900.

To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.