The Datsun Type 14 was a small Japanese car introduced in February 1935[1] and built until 1936. It had a Шаблон:Convert sidevalve engine and was offered in several body styles. According to Britain's National Motor Museum at Beaulieu, the Type 14 "marked the birth of the Japanese car industry."[2]
The Datsun 14 was externally very similar to the preceding Datsun Type 13. The only notable difference was the addition of a leaping rabbit emblem. The brand Datsun is derived from the DAT car of 1914. The car's name was an acronym of the surnames of the following partners of Шаблон:Nihongo, the company that produced it:
Fortuitously, Шаблон:Nihongo also means to "dash off like a startled rabbit or hare".[3] Nissan decided to use this association to incorporate a rabbit into the design of the Datsun 14 and therefore Ryuichi Tomiya designed the leaping rabbit radiator mascot which became a defining characteristic of the type.[4]
Mechanically, the old DAT engine of the Datsun 13 was replaced with the new Datsun Type 7 engine, a side valve four-cylinder engine with a displacement of Шаблон:Convert. The new engine was smaller, but more powerful, at Шаблон:Convert. The engine drove the rear wheels through a three-speed gearbox to give the car a top speed of Шаблон:Convert.[4]
Production
The Datsun 14 was the first car that Nissan produced at their new plant in Yokohama.[5] The factory utilised many tools and techniques imported from the United States and enabled the company to assemble both bodies and chassis in the same factory for the first time.[4] The first vehicle rolled off the production line on 12 April 1935.[5]
Production numbers
A total of 3,800 Datsun 14 were produced between April 1935 and April 1936, of which 53 were exported.[4] The car was similar in styling to the Austin 7, which greatly helped exports, initially to Australia and, in 1936, to New Zealand.[5]
Datsun 14T
Nissan produced the Datsun 14T commercial vehicle based on the Datsun 14 at the same factory during the same period. The truck had a front section identical to the 14, including the rabbit radiator mascot and chrome plated grille.[4]
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