Reviewers were not kind to this Bluebird: Australia's Wheels magazine dismissed the 200B as simply "a 180B with 20 more mistakes" — and it lasted barely three years before Nissan rushed its replacement.
Median 90 hp across 228 similar cars
Lead trim: 160B 1.6 (81 PS, Europe) · up to 125 hp
Nissan Bluebird 810 / 160B / 180B / 200B810 · 1976–1979
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Nissan Bluebird 810 / 160B / 180B / 200B yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactReviewers were not kind to this Bluebird: Australia's Wheels magazine dismissed the 200B as simply "a 180B with 20 more mistakes" — and it lasted barely three years before Nissan rushed its replacement.
Introduced in July 1976 as an evolution of the 610 with slightly squared-off "coke bottle" styling, and in production for only three years and four months (the heavy, dated-looking 810 sold poorly and Nissan rushed the 910). In Japan the engines were reworked to pass the 1978 emissions standards (811 codes, from Oct 1977, with the crossflow Z engines replacing the L, and the NAPS badge), and the Bluebird G6/G4 kept the long-nose body. Sold as the Datsun 160B/180B/200B and 810; in the UK Autocar tested a 180B at 101 mph and 0–60 in 13.6 s, and it helped Datsun become the UK's leading car importer. Australia's 200B (October 1977) had the 1,952 cc L20B (97 hp), and became the top-selling four-cylinder car there until the Mitsubishi Sigma; the SX (June 1978) was unique to Australia. In North America the Datsun 810 (February 1977 to 1980) started with the six-cylinder 2000G6 and a 2.4 L L24E of 125 hp SAE, ancestor of the Maxima; the coupé arrived in January 1979.
Collectors Spotted in the Nissan Bluebird Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Nissan Bluebird yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
4 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 160B 1.6 (81 PS, Europe) | 1976–1979 | 1.6 L Inline-4 | 80 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
| 180B 1.8 (88 PS, Europe) | 1976–1979 | 1.8 L Inline-4 | 87 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
| 200B 2.0 L20B, Australia (97 hp) | 1977–1979 | 2.0 L Inline-4 | 97 hp | 112 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 810 2.4 L24E inline-six, US (125 hp) | 1977–1979 | 2.4 L Inline-6 | 125 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
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Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
In the Community
Open CommunityNo notes tagged with the Nissan Bluebird 810 / 160B / 180B / 200B yet.
Photographs
This was the last Bluebird of all — and the only market that ever got it new was Japan itself, even as the nameplate lived on abroad as the Altima.
This Bluebird beat the industry by two decades: its Hardtop models got the first Active Noise Cancellation system ever fitted to a production car, long before ANC became a mainstream feature.
The U12 Bluebird SSS ATTESA Limited debuted Nissan's ATTESA all-wheel-drive system alongside the now-cult SR20DET turbo engine, both new on the Series 2 cars built 1989-1991.
The U12 Bluebird's Australian twin, the Pintara, was built under a government model-sharing scheme and even rebadged as a Ford Corsair. Neither sold, and Nissan shut its Australian factory soon after.
The U11 Bluebird's turbodiesel actually beat its petrol engines on fuel economy in standardized testing — counterintuitive, since diesels usually win only when driven gently.
George Fury's 1984 Bathurst pole lap remains the fastest by a closed sedan on the old 6.172 km layout.
Reviewers were not kind to this Bluebird: Australia's Wheels magazine dismissed the 200B as simply "a 180B with 20 more mistakes" — and it lasted barely three years before Nissan rushed its replacement.
Nissan's own catch-line for launch was "Bluebird U – Up You!", dropped fast once someone translated it back.
To save money on export models, the 410/411 Bluebird's wipers swept outward from the center of the windshield instead of side-to-side — a cost-cutting quirk you'd never see on a car today.
The 1960s Bluebird 311 had a trim built specifically for women drivers: the pale-yellow 'Fancy Deluxe' came with a high-heel shoe holder under the dash and a turn signal relay that played music.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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