Nissan planned a Wankel engine for the S10 Silvia, scrapped after the 1970s oil crises forced a rethink.
Lead trim: 2.0 L L20B (Datsun 200SX, US, from 1976) · up to 113 hp
Nissan Silvia S10/S11S10/S11 · 1975–1979
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Nissan Silvia S10/S11 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.
FactNissan planned a Wankel engine for the S10 Silvia, scrapped after the 1970s oil crises forced a rethink.
The first mass-produced Silvia, on the all-new S platform meant as Nissan's compact, rear-wheel-drive sporty platform, a two-door fastback coupé related to the Sunny and sold at Nissan Prince Store dealers alongside the C110 Skyline. Officially the "New Silvia" in Japan, and the Datsun 180SX in most export markets and the Datsun 200SX in the US (from 1976, with the 2.0 L L20B, 5 mph bumpers and an MSRP of US$4,399). It was originally to be powered by a Wankel engine, a plan scrapped in the 1970s oil crises. The 1976 update to meet tighter emissions changed the name to S11 and added the Type LSE with the fuel-injected L18E; 1977 brought a body-colour grille, new wheels and the Type-G trim. Over 145,000 were built to 1979, and Paul Newman raced a 1977 Datsun 200SX in the 1978 IMSA Class C, winning 19 of 22 races.
Collectors Spotted in the Nissan Silvia Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Nissan Silvia yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
3 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.8 L L18E fuel-injected (Type LSE, from 1976) | 1976–1979 | 1.8 L Inline-4 | 113 hp | 116 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 1.8 L L18S (Japan, 105 PS) | 1975–1979 | 1.8 L Inline-4 | 104 hp | 108 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 2.0 L L20B (Datsun 200SX, US, from 1976) | 1976–1979 | 2.0 L Inline-4 | 97 hp | 102 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
The S15 was deliberately shrunk from its predecessor just to duck Japan's compact-car tax bracket, after the wider S14 had pushed buyers into a higher tax band.
The S14 Silvia grew just wide enough to cross Japan's compact-tax threshold — a few extra millimeters that cost every buyer a bigger road tax bill.
The S13 Silvia packed a head-up display projected onto the windshield — fighter-jet tech on an affordable Japanese coupe back in 1988.
The FJ20ET-powered RS-X Turbo debuted in 1985 as a mid-cycle update to the S12 range, after the Silvia launched in 1983 with naturally aspirated engines only.
Nissan again drew up a rotary engine for the S110 Silvia/Gazelle, again abandoned, this time for unreliable twin-plug Z-series pistons instead.
Nissan planned a Wankel engine for the S10 Silvia, scrapped after the 1970s oil crises forced a rethink.
Tokyo's police force put two Silvias on highway patrol in 1965, making it Japan's first high-performance patrol car at 165 km/h.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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