Steven,
The following is quoted from "Datsun/Nissan Sports Car Buyer's Guide",
by John Matras (Motorbooks International, Osceola, WI 1996) pp 18 - 20:
"Although the roadster is often called a copy of the MGB, it would not
seem to be so unless MG had been outwitted by Datsun's own secret
agents. The New York Auto Show [where the SPL-310 was introduced in
1962] is a Spring affair, and the MGB was not shown to the public until
the London Auto Show in October 1962.... As the two cars were under
development at the same time, similarities would seem to be
coincidental, the effect of reading from the same page rather than one
replicating the other's work."
Even more convincing, I had the great privilege of spending an afternoon
with Mr.Hidehiro Iizuka when he visited Classic Datsun Motorsports last
February. Mr. Iizuka was a member of the SPL-310 design team and he
"was there and did that". He was very clear that the Roadster design
evolved from the SP-210 four-seater roadster and a performance/size
specification. There was NO copying involved, although the similarities
between the cars are obvious. I think Mr. Matras is right, the Brits
and the Nissan designers were reading off the same page, but not out of
each others' books. Why the Brits are so snotty about their cars in
general escapes me... having owned Brit cars (MG TD, Jag E-type) I
would take a Roadster or a Z car any day.
Whatever, the chronology indicates that if anybody copied anybody, the
Brits copied the SPL-310!
A more complete account of the visit with Mr. Iizuka may be appearing in
Z Car and Classic Datsun Magazine one of these days.
Give 'em hell ;-)
Barrie
'66 2000
San Diego
-----
steven wren wrote:
> From: stevair@webtv.net (steven wren)
> Date: Mon, 3 May 1999 21:57:39 -0700 (PDT)
> To: datsun-roadsters-digest@autox.team.net
> Subject: our roadster an MGB copy?!!
> Anyone seen the periodical "Sports Car Market"? I subscribe, it's Great,
> really.
> =A0 But,,, in a column called "Ask Mr. Kerb" someone asks the value of a
> 1600 Fairlady SPL-311 roadster.
> I think you see where this story is going.. Mr. Kerb sees this as a
> right hand Japanese car that "...were really copies of the English MGB.
> Hamstrung by their ungainly appearance, they were sturdy and had decent
> performance and handling. But if they were a blind date, we might say
> they weren't pretty but had a nice personality..."
> =A0Ooooo. this got my undies bunched up-
> I intend to set the confused Mr. Kerb straight, but don't remember the
> facts of when the SRL was introduced, was it 2 months before the MGB at
> what auto show?
> =A0 Also will mention the 200? + championships Nissan has acheived vs.
> HOW
> many for Brtish Leyland?
> =A0 anyone care to refresh my memory so I can send off a proper response
> to MISTER KERB?
> Steve Wren
>
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