Nissan Silvia 1965 - today's auction tempter

By: Unique Cars magazine

Date: 24.09.2021

Nissan Silvia coupe CSP311

Nissan Silvia coupe CSP311

Nissan Silvia coupe CSP311

Nissan Silvia coupe CSP311

Nissan Silvia coupe CSP311

Nissan Silvia coupe CSP311

Nissan Silvia coupe CSP311

Nissan Silvia coupe CSP311

Nissan Silvia coupe CSP311

Nissan Silvia coupe CSP311

Rare pioneering coupe

IT’S NOT OFTEN we’ll put a part-completed car in this section, but the significance of this first-model Silvia is such that we’re happy to make an exception.

The development of this car included input from Yamaha, Nissan staffers Kazuo Kimura and Fumio Yoshida, plus German industrial designer Albrecht Graf von Goetz. The latter had formerly acted as as a consultant to Studebaker and BMW.

Launched at the 1964 Tokyo Motor Show, the Datsun 1600 Coupe (aka CSP311, or the first Silvia) went into limited production the following year. Based loosely on a Fairlady platform, they were in fact hand-built in tiny volume, with just 554 thought to have been made. Australia saw 49 sold here.

It would have been a relatively expensive and luxurious car in its day, with strong performance credentials. The R series engine sported twin SU carburettors and claimed a very healthy 96 horses (72kW), driving through a four-speed manual transmission.

This 1965 example has had a lot of the hard restoration work already done and comes with an extensive list of components. It’s up for auction via Grays.

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