History Car 1970s

Datsun 160J / Violet

Overview Specs Highlights Characteristics

Overview

Nissan's Violet was marketed internationally under Datsun 160J and related model names across several 1970s saloon/coupe generations. The earlier 710 Violet and the PA10/A10 Violet launched in 1977 are visually and technically distinct chassis even when both appeared as a 'Datsun 160J' on entry lists. A useful rally history therefore identifies the year, generation, race class and particular engine, rather than treating all Violet Safari winners as the same car.

Nissan Heritage's actual 1979 Safari-winning competition car is a PA10 sedan recorded as Datsun 160J Group 2, with an L20B 1,952 cc SOHC four-cylinder, two Solex 50PHH carburettors, 190 PS at 7,200 rpm and 206 Nm at 5,200 rpm. The displayed works car weighs 1,080 kg and uses front disc/rear drum brakes. Its 2,400 mm wheelbase and simple front-strut/rear-four-link chassis were set up for long-distance gravel and rocky roads. These are primary car-specific specs, not guesses from a showroom 1.6-litre 160J badge.

Shekhar Mehta and Mike Doughty won the 1979 Safari Rally outright, followed by further PA10 Violet family wins in 1980, 1981 and 1982. Nissan confirms that the 1981 and 1982 victors ran upgraded 16-valve Group 4 LZ20B engines; the 1979 record must not be filled with 1982 engine displacement or output. The start of the four-in-a-row belongs to this decade, while the next three Safari wins belong to the 1980s.

Technical Specs & Innovations

  • Archive badge: Datsun 160J / Nissan Violet; multiple chassis and international marketing names
  • First relevant generation: Datsun/Violet 710 earlier in the 1970s; not identical to 1977-introduced PA10
  • 1979 winning chassis: PA10 second-generation Violet A10 sedan; Safari car #9
  • 1979 entry class: FIA Group 2 specification, official Nissan Heritage label
  • 1979 published event name: Datsun 160J, driven by Shekhar Mehta and Mike Doughty
  • 1979 winning engine: Nissan L20B inline-four with single overhead camshaft
  • 1979 actual engine capacity: 1,952 cc, from Nissan Heritage's surviving 1979 Safari winner
  • 1979 power: 140 kW / 190 PS at 7,200 rpm on Nissan's preserved reference vehicle
  • 1979 torque: 206 Nm at 5,200 rpm on the manufacturer vehicle card
  • 1979 induction: Two Solex 50PHH competition carburettors
  • 1979 powertrain placement: Front longitudinal inline-four, rear-wheel drive
  • Transmission: Competition manual gearbox; period works preparations commonly five speeds with event gearing
  • 1978 reference gearbox: Nissan's 1978 PA10 Southern Cross Rally entry lists five forward ratios
  • 1979 works vehicle weight: 1,080 kg on Nissan Heritage's detailed 1979 vehicle listing
  • 1979 overall length: 4,080 mm on Nissan primary car card
  • 1979 overall width: 1,600 mm, not necessarily every Violet generation
  • 1979 overall height: 1,390 mm
  • 1979 wheelbase: 2,400 mm
  • Front/rear track: 1,335 / 1,330 mm per preserved 1979 competition car
  • 1979 brakes: Front discs and rear drums per Nissan 1979 museum reference
  • Front suspension: Independent MacPherson-strut-type front architecture
  • Rear suspension: Four-link rear axle with coil springs on preserved PA10 competition reference
  • Rally tyre setup: Nissan lists 175SR14 front and 195/70SR14 rear tyres on period Safari reference
  • Rough-stage preparation: Stone protection, underbody reinforcement, filtration, cooling, additional spares and tyre strategy
  • 1978 alternative works specification: Another PA10 works chassis ran about 200 PS at 950 kg for Southern Cross Group 5, not the same 1979 Safari spec
  • 1980 next-year evolution: Nissan lists 1980 Safari PA10 L20B 1,952 cc with over 200 PS; do not backdate to 1979 winner
  • 1981–82 upgraded works engine: LZ20B DOHC 16-valve Group 4, described by Nissan Heritage; not 1979 L20B SOHC Group 2
  • Championship scope: One verified 1979 WRC round victory; subsequent 1980–82 wins are future-decade additions to a family record
  • Name ambiguity: Datsun 160J badge does not prove a competition engine has 1,600 cc; works L20B 1,952 cc illustrates the risk

🏆 Competitive Highlights

  • 1977 PA10 model introduction: Nissan launched the A10 Violet series in May, replacing the earlier 710-generation competition basis.
  • 1977 Australian Rally Championship: George Fury and Monty Suffern earned an Australian championship in a Datsun 710 Violet, not the later PA10 Safari winner.
  • 1978 Safari Rally: PA10 Violet made an African WRC appearance and finished third, according to Nissan's historical car description.
  • 1978 Southern Cross Rally: George Fury won with a PA10 Group 5 Datsun/Violet carrying local Stanza branding; separate from 1979 Safari Group 2.
  • 1979 Safari Rally winner: Shekhar Mehta and Mike Doughty won outright in Datsun 160J PA10 car #9, officially classified Group 2.
  • 1979 Safari team depth: Nissan's own primary history records additional Violet results in fifth, seventh and ninth.
  • 1979 engine identity: The winning car's L20B SOHC 1,952 cc engine made 190 PS, not the 16-valve Group 4 LZ20B fitted to later cars.
  • 1980 Safari Rally: Mehta/Doughty won again in an evolved PA10 160J; this victory belongs to the 1980s.
  • 1981 and 1982 Safari: Mehta/Doughty added two further overall Violet GT Group 4 victories with DOHC engine developments.
  • Four-year legacy: 1979–82 four consecutive Safari wins is a Nissan/Violet family achievement, not four rally wins within 1979.

Driving Characteristics

The PA10's relatively long wheelbase, conventional front struts and rear linked live axle could be reinforced for the exceptional demands of African long-distance events. High overall finish rates depended as much on logistics, spare components and cooling as on engine peak output.

The naturally aspirated SOHC 1979 L20B provided linear response, and its rear-wheel-drive layout required the driver to manage traction on loose surfaces through gear selection and throttle. Later Group 4 LZ20B sixteen-valve machines were mechanically different and could make higher power.

A Nissan-branded 160J road badge should not be used as the engineering reference for the works PA10. The manufacturer's actual rally-car card gives the reliable capacity, tyres, suspension and brake information.

Development & legacy

The Violet's 1979 Safari win is the opening act of a historic four-consecutive-victory run, and Nissan's preservation of the actual 1979 car makes the first year's specifications unusually well documented. Respecting the 710-to-PA10 change, Group 2/Group 4 distinction and 1979–82 decade boundary is essential to trustworthy archival coverage.

Research sources & verification

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