An excellent new article about a bad-ass KA Turbo Datsun 510, by our very own Datsunfreak!

The grand opening of the Datsun Heritage Museum was this weekend. Koji Yamaguchi of the Japanese Classic Car Show was kind enough to cover it for us.

If you haven’t been following the giant mudslinging contest known as the 2008 presidential campaign, consider yourself smart, as banging one’s head against a wall repeatedly does tend to kill off brain cells. However, we at JNC feel that its our duty to keep you informed, and at least one vital fact has emerged from the current election season that we’re sure will prove more important than any other issue in the history of American politics: Cindy McCain, wife of candidate John McCain, not only owns a Nissan 240SX - which is totally foxy in and of itself - but she also takes it to the track. To drift. (more…)

It was a relief to wake up this morning and find the planet still here, meaning we survived those wacky scientists flipping the switch on the Large Hadron Collider. Here’s another story of survival. In 1972 Nissan introduced the Sunny Truck to South Africa, based on the B110 series Sunny (known as the 1200 here in the US). But while the passenger car evolved into the B210 a few years later, the Truck continued largely unchanged for 37 years. Until now, that is. (more…)

This is the news we’ve been waiting for and we couldn’t be happier to report it. The Datsun Heritage Museum will officially hold its grand opening on September 12-14 in Murrieta, CA! Excuse us as we jump for joy, do some cartwheels and pop open a bottle of champagne. Finally, a museum that honors a nostalgic marque, right here on US soil! (more…)

Aaaand we’re back, thanks to a new hard drive. We’re still trying to assess the data loss but it’s likely everything since the last backup was destroyed, based on the drive’s horrible scratching noise, which sounded like a school of piranhas chewing on a blackboard. Anyway, onto more nostalgic car news.

In his most recent column for The Telegraph in response to the 100 Ugliest Cars, Top Gear host James May reveals that he has just purchased a Datsun 120Y. You may know it as the B210 or Sunny, but we just call it brilliant! Here’s a guy that is among the most famous petrolheads in the world, a presenter on the number one car show in the world, and a bloke that can clearly afford any car in the world - as evidenced by the Rolls Royces and Bentleys in his stable - and he buys an old Datsun. We wonder if it’s that gorgeous black-on-lime green specimen that was on set in the GT-R episode and on track as it schooled Britain’s finest at the hands of the Stig.

When you think about it though, May is probably the only Top Gear man who would buy a Datsun. Who else would fit the bill, Lambo-owning power-sliding Clarkson? Porsche-loving metrosexual Hammond? Not bloody likely. On the other hand, May’s nickname is Captain Slow, so maybe this isn’t an entirely good thing for our cause. Regardless, May is our new favorite Top Gear presenter. Clarkson can go suck on a Peel P50.

[The Telegraph]

The Japanese Classic Car Show, scheduled for October 12, 2008 in Irvine, California, is coming. Unfortunately for Nissan enthusiasts, the company is cutting back on event sponsorship and, unlike Toyota and Mazda, it seems like they will not have an official presence at the biggest vintage Japanese car event of the year.

But fear not, Datsun fans. You’ll have something just as good, maybe even better: special appearances by Datsun racing legend Peter Brock and his BRE booth. Peter and his wife Gayle have decided that it was time to start sharing his life’s work, particularly in light of renewed interest in nostalgics. You can find out more at his website, BRE2.net.

And speaking of JCCS, just a reminder that registration is still open until September 12. If you missed out on early registration, you still have a chance to get your car in the show and join in the festivities. Here’s our coverage from the 2006 and 2007 shows to whet your old school appetite. Be there or be square!