In the 1960s, compact pickups from Japan began showing up on American streets. They offered function and fuel efficiency in an affordable package. After the 1973 oil crisis, these pickups, like the 1977 Datsun 620 recently for sale on eBay Motors in Coal City, Ill., spiked in popularity.
Imported Appeal
Japan’s compact pickups, ideally sized for their home country, looked out of place in the US at first. But, American customers soon discovered the appeal of easy maneuverability, light weight, and low loading height for the bed. Compact trucks from Toyota and Nissan soon flooded the market.
Detroit even got in on the act, with GM rebadging an Isuzu as the Chevy LUV, Ford rebranding a Mazda as the Courier, and Chrysler relabeling a Mitsubishi as the Plymouth Arrow Truck.
Nissan, still called Datsun in the US market at the time, was the most successful of the Japanese pickups. The brand was, in part, buoyed by the sporty Datsun 510 and 240Z, which led successful road racing campaigns on race tracks across America. The Datsun 620 was introduced in 1972, just as Datsun made headlines by winning Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) championships.
Popular Workhorse
Datsun initially offered the 620 with the same 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine as the race-winning 510s. Combined with sharp styling and a base price of just $2,236, it quickly became a popular workhorse for trades, landscapers, and farmers.
Over the 620’s lifespan, Nissan increased displacement several times. A 1977 model like the one for sale would have been equipped with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder. By then, the base price was $3,779, still a bargain. That same year, Nissan debuted what would become a sought-after option—the extended King Cab with extra seating.
The 620 was sold through 1979. Along the way, it became more than just a utilitarian machine. By the late ’70s, compact pickups had spawned a mini-truck trend in which owners customized them with wild paint jobs, fiberglass bed covers, and shag carpet interiors. Think custom ’70s vans, but in truck form.
As time went on, those mini-trucks took on a lowrider form, with dancing beds and hydraulic suspensions. Today, preserved examples of such trucks are considered works of art. The customization of compact pickups hasn’t stopped, and today, resto-mod builds are still popular at events such as the Japanese Classic Car Show in Long Beach, Calif.
Shop now for Datsun 620 partsTransformation Begun
The 620 for sale appears to have begun such a transformation. It is lowered and fitted with a disc brake kit from Silvermine Motors and a set of Rally wheels. The seller reupholstered the bench seat, fixed cracks in the dash, and installed a Momo steering wheel and the sensors for a set of Speedhut GPS gauges that come with the truck. He also equipped the engine with a new timing chain, belts, battery, alternator, and starter.
The seller says the 620 is a rust-free California truck, and the body appears to be in original condition. The truck comes with the original bill of sale and 50 years of service records. The five-digit odometer shows 60,000 miles.
This $11,000 truck is at a crossroads. It’s in good enough condition to restore or turn into a clean street-style cruiser, but we could easily see it as a candidate for more extreme modification. It’s up to the new owner which chapter of compact pickups’ rich history to choose from.
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