Nissan first hit the U.S. truck market with its Datsun pickup. Popular, well-built and responsive to owner needs, the tough mini-pickup was an immediate success, especially in markets like the Pacific Northwest! This pickup became the "Nissan". The first 4WD Nissan pickup had a unique IFS front suspension and drive system that looked like a Datsun Z-car rear IRS unit flipped and fitted forward; at the rear was a conventional beam axle...Subsequently, mid-'eighties Nissan Hardbody compact trucks made an indelible mark in the American compact truck market.
Sales were always steady for Datsun