From The Classifieds: 1964 Nissan Cedric Deluxe
Although we know Nissan produced cars such as the Cherry (Excellent), the Gloria, the Sunny, the Silvia and the Fairlady, we are assured there was never any such thing as a Cumquat Delightful (Nor, we believe, did Suzuki ever manufacturer a Happy Rugged SUV). But there was, and still is, a Nissan Cedric.
Nissan took some time deciding how it would brand its cars for some time after acquiring Japan’s DAT Motorcar company in the mid 1930s.
Until the mid 1980s, Nissans and Datsuns (an extension of the original company name) were prolific, but there don't seem to have been any special stipulations from head office about how each brand should be developed and marketed. Small sedans, large sedans and sports cars were offered under either banner. About the only thing separating them was a tendency to associate the Nissan brand with heavier commercial vehicles.
But whether you were buying a Datsun or a Nissan, you were actually buying from the same company.
And the naming criteria, especially in the 1960s and 1970s, tended to raise a few western eyebrows. Whether it was badged Datsun or Nissan, a few of the more intriguing titles chosen by the company have become part of automotive lore.
With no gender-specific preferences, the company marketed cars under the Datsun badge such as the Cherry, Fairlady and Silvia. Nissan offered the Cherry small car (not here though), the Homy van (in 1965, but not here either), the Sunny (available locally as a small van from 1979) and the Gloria -- which finally sold alongside the notorious Nissan Cedric.
The Cedric was originally conceived as an upmarket large sedan, sort of a 1960s equivalent of today's Infiniti label. It was arguably the best lesson ever of it not always being wise to select a word from another language and culture, then expect it to have the desired effect in the market from which it was originally acquired. In Japan, the name Cedric was probably not an issue at all, but in Western countries interpreted it altogether differently.
By virtue of its name as much as anything else, the Cedric stuck in the minds of even those who had merely heard about it. This sort of notoriety has given the awkwardly-named Nissan sedan a certain street-cred that those who maligned it in its early days would never have imagined possible.
Look at this remarkably original and generally untarnished 1964 model advertised on carsales.com.au for $8,800.
The kitchen green Cedric Deluxe (a "Special" version was also available in Australia, as well as a wagon) is described by its owner as “immaculate” and is said to have been kept in a private collection since it was last registered in 1973. The registration and service stickers from that time are still in place.
The car, which now resides in Melbourne’s Altona North, is said to drive as if it’s just been wheeled off the showroom floor. He says it feels solid, and quiet, and has a near-perfect interior.
According to the owner there are “No cracks in dash or trim. Some stitching is pulling apart slightly on the rear seat but will be an easy fix for a trimmer. The only work that has been carried out on this vehicle is new acrylic paint and re-chromed bumpers.”
The Nissan doesn’t come with a roadworthy certificate and is currently club-registered only.
It will be no surprise if the Cedric is finally picked up by someone who would never have envisaged owning one at the time it was new. Maybe it’s a case of a laughing stock eventually becoming a valued commodity.