40 years and lots of dirt

The Datsun 510 is probably best known in the U.S. for its victories in the Trans Am series racing of the early 70s, however it was also quite the rally car too.  The 510 participated in many rally races around the world and won a few events too.  You can read about some of the history of the 510's successes here:  510 Safari rally. 

Fast forward over 40 years since the original Datsun 510 rolled onto the streets, and it is rare to see these cars in action on the dirt.  There are some people who still race their beloved Datsun on unpaved roads, and I wholeheartedly salute them for their efforts.

Some of you may remember the magazine Sport Compact Car, which during the late 90s and early 2000s was one of the most prominent monthly publications dedicated to the auto enthusiast.  The magazine featured a great variety of technical articles focused more on performance than the aesthetics of a vehicle.  During what I called their "golden age" of writing, their staff featured well written and at times humorous articles by Josh Jaquot, Shiv Pathak, Mike Kojima, and Dave Coleman.  One of my favorite articles was the project car rallycross beatdown where the writers participated in a lighthearted event of talking trash to each other while attempting to be victorious in a local rallycross race.