How many Datsun 160J are left in New Zealand?
Rare 1 in 101,628 on the road Built 1973-1980 Sold new in New Zealand
Updated from the NZTA Motor Vehicle Register, counted as at 31 August 2026. Recounted every month.
The 1.6-litre Datsun Violet in export form, a mid-size rear-wheel-drive car that sat between the Sunny and the Bluebird from 1973. It looks ordinary, but the second-generation car was one of the great rally machines of its time, winning the Safari Rally four years running from 1979 to 1982 with Shekhar Mehta driving.
Still on the road, by model year
The most are from 1974: 20 still registered. Every year is listed under the chart.
Every model year
| Model year | Still registered |
|---|---|
| 1973 | 13 |
| 1974 | 20 |
| 1977 | 2 |
| 1978 | 8 |
| 1979 | 2 |
| 1980 | 1 |
By badge
The versions the register records, most numerous first.
| Which one | Built | Left | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSS | 44 | Rare |
What Rare means
Spotto grades every car by how many are still registered in New Zealand. With 46 still registered, the Datsun 160J is Rare: the grade for cars with 25 to 174 left.
By how many are left it ranks 10th of the 27 Datsun models and equal 1,345th of all 2,903 cars in Spotto's catalogue.
The six grades: Common, 8,000 or more · Uncommon, 1,200 to 7,999 · Scarce, 175 to 1,199 · Rare, 25 to 174 · Super rare, 5 to 24 · Unicorn, fewer than 5.
Seen one?
Spotto grades every car on New Zealand roads by how many are still registered, down to the generation and the badge. Log the ones you spot, build a collection, and see who else has found one.