How many Nissan Datsuns are left in New Zealand?
Uncommon 1 in 1,771 on the road Built 1973-2002 Japanese import
Updated from the NZTA Motor Vehicle Register, counted as at 31 August 2026. Recounted every month.
In Japan the Nissan pick-up was simply called the Datsun, or Datsun Truck, and kept that name until 2002, long after the Datsun badge had been retired everywhere else. The name covers the same utes known elsewhere by their codes, the 620, 720, D21 and D22, in single-cab, King Cab and double-cab forms.
Still on the road, by model year
The most are from 1997: 301 still registered. Every year is listed under the chart.
Every model year
| Model year | Still registered |
|---|---|
| 1973 | 1 |
| 1974 | 2 |
| 1976 | 1 |
| 1977 | 1 |
| 1978 | 2 |
| 1979 | 2 |
| 1980 | 2 |
| 1981 | 1 |
| 1983 | 1 |
| 1984 | 1 |
| 1985 | 11 |
| 1986 | 40 |
| 1987 | 55 |
| 1988 | 113 |
| 1989 | 167 |
| 1990 | 198 |
| 1991 | 226 |
| 1992 | 213 |
| 1993 | 215 |
| 1994 | 237 |
| 1995 | 220 |
| 1996 | 274 |
| 1997 | 301 |
| 1998 | 128 |
| 1999 | 98 |
| 2000 | 68 |
| 2001 | 48 |
| 2002 | 14 |
By badge
The versions the register records, most numerous first.
| Which one | Built | Left | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| truck | 3 | Rare |
What Uncommon means
Spotto grades every car by how many are still registered in New Zealand. With 2,640 still registered, the Nissan Datsun is Uncommon: the grade for cars with 1,200 to 7,999 left.
By how many are left it ranks 32nd of the 102 Nissan models and 271st 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.