When was the last time you saw a genuine one of these little guys on the road???
Hard to believe, but this little car is now 51 years of age! Yes thats right, you are looking at a 50 year old Datsun that hasnt complete dissolved! Remarkably this SSS is still with us, which makes it a very rare little car today.
Originally built up here in New Zealand with a real focus on motor sport the 120y SSS was a unique special vehicle completed by Dennis Marwood in Auckland to contest in the High Profile Benson and Hedges Racing Series, with a limited number of only 139 units produced in total to meet the requirements to go racing!
It would be fair to assume that very few of these unique little vehicles have survived today, with most meeting their demise very early on, so to find one today is very rare, as the boy racers, rally boys and horrendous rust got a lot of these cars, with most estimates being somewhere around only 30 known to be left registered on the road today.
This little guy has been in South Canterbury with the same mature owner for over 20 years, and was a reasonably difficult car to find even back then apparently.
A very honest example, this particular SSS finished in the popular Lotus Yellow appears to retain all of its unique genuine SSS features and fixtures, including the original alloy sports wheels, steering wheel, sought after air box and unique SSS badges.
The body on this example is in very good condition considering its advanced age and is still largely unmolested, there is evidence of some previous repairs and previous paintwork as would be expected at 50+ years, but its all quite historic with nothing recent, so you can clearly see the total authenticity of the car and any average little bits it has, but overall the condition is very honest, and still very presentable with a great over all appearance.
The willing little A12 residing in the engine bay is complete with its iconic 40 Dellorto side draughts, and airbox, so still plays that unmistakable side sucker tune that made these cars so remarkable in their day.
The original interior is very complete and again in very good order for its age, with no nasty speaker holes in the unique door trims, or split open dash panels, and retains the correct deep dish steering wheel, console and instalment panel.
Riding on the correct SSS 12 inch period Jelly bean mags with the neat side winder stripe and bold SSS badges, this one is instantly recognisable as the SSS!
Quite a bit of unique documentation and the original old school ownership papers have survived with this little SSS, and it is a small car with a big attitude! one that is still quite a capable little performer that instantly puts a smile on your face behind the wheel and takes you straight back to the simpler times in the 70s, when this was everything you needed to be a rally star, or to teach you everything you needed to about car control on a nice shingle country road!
A significant part of New Zealands rich Motor Sport history from a period in time where Kiwis showed our skills and true passion for Motor Sport, by building unique cars for people to really enjoy.