60 Series Patrol

DAT – as Nissan Datsun was known then – first considered four-wheel drive in the late 1940s, when it had been commissioned by the Japanese government to develop an off-road vehicle for military and civilian use.

But it wasn’t until September 1951 that it introduced the original 4W60 Patrol, a tough utilitarian separate chassis truck with similar styling and proportions to the American Willys Jeep, and powered by a 63kW 3.7-litre OHV six-cylinder NA series petrol engine.

It was very successful, prompting Nissan to gradually release a host of variants.

Its W65 successor of 1959 didn’t last very long. None came to Australia.

The 60-series from October 1960 was the second generation Patrol. Its job was to propel Nissan’s global 4WD assault.

Available here from 1965 in regular soft-top, K60 hardtop, G60 long-wheelbase and utility body styles among others, all were powered by a watertight 93kW 4.0-litre OHV P40 six-cylinder engine mated to a three-speed manual gearbox with a high/low transfer case.

Not much changed in the 60-series’ 20-year lifespan. During the 1960s there were modifications to the doors, mirrors, windscreen frames, interior trim and instrumentation, kick vents and engine outputs.

In ’74 the tail-lights were altered, three windscreen wipers were introduced in ’76 and during ’78 a large “Nissan” badge appeared across the nose, aand there was a hand throttle and updated dash.

Nevertheless, all 60-series Patrols have interchangeable parts.

The range was discontinued during 1980, making way for the new MQ Patrol range of September that year.