- Mini-pickups were often used as motorcycle haulers, and that’s the two-piece setup we have here.
- This Datsun 620 pickup is paired with a Yamaha CT3 Enduro, both 1973 models.
- The Datsun has some custom touches outside and even more inside.
In 1973, the Arab oil embargo resulted in a spike in gas prices and even gas shortages. For car enthusiasts, there was the sense that a golden age was coming to an end (American Graffiti’s nostalgic pining for early-‘60s California was released that summer). But you could still have plenty of fun with a few gallons of fuel in the early 1970s, and here’s just the pairing to prove it.
This 1973 Datsun 620 pickup plus Yamaha motorcycle combo is up for auction on Bring a Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos. The pair are both painted the colors of a California summer sunset, and together they make you want to head out into the desert for some fun ripping around in the dirt, and then listening to The Doobie Brothers as the stars come out.
The Datsun is the star of the show, fitted as it is with some seriously groovy exterior artwork, yet a modern interior upgrade that looks straight out of Minecraft. It wears a BRE front lip spoiler with “the Night Stalker” emblazoned on it, but with a three-speed automatic transmission and a four-cylinder engine, it’s more of an Evening Cruiser.
Mind you, that four-cylinder is a blend of Datsun L16 and L18 parts, with a displacement of 1.7 liters and twin Hitachi carburetors. The claimed output is 133 horsepower at 8000 rpm, which is plenty feisty for a little 1970s pickup truck. Hopped-up Datsuns were all the rage at the time, and this truck has a whiff of BRE 510 about it. The automatic transmission isn’t the most performance-oriented option, but after riding motorcycles in the dunes until your legs turn to jelly, would probably make for an easier trip home.
The motorcycle is a Yamaha CT3 Enduro, also of 1973 vintage. It’s intended for offroad use only and doesn’t actually run, so it’s more of a project. Repairing a single-cylinder two-stroke Japanese motorcycle of this era is about as difficult as assembling a Duplo set. Or you could cruise up to your local car meet and just talk about your plans for the Yamaha—this is also an accepted convention of project-motorcycle ownership.
This auction for this pure-1970s combo ends September 21.
Contributing Editor
Brendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki’s half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels.