Which sport sedan did you grow up with? The Austin Mini of the late 1950s and early 1960s? Or were you more familiar with the Alfa Guilia Ti? Most of us know the sensational BMW 2002, arriving in 1968. And I grew up with kids who owned Datsun 510s – those cars are probably on some race track today. But less familiar to US drivers was the Datsun 411, sold from 1965 to 1967. Designed by Pininfarina, the 4-series was Datsun’s first unibody car. A few four-door versions came to the US in 1967 only but the two-door was never sold here. And the SSS – equipped with the SPL 311 roadster’s 1600 cc engine – were vanishingly rare. Here on eBay in a no-reserve auction is this recently-imported JDM (Japanese domestic market) 1967 Datsun 411 SSS two-door, one of five in the US, according to our seller. This car is located in Torrance, California, and it’s in project condition. That hasn’t dampened bidder enthusiasm – forty bids have pushed the price to $38,800. Let’s see what all the fuss is about….

This is Datsun’s twin-carb 1600 cc in-line four-cylinder, best known to most of us when it propelled the Datsun 1600 roadster. The early three-main bearing version of this engine was good for 90 hp, but this one is a matching-numbers five-main, with output closer to 96 hp. It sort of runs, but needs work. It’s paired with a four-speed manual gearbox; the brake set-up is front disc/rear drum. Z-car fans will recognize that air filter housing. This car’s suspension has been altered to lower its stance and the original rear axle was swapped for a slightly shorter roadster axle. The transmission is said to be “sloppy” but the car comes with a spare. SSS-specific parts remain with the car, including its low-profile oil pan, lower crossmember designed to accommodate that oil pan, and specially-fitted intake manifold.

Yes, it’s RHD – like all JDM cars. Switches are installed where the radio would have been. The front seats are not original items but “work well”. The seller indicates that the tar paper has been removed from the floors so buyers can better inspect the sheet metal; rust is noted in the interior corners. Bondo was found in the rockers. Remnants of the factory Sahara Tan can be seen on the transmission tunnel.

I don’t care for the rear fender flares – seems a travesty on this pretty Pininfarina body. Returning the car to its original condition – perhaps including the factory color – would be an expensive proposition on top of its beefy price tag. Comparables are hard to find, but this mostly decent four-door sedan sold for less than half the bid on our subject car. Must be worth a lot to subtract two doors!