How nippy Datsun burst into the scene

The Datsun had nondescripts outings in the East African Safari Rally for seven straight years.

But that changed in 1970, changing the face of the Safari. The Japanese car maker had come to Kenya in 1963 and embarked on a long, tedious learning process.

The uptake of Japanese cars by customers was slow at a time when a win in the Safari Rally was a major sales reference point that had favoured Ford, Peugeot, VW Beetle and Mercedes for close to two decades.

But Datsun was slowly being seen in the market in 1968. Its little known Datsun pick ups had proved a hit amongst customers because of their practicality and cost.

The Datsun 1600SSS was a small saloon car which fitted in the small car market but fared poorly against the established Peugeot and Ford cars.

Two German hoteliers based in Mombasa were little known in the local circuit which was dominated by drivers such as Joginder Singh, Peter Hughes, Nick Norwicki and Bert Shankland, who had won the Safari in the 1960s.

German-Kenyans Edgar Herrmann and Hans Schuller fielded a Datsun 1600SSS in the 1970 Safari and surpisingly won. They became instant stars.

Hermanns was a man keen on detail. He drove a Datusn P5 to fifth position in 1969 , and appeared to love the car instead of the swift, sophisticated Porsche 911 SC he tried his hands on in 1968.

But it is his second victory in 1971 that captured the attention of the world. He won with a slim margin of three points against Shekhar Mehta after 5000km of racing.

Both drove the good looking Datsun 240Z. The 1971 race was a close affair and the East Africans held on despite Bjorn Waldegard of Sweden leading most of way in a Porsche 911 SC.

That meant that Japan had finally conquered the Safari. Datsun won 1-2 in drivers’ category and the manufacturers’ title.