Datsun had returned to automobile manufacturing in 1947 with the Austin Seven-based DA model, which had been in production before the war as the Model 17. The little car – which was built with a 722 ccm, 17 HP inline four cylinder engine – was followed two years later by the more modern body, resembling a Crosley. These featured an improved Austin engine with 860 cc and 20 HP. This was the DB model. However, these cars were beyond the modest means of many Japanese customers. Further, the management of Datsun had already negotiated for the license of the even-larger A40 and A50. Not all of the company leaders agreed with the production of bigger cars. Yutaka Katayama, known as Mr. K, a senior manager at Datsun, expedited the design of smaller, simpler, and more affordable cars. He was most likely the driving force behind the “Thrift” series, introduced in 1951, which was based on the DB, but with more austere fittings.

However, Katayama wanted to build an even less expensive car. In this, he was not supported by the management of Datsun. So, he and his friend, engineer Ryuichi Tomiya, began the development of a small car on the second floor of a Tokyo house. They assembled a two-seater chassis, with four, nineteen-inch bicycle-wheels, and put a 200 cc single-cylinder Nissan engine to the tail of the car. But the completed car would not fit through the door, so they brought it out of the house through a window! While testing and the refining the car, Katayama also had time to establish the Japanese Sports Car Club in 1951, which would play a major part in later chapters of his life. 

The first prototype of the new small car was introduced in 1951, called the Datsun “Flying Feather”. Katayama explained the origin of the Flying Feather name: in the forties, he saw flying gulls above the port of Yokohama. It was then that he became conscious of the importance of a light structure and streamlined shape for low fuel consumption. In building the Flying Feather, he put his observations and conclusions into practice.

In 1953, Mr. K made a made a tactical error in his Datsun carrer. He brought in food for striking employees who had been holed up in the factory for five months. This was enough to drive Datsun management to bounce him out of his office. Katayama decided to complete the Flying Feather with Tomiya, without the help of Datsun.

Fortunately, the Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) supported the construction of the promising little car. For 1953, the second prototype was ready with the final, 12.5 HP, 350 cc V2 engine. It was fitted with four-wheel independent suspension, which promised great drivability for the diminutive 425 kg car. The finalized production model was introduced in the first Tokyo Autoshow in 1954. The production of the Flying Feather was assumed by the Suminoe Engineering Works Ltd., which was a manufacturer of interior components for Datsun.

Flying Feather

But the expected success did not materialize. The governmental support of MITI came to an end, and as a result, the cost of production was greater than estimated.  Also, the expected demand did not develop. In the mid-fifties, the Japanese people wanted larger, less austere cars. Through 1955, only 150 – 200 Flying Feathers were produced by Suminoe. Production ended, and Katayama returned to Datsun, where he was received with open arms. He got a new job, assuming the responsibility for enhancing the image of Datsun. This time around, Mr. K pushed the concept of sports cars. Katayama spearheaded the development of the Fairlady Z Convertible, and the enhancing the performance of the old, Austin-based engines.   

Katayama encouraged management to launch a team for the 10,000 mile Mobilgas rally in Australia. The rally team was made up members of the troublesome trade unions, which did not sit well with management. The car they chose for the rally was the new Datsun 210, with the modernized, but still tepid 998 cc, 34 HP Austin-based engine. The reliability of the car was its ace in the hole. Katayama’s plan worked out, even with an under funded team and a weak car, winning the competition! The Datsun 210 was the company’s firs car to receive international recognition. The management came to forgive all previous missteps - the trade union support, and the development of his own car – and assigned him the task of promoting the Datsun brand internationally.

Before Katayama’s American tour in 1960 – a research mission to prepare Datsun for the overseas markets – he dusted off the concept of his first microcar, and together with Tomiya, rebuilt one Flying Feather with a new, streamlined, aluminum body. The old engine was replaced with a new Subaru 360 unit, which increased greatly the original’s barely 60 km/h top speed.

Flying Feather II

Later, exciting chapters of Mr. K’s story, including the Datsun 240 Z, designed by Albrecht Goertz, and the Datsun 510, would follow in the sixties, and are well-documented. But maybe the most important chapter in the life of a 100 years old car-guru was the chapter, when he conceived and built the Flying Feather “people’s car”. In that chapter, his approach to building a car most closely resembled his personal support for the working class and unions.