Remembering The Datsun Baby: Nissan’s 1960s Mini Car For Kids

Back in the 1960s, Kodomonokuni amusement park opened its doors in Yokohama, and Nissan, being a hometown hero, chipped in 100 tiny kei cars for kids. That was the Datsun Baby - a pint-sized vehicle built just for the park, and for its day, it was pretty impressive.

Under the hood, it had a 199 cc two-stroke engine making 7.4 hp and 9.7 lb-ft of torque, with a top speed limited to 19 mph. Even more impressive, it had four-wheel independent suspension. The car itself was tiny: 116.5 inches long, 55.9 inches wide, and 49 inches tall, with a 65.7-inch wheelbase. 

The Datsun Baby wasn’t a brand-new project. It was based on the Cony Guppy, Aichi Machine Industry’s first car, made in 1961. Aichi had started as an aerospace company but switched to cars after World War II. Nissan acquired Aichi in 1966, and the company later helped develop the Nissan Sunny, which eventually became today’s Sentra.

To make the Datsun Baby, Nissan used leftover Cony Guppy parts, redesigned the body, and built 100 by hand. The goal? To teach kids about cars and road safety, while also giving back to the local community.

What made it extra fun was that the cars weren’t on rails. Kids got actual control, though adults could ride along. There was even a brake pedal on the passenger side for safety, plus a steel skirt around the lower half of the car in case of bumps.

The ride ran from 1965 to 1973, and when it ended, the 100th Datsun Baby was put on display. Decades later, Nissan restored it for the park’s 50th anniversary. Today, that same little car is back with Nissan, a tiny reminder of how much fun learning about cars could be as a kid.