| Nissan Violet/Stanza | |
|---|---|
 1991 Nissan Stanza GXE (U12, Canada) | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Nissan (Nissan Shatai) |
| Production | 1973–1992 |
| Assembly | Oppama Plant and Hiratsuka Plants, Kanagawa, Japan Rosslyn, Gauteng, South Africa |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Compact |
| Layout | Front-engine, RWD (1973–1981) Front-engine, FWD (1982–1992) |
| Chronology | |
| Successor | Nissan Altima (US) Nissan Bluebird Nissan Primera (Europe) Nissan Tiida |
The Nissan Violet is a model of car that appeared in Japan in 1973, and was exclusive to Japanese Nissan dealerships called Nissan Cherry Store as a larger companion to the Nissan Cherry.
In 1977 the second generation arrived. This was split into two additional lines, the Nissan Auster and the Nissan Stanza. All three models bore the A10 series identifier, and were built in Japan at the Hiratsuka and Yokosuka assembly plants. The Stanza was exclusive to Japanese Nissan dealerships called Nissan Satio Store as a larger companion to the smaller Nissan Sunny, and the Auster triplet was exclusive to Nissan Prince Store locations as a larger companion to the Nissan Langley.
A new third generation front-wheel drive model was launched in 1981, changing the series name again to T11, and sharing its platform with the Compact MPV Nissan Prairie/Multi/Stanza Wagon. Final versions were Nissan Bluebirds series U12 rebadged for some international markets. In most export markets the car was originally sold as the Datsun 140J or 160J depending on the engine; this name was then gradually changed to Nissan Stanza in most markets in line with Nissan's phasing out of the Datsun brand in its export markets in the early 1980s; in Europe for instance it was sold as the "Datsun-Nissan Stanza" for a short time until the Datsun name was dropped completely in 1984.
The Stanza/Auster/Violet were discontinued in 1992. The Stanza was replaced by the Nissan Altima in North America; the Stanza was replaced by the Nissan Bluebird in Japan, and by the Primera in Europe.