The DA was introduced in November 1947, a direct result of the occupying Allied command once again allowing production of passenger cars.
[1] As the tooling for the pre-war Datsun Type 17 was no longer available, the DA was based on the Datsun 1121 truck (which itself was based on the pre-war 17T truck); it used the 722 cc Type 7 side valve engine from the 17T as well as its floor-shifted 3-speed manual transmission and front clip, including a pressed steel grille and nearly no brightwork.
The DA had a simple pressed metal grille when first introduced; by 1949 this had been replaced by a more ornate chromed unit.
The DA also received a redesigned, less boxy rear section in 1948.
The DA was in production until 1950 when it was replaced by the Datsun DS Series (later also marketed as the "Thrift").