The Nissan Pao is a retro-styled three-door hatchback built for the 1989–1991 model years and marketed only in Japan at Nissan Cherry Stores. It was announced at the Tokyo Motor Show in October 1987, offered with or without a textile sunroof, and sold without Nissan branding by reservation only.
Nissan Pao at a glance
| Model years | 1989–1991 |
|---|---|
| Announced | Tokyo Motor Show, October 1987 |
| Reservation window | 15 January to 14 April 1989 |
| Applications | 51,657 |
| Production total | 31,352 by the GTR-Registry count of 2022 |
| Engine | 987 cc MA10S four, 52 PS |
| Gearboxes | three-speed automatic or five-speed manual |
| Suspension | struts front, four-link coil rear |
| Weight | 720–760 kg |
| Turning circle | 4.4 m |
| Colours | Aqua Gray, Olive Gray, Ivory, Terracotta, plus one each in Gold and Blue-black |
based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Nissan Pao.
History of the Nissan Pao
A Pike car
The Pao came from Pike Factory, Nissan’s special project group, and with the Figaro, Be-1 and S-Cargo belongs to the “Pike cars”. They were attempts to create cars as desirable as consumer electronics from Panasonic and Sony, and the design is usually credited to Naoki Sakai, who also worked for Olympus and later helped design Toyota’s WiLL cars. The critic Phil Patton called the Pike cars “the height of postmodernism”, combining elements of the Citroën 2CV, Renault 4, Mini and Fiat 500.
Retro details
The Pao was designed as a fashionable city car in the mould of the Be-1, with external door hinges like the 1960s Austin Mini, flap-up windows like the Citroën 2CV and a split rear tailgate like the Austin A40 Farina Countryman. Its side strakes referred to earlier woodie body styles, and the body could be had with a metal or canvas top. The design was marketed with a surreal animated video featuring the Pike Factory team.
Engineering
The chassis had rack-and-pinion steering, independent front suspension with struts and a four-link coil-spring rear, with disc brakes at the front and drums at the rear. The tyres were 155/SR12 and the car needed only 4.4 m to turn. Because of its length and engine size it is too large to be a kei car and is classified as a small passenger vehicle; it could seat five. The engine was the March’s 987 cc MA10S with a single carburettor, giving 52 PS at 6,000 rpm and 75 N·m at 3,600 rpm, with a three-speed automatic or the more sought-after five-speed manual. The 40-litre tank ran on unleaded regular fuel.
Design and features
- Reservation only: buyers applied in a three-month window in 1989.
- Retro references: Mini hinges, 2CV windows and an A40-style tailgate.
- Two roofs: a metal roof or a textile sunroof.
- Four colours: plus one car each in Gold and Blue-black.
Nissan Pao versions
- Pao with metal roof: the closed version.
- Pao with canvas top: the sunroof version, in manual or automatic.
- Colour editions: Aqua Gray was the most common, Gold and Blue-black single cars.
The Pao was one of the Pike cars with the Figaro and S-Cargo, all built on the March and Micra platform. More cars are in the Nissan collection.
Sources
- Nissan Pao, English Wikipedia: reservation system, Pike origins, design details, engineering, colours
