The Saipa Z24 was the Iranian-built version of the Nissan Junior, a medium-sized pickup that Nissan had made in Japan from 1956 to 1982. Zamyad assembled it in Iran from 1970, Saipa took over in 1986 and sold it as the Saipa 24, and in 1998 the Zamyad company took production back under the name Zamyad Z24.
Saipa Z24 at a glance
| Maker | Saipa, Iran |
|---|---|
| Production | 1986–1998 |
| Based on | Nissan Junior |
| Engine | 2.4-litre four-cylinder |
| Body | pickup |
| Name at Saipa | Saipa 24 / Z24 |
| Assembly in Iran from | 1970, by Zamyad as Nissan Zamyad |
| Production returned to Zamyad | 1998, as Zamyad Z24 |
| Japanese production | 1956–1982 |
| Class | medium-sized pickup |
The Saipa-built Z24 is described in one sentence of the English article on the Nissan Junior and one in the article on SAIPA; this page is based on those two sources.
History of the Saipa Z24
The Nissan Junior
The Junior was Nissan’s medium-sized pickup, built from 1956 to 1982 to fill the gap between the smaller Datsun Truck and the heavier Nissan Diesel models. The first B40 of 1956 carried 1.75 tonnes and three passengers on a 2,500 mm wheelbase, with a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine. A second generation arrived in 1962 with a 2,800 mm wheelbase and larger engines, and the model stayed in the Nissan range for two decades. In Japan it was always outsold by the Toyota Stout, partly, according to period analysis, because the Nissan name was less familiar in the class.
Assembly in Iran
From 1970 the Zamyad company assembled the Junior in Iran as the Nissan Zamyad. In 1986 Saipa took over production and the truck was released as the Saipa 24. Saipa built it until 1998 as the Z24, a licence-built version of the 1970–1980 Junior with a 2.4-litre engine, and then the Zamyad company again took over the line, this time selling the truck as the Zamyad Z24. The Z24 name survived the change of maker and remained in use at Zamyad.
A name that outlived the maker
The Saipa years therefore sit between two periods of Zamyad production, and the same basic truck was sold under three names in Iran: Nissan Zamyad, Saipa 24 and Zamyad Z24. For Saipa the pickup was a small part of a range that was becoming dominated by the Pride-based cars, the Saba and Nasim, which the company was building at the same time.
Design and features
- Licence-built: the 1970s Nissan Junior made in Iran.
- 2.4-litre engine: the capacity that gave the Z24 its name.
- Three names: Nissan Zamyad, Saipa 24 and Zamyad Z24.
- Medium pickup: larger than the Datsun Truck, smaller than Nissan Diesel trucks.
- Short Saipa chapter: twelve years, 1986–1998.
Saipa Z24 versions
- Nissan Zamyad (1970–1986): Zamyad assembly before Saipa.
- Saipa 24 (1986–1998): the Saipa-built truck.
- Zamyad Z24 (from 1998): production back at Zamyad.
- Nissan Junior (1956–1982): the Japanese original.
The cars Saipa was building at the same time are the Saipa Saba and Saipa Nasim. More vehicles are in the Saipa collection.
Sources
- Nissan Junior, English Wikipedia: model history and Iranian assembly
- SAIPA, English Wikipedia: Saipa production and engine
