The Nissan Pao is a retro-styled three-door

hatchback A hatchback is a car body configuration with a rear door that swings upward to provide access to a cargo area. Hatchbacks may feature fold-down second row seating, where the interior can be reconfigured to prioritize passenger or cargo volume. ...

manufactured by

Nissan , trading as Nissan Motor Corporation and often shortened to Nissan, is a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Japan. The company sells its vehicles under the Nissan, Infiniti, and Datsun bra ...

for model years 1989-1991, and originally marketed solely in Japan at their '' Nissan Cherry Stores''. First announced at the Tokyo Motor Show in October 1987, the Pao was available with or without a textile

sun roof A sunroof is a movable panel that opens to uncover a window in an automobile roof, allowing light and fresh air to enter the passenger compartment. Sunroofs can be manually operated or motor driven, and are available in many shapes, sizes and styl ...

and was originally marketed without Nissan branding, by reservation only from January 15 through April 14, 1989. Orders were delivered on a first come, first served basis. With 51,657 applications for the vehicle, it sold out in 3 months. The UK’s GTR-Registry website provided updated production figures in 2022 with per-colour code quantities, and a total production quantity of 31,352. Because of its origins at Pike Factory, Nissan's special project group, the Pao – along with the Nissan Figaro,

Be-1 Blue Origin, LLC is an American privately funded aerospace manufacturer and sub-orbital spaceflight services company headquartered in Kent, Washington. Founded in 2000 by Jeff Bezos, the founder and executive chairman of Amazon, the company ...

and S-Cargo – are known as Nissan's "Pike cars". The promotional campaign for the car included a surreal and futuristic animated video featuring members of the Pike Factory team. In 2011, noted design critic Phil Patton, writing for the ''New York Times'', called the Pike cars "the height of

postmodernism Postmodernism is an intellectual stance or mode of discourseNuyen, A.T., 1992. The Role of Rhetorical Devices in Postmodernist Discourse. Philosophy & Rhetoric, pp.183–194. characterized by skepticism toward the " grand narratives" of modern ...

" and "unabashedly retro, promiscuously combining elements of the Citroën 2CV, Renault 4, Mini nd Fiat 500".

History

Part of Nissan's "Pike" series, it was designed as a retro fashionable city car in the mold of the

. It included external door hinges like the original 1960s Austin Mini which had become fashionable in Japan, 'flap-up' windows like those of a Citroën 2CV, and a split rear tailgate of the first British hatchback car the Austin A40 Farina Countryman. The

, Pao, Figaro, and S-Cargo were attempts to create cars with designs as desirable as those of

Panasonic formerly between 1935 and 2008 and the first incarnation of between 2008 and 2022, is a major Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation, headquartered in Kadoma, Osaka. It was founded by Kōnosuke Matsushita in 1918 as a lightbulb ...

Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...

, and other personal electronics products. The Pao's side strakes evoked the construction of earlier Woodie car body styles. The engine was the March/Micra's 1.0 L (987 cc)

MA10S The MA is a straight-4 SOHC 0.9 L, 1.0 L, or 1.2 L engine introduced in 1982 by Nissan, intended primarily for the K10 series Micra/March model. It shares design similarities with the older E engine, with an 8-valve hemispherical cylinder head ...

, coupled with a three-speed

automatic transmission An automatic transmission (sometimes abbreviated to auto or AT) is a multi-speed transmission used in internal combustion engine-based motor vehicles that does not require any input from the driver to change forward gears under normal driving ...

or a five-speed

manual transmission A manual transmission (MT), also known as manual gearbox, standard transmission (in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States), or stick shift (in the United States), is a multi-speed motor vehicle transmission (mechanics), transmission ...

, the manual being the more sought after. The engine produced at 6,000 rpm and at 3,600 rpm. The chassis included

rack and pinion A rack and pinion is a type of linear actuator that comprises a circular gear (the '' pinion'') engaging a linear gear (the ''rack''). Together, they convert rotational motion into linear motion. Rotating the pinion causes the rack to be driven ...

steering,

independent suspension Independent suspension is any automobile suspension system that allows each wheel on the same axle to move vertically (i.e. reacting to a bump on the road) independently of the others. This is contrasted with a beam axle or deDion axle system ...

with

strut A strut is a structural component commonly found in engineering, aeronautics, architecture and anatomy. Struts generally work by resisting longitudinal compression, but they may also serve in tension. Human anatomy Part of the functionality o ...

s in front and 4-links and coil springs in back. Brakes were discs up front and drums in the rear. It has a clamshell hatch in back, meaning the glass section swings up and the bottom portion opens down to create a tailgate. The compact Pao requires just 4.4 m (14.4 ft) to turn and delivers up to 51 mpg (5.5 L/100 km) in the city and 79 mpg (3.4 L/100 km) at a steady 60 km/h (37 mph). The tires were of 155/SR12 format. The Pao was offered in four colors: Aqua Gray (#FJ-0), Olive Gray (#DJ-0), Ivory (#EJ-I) and Terracotta (#AJ-0). The design of the Pao is usually credited to Naoki Sakai who also worked for Olympus, where he brought back "the brushed aluminium look". Sakai also helped design Toyota's later

WiLL Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and wi ...

cars, which echo the Pike series.

Specifications

Vehicle type number: Nissan E-PK10 Models: * Pao w/5-speed manual transmission (PK10GF) or with 3-speed automatic (PK10GA) * Pao canvas top w/ 5-speed manual transmission (PK10GFW) or with 3-speed automatic (PK10GAW) ;Dimensions and weight * Length: * Width: * Height: - * Wheelbase: * Front/rear tread: * Ground clearance: * Min. turning circle: 4.40 m (14.5 ft) *

Seating capacity Seating capacity is the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, in terms of both the physical space available, and limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile tha ...

: 5 people * Vehicle weight: - * Gross vehicle weight (kg): - ;Fuel consumption * City: 5-speed ; automatic * At steady 60 km/h (38 mph): 5-speed ; automatic ;Engine * Type:

* Water-cooled inline-4 cylinder * Cylinder bore and stroke: 68.0 x 68.0 mm * Total cubic displacement: 987 cc * Compression ratio: 9.5:1 * Output (net): at 6000 rpm * Largest torque (net): at 3600 rpm * 1-bbl carburettor * Fuel and tank capacity: unleaded regular, ;Exterior colors * Aqua Gray (#FJ-0) (16,900 produced) * Olive Gray (#DJ-0) (6488 produced) * Ivory (#EJ-I) (6362 produced) * Terracotta (#AJ-0) (1595 produced) * Gold (#EJ-0) (1 produced) * Blue-black (#BG-8) (1 produced) ;Interior colors * Ivory (#EJ-I) * Black (#EJ-I) ;Standard equipment *

Power steering A power steering is a mechanical device equipped on a motor vehicle that helps drivers steer the vehicle by reducing steering effort needed to turn the steering wheel, making it easier for the vehicle to turn or maneuver at lower speeds. Hydra ...

* Electromagnetic glass hatch release * Height-adjustable driver's seat * Intermittent wiper * Tensionless ELR seat belts (front seats), * Radio and tape deck ;Optional extras * Clock * Tonneau cover/parcel shelf * Drinks holder * Dash tray * Under-dash tray * Leather steering wheel grips * Combination stereo/CD deck * Rear speakers * Fog lamp and front guard bar * Lightweight aluminium wheels * ‘Serviceable car kit’ comprising polish, brush, wash mitt, silver gloves, chamois and paperwork wallet, supplied in a courier-style bag made of Pao seat fabric

Paoside

Paoside was a range of Pao-specific products featuring the Pao logo which included accessories, clothing, toy cars and other items.

Appearances in media

The Nissan Pao has made at least 30 appearances in films and television series, including the opening scenes of

Gareth Edwards Sir Gareth Owen Edwards CBE (born 12 July 1947) is a Welsh former rugby union player who played scrum-half and has been described by the BBC as "arguably the greatest player ever to don a Welsh jersey". In 2003, in a poll of international ...

’ 2014 film adaptation of

Godzilla is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film '' Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films produ ...

, myriad Asian films and television and

Jeremy Clarkson Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson (born 11 April 1960) is an English broadcaster, journalist, game show host and writer who specialises in motoring. He is best known for the motoring programmes '' Top Gear'' and '' The Grand Tour'' alongside R ...

’s Motorworld, listed at the IMCDb database. A heavily modified Nissan Pao appeared in Japanese drifter and garage owner

Ken Nomura is a drifting driver from Japan. He made his debut in the D1 Grand Prix in the 3rd round in 2001, driving the Blitz D1 Spec ER34 Skyline which he still drives. His nickname is Nomuken (のむけん) or Monkey Magic (as a reference to his compa ...

’s DVD

Drift Tengoku is a monthly automobile magazine dedicated to drifting and was the first of its kind. Published by San-Ei Shobo Publishing in both print and video format, it is the sister publication to '' Option'', ''Option2'' and ''Video Option''. Until 2007, ...

, featuring the host attempting to

drift Drift or Drifts may refer to: Geography * Drift or ford (crossing) of a river * Drift, Kentucky, unincorporated community in the United States * In Cornwall, England: ** Drift, Cornwall, village ** Drift Reservoir, associated with the village ...

the car alongside the car’s creator, D1 Grand Prix Lights Team driver Kazayuki Akuzawa, with limited success.

References

External links

Pao Catalog
{{Nissan Pao Retro-style automobiles Cars introduced in 1989 1990s cars