After 37 years, 275 000 units sold and a place in the hearts of many South Africans, the Nissan 1400 bakkie bids the market farewell…it’s successor certainly has some big shoes to fill.
The Nissan 1400 made its South African debut in 1971, evolving from the original Datsun 1200 into the Datsun 1400 in 1980, finally becoming the Nissan 1400 in 1990. Compact, reliable, affordable to buy and run, and as hard as a coffin nail, the 1400 soon cemented position as one of the most popular little workhorses in the country.
“The Nissan 1400 bakkie forms the cornerstone on which Nissan’s Commercial reputation was built in South Africa,” says Chris Schell General Manager Light Commercial Vehicles at Nissan South Africa. “The Nissan 1400 is truly an icon in South Africa’s motoring history and will be remembered for years to come as a true ‘Champion of Africa.”
Having outlived every fad from bell-bottom jeans to the Rubiks cube, and having seen the births and deaths of such stable mates as the Langley and the Skyline, pressure from strict upcoming emissions regulations have finally ended the ‘Champ’s’ 37-year reign.
The model’s swansong will come in the form of a limited run (150 units) of Edition 1400 bakkies. The numbered units will carry Heritage Edition decals, a certificate of authenticity, rubberized loadbox, nudge bar and a tow bar kit. The cabin is appointed with bucket seats and exterior styling is finished off with spot-lights and a tonneu cover. It will go on sale next week with a sticker price of R89 100 – not bad for a little slice of South African automotive history.
Nissan is giving away 1400 Heritage Edition number one as part of its ”Owner Wanted” competition. Here, past and present owners are invited send in their Nissan 1400 bakkie stories, movies or photos describing their fondest Nissan 1400 memories – and let’s face it, who hasn’t had some experience worthy of an anecdote that involves a Nissan 1400? You can submit your stories at the “Owner Wanted” website. Alternatively you can call 0800NISSAN, fax 0866869602 or email [email protected].
So, what will be taking the 1400’s place? Well, Nissan has announced that a new half-tonner, called the NP200 will be available on the South African market from October 1 2008.
The NP200 has been developed by an international design and engineering team and will be built at Nissan’s Rosslyn plant outside Pretoria as part of a R1 billion investment in the facility.
Underpinned by the company’s X90 Alliance platform, the NP200 will initially be launched with a 1,6-litre eight valve petrol engine developing 64 kW at 5 500 r/min and 128 N.m or torque at 3 000 r/min. The payload swells from the 1400’s 591 kg to 800 kg), while the 1.25m³ load box volume and 1 807mm load bed should ensure that the NP200 lives up to its reputation of its predecessor’s practicality.
“The Nissan NP200 is a Nissan engineered product, designed to suit the rigorous demands of the South African market,” says Schell. “As with the rest of our commercial vehicle range the NP200 will offer the highest levels of reliability and durability, in conjunction with the lowest possible levels of overall running and repair costs.”
