1989 Nissan Pao
One of four special Nissan models produced at the famous Pike Factory for the Japanese market Rare factory five speed manual transmission (only 15% of Paos produced were manuals) Limited-production vehicle marketed in Japan by reservation only; it sold out after just three months of pre-orders Legally imported from Japan and quite rare to find in the United States Aqua Gray exterior (code FJ-0) and Ivory interior 1L eight-valve, four-cylinder engine and rare five-speed manual transmission (PK10GF) Right-hand drive, power steering, power brakes and air-conditioning Practical split folding tailgate design Low mileage 80,000 original miles and includes JEVIC odometer certificate of verification Power steering, A/C and excellent gas mileage make this a practical fun commuter Up to 55 mpg and top speed of 85 mph plus!The smallest Nissan sold in the United States in 1989 was the C-class Sentra. For those interested in A-class (microcars or city cars) back then they had to go to Japan. Today, you can drop by MotoeXotica Classic Cars, where we proud to present this 1989 Nissan Pao (pa-OH). Turn heads and create smiles in this tiny car designed to be a rolling fashion statement or a very stylish everyday commuter that is an absolute blast to drive with the five speed manual and achieve gas mileage is the 50’s mpg!!!
The Pao was one of four special, limited-production Nissan models made at the famous Pike Factory in Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan. It was originally marketed in Japan only and sold out after just three months of pre-orders. This example has been legally exported from Japan and is a seldom seen vehicle in the United States. Please note this car is a right-hand drive model and is the only way they were produced.
Standard equipment included power steering, electromagnetic glass hatch release, a height-adjustable driver’s seat, intermittent wipers, tensionless ELR seat belts (front seats), radio (AM/FM, tape deck, electronic tuner) and two rear speakers. The car also came with power assisted steering and power brakes and this model has air-conditioning.
Finished in Aqua Gray (Code FJ-0), this car’s paint and trim are in overall excellent condition. Its windows are clear and crack-free, including the ‘flap-up’ rear side glass. The car’s round, retro-style head and taillights are in intact and add to its overall cute factor.
This city car rolls on radial tires, size 165/60R14, surrounding custom gray, eight-fin alloy wheels. The tires are in overall very good order and the wheel’s color contrasts well with the body color. This car’s bodywork is straight and solid, including the clamshell rear hatch. Its rear cargo area is in very good order, there’s a rack on the roof to store additional cargo, the engine bay is quite tidy, the battery looks new and the front and rear bumpers are in very good order.
Under the front-hinged hood is the March/Micra’s 1.0L MA10S eight-valve, four-cylinder engine producing 51 HP, coupled to a rare factory five speed manual transmission (only 15% of Paos produced were manuals), which is the more desirable unit (PK10GF).
Inside, the car’s ivory interior contrasts nicely with the exterior paint. The front buckets and rear bench seat are in overall very good shape with minimal wear. The front seatbacks even sport “backpack” to allow the driver or rear seat passengers additional small item storage. In the rear of the Pao is a very practical split folding tailgate design. The dark gray carpet looks good while the gray headliner is in excellent overall shape. The factory two-spoke steering wheel is present, painted ivory in this unit, and it complements the car’s overall interior theme nicely. The aqua gray instrument panel, with its dominant circular speedometer, echoes the car’s exterior hue and is in excellent condition. The inner door panels are in overall very good condition, as are the mirror glass, center console and gear shift lever. Rounding out the interior is a Pioneer Carrozzeria AM/FM stereo with CD player.
Part of Nissan’s “Pike” series, the Pao was designed as a retro fashionable city car in the mold of the Be-1. 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 Be-1, Pao, Figaro, and S-Cargo were attempts to create cars with designs as desirable as those of Panasonic, Sony, and other personal electronics products.
The chassis included rack and pinion steering, independent suspension with struts in front 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 14.4 feet to turn in a circle.
In 2011, noted design critic Phil Patton, writing for the New York Times, called the Pike cars “the height of postmodernism” and “unabashedly retro, promiscuously combining elements of the Citroën 2CV, Renault 4, Mini [and] Fiat 500.”
This car is currently located at our facility in St. Louis, Missouri. Current mileage on the odometer shows 128,522 kilometers, or approximately 80,000 actual miles. It is sold as is, where is, on a clean and clear, mileage exempt title. GET OUT AND DRIVE!!!
Click here for our YouTube video of the Pao!
VIN: PK10104665
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