With the launch of the NP300 Navara, Nissan is capping off 80 years of pick-up truck expertise which can be traced to the time when they were still called ‘Datsun’. If you want to brush up Nissan pick-up truck history for a bit, hit the photo (after the break) and download the awesome timeline.


If you prefer some light reading, you can also read on and know about the different milestones.

The Timeless Truck: Eight Decades of Nissan Innovation

Gone were the days that trucks are used solely for commercial purposes. At this day and age, a truck is more than just a vehicle - it is a status symbol. Recently, much noise has been around about the All-New NP300 Navara. With its first-in-segment features such as the 7-speed automatic transmission, LED headlamps, and push button ignition, the 12th generation Navara is one tough pick-up truck equipped with smart innovation you cannot turn your backs on. Now, the question is, what really sets it apart from the local competition?

Legacy.

A Truck of Firsts

With a history spanning since 1933, why wouldn’t you want to get your hands on such truck? In Philippines alone, Nissan continuously sets the bar for pick-up trucks through introductions of many firsts in the country such as power features, automatic and 6-speed manual transmission.

Going back to the truck timeline a bit, globally, Nissan has been a pioneering truck manufacturing ever since. It was the very first pick-up truck powered with a modern engine—a new 988cc overhead valve Datsun C series.  With a displacement of 988cc, the truck can produce 34hp, which was a great deal back then. It was also the first truck that featured a 12-volt electrical system.

For the succeeding years, Nissan challenged and shook the truck world with pioneering features. In 1965, the Datsun 520 adopted a modern look with a top-padded dash and a new 1299cc J-series engine. Nissan first offered the “King Cab” style in its Datsun trucks in 1972 with the Datsun 620. Enhanced with a J-15 engine, this truck was made known for its durability and reliability.

The Birth of Innovation: Datsun Trucks

The Nissan Navara’s pedigree started all the way back in 1933, when Datsun Motors manufactured their first small commercial vehicle, the Datsun 12. The truck was based primarily on the Datsun 12 passenger car with DAT engine. It used the DAT 788 cc side valve engine and had 12hp power.

Only a year later, the Datsun 14T was born. Like its predecessor, the 14T was based on its passenger car counterpart, the 1935 Datsun 14 Sedan. This time however, the 14T adapted the entire front section of the Datsun 14 sedan, including the distinctive heart-shaped chrome-plated grille. The 14T featured the Datsun Type 7 engine, with a side-valve 4-cylinder configuration and a 722 cc displacement. This marked the first time such an engine was incorporated into a Datsun truck and afforded the 14T fifteen horsepower, making it 2hp more powerful than the 13T. The 14T’s successor trucks, the Datsun 15T (1936) and the 17T (1938) also utilized the 722 cc Datsun Type 7 engine.

The Real Tough Truck

Nissan trucks recovered during the industrialization of Japan despite facing the consequences of World War II. Since the company embodied resilience, ingenuity and resourcefulness, it decided to continue production after the war.  Present in the Datsun 1121 were ornate grilles that were replaced by sheets of steel, and the bumpers were made from conventional press steel. This model was then followed by both Datsun 2225 and Datsun 3135 that were both tagged as products of the recovering industry.

By 1950, when the Japanese economy has finally recovered, material shortage was no longer an issue. Nissan then produced Datsun 4146. It was reminiscent of the old Datsun17T but with more extensive use of chrome.

The All-New NP300 Navara: The Next Chapter Begins

After years of anticipation, Navara is back to satisfy the hunger of truck aficionados all over the world. The All-New NP300 Navara challenges the existing standard of toughness as it injects smartness in a naturally-tough vehicle.  With 80 years of legacy backing it up, you just have to check out how Nissan will make history once again with the All-New Nissan NP300 Navara.