Nissan Be-1 | |
---|---|
Nissan Be-1 finished in Pumpkin Yellow | |
Overview | |
Manufacturer | Nissan Motors |
Production | 1987–1988 10,000 produced |
Assembly | Totsuka, Kanagawa, Japan (Takada Kogyo) |
Designer | |
Body and chassis | |
Body style | 2-door notchback |
Layout | FF layout |
Related | |
Powertrain | |
Engine | 1.0 L MA10S I4 |
Transmission | |
Dimensions | |
Wheelbase | 2,300 mm (90.6 in) |
Length | 3,635 mm (143.1 in) |
Width | 1,580 mm (62.2 in) |
Height | 1,395 mm (54.9 in) (hardtop) 1,420 mm (55.9 in) (canvas top) |
Curb weight | 670–710 kg (1,477–1,565 lb) |
The Nissan Be-1 is a retro-styled two-door notchback sedan manufactured by Nissan for model years 1987-1988, and originally marketed solely in Japan at their Nissan Cherry Stores .
Designed to be a fashionable city car, the Be-1 was marketed without any Nissan branding, by reservation only, and solely in Japan. [1] Nissan's own design team made a design proposal (A), while industrial designer Naoki Sakai and an unnamed Italian design studio also provided proposals (B1 and B2). Sakai's B1 design was chosen, and with it, the name as well. [2]
Because of its origins at the Pike Factory, Nissan's special project group, the Be-1—along with the Nissan Figaro, Pao and S-Cargo —are known as Nissan's "Pike cars." It, the Pao, and the Figaro are built on the Nissan March's underpinnings.
In 2011, noted design critic Phil Patton, writing for the New York Times, called the Pike cars "the height of postmodernism" [3] and "unabashedly retro, promiscuously combining elements of the Citroën 2CV, Renault 4, Mini [and] Fiat 500." [3]
Like the later Pao and Figaro, the Be-1 is based on the first generation Nissan Micra chassis. As such, it is powered by the 1.0 L (987 cc) carbureted MA10S I4 engine coupled to a choice of a 3-speed automatic or 5-speed manual transmission. [4] This engine produces 52 PS (38 kW; 51 hp) at 6000 rpm and 75 N⋅m (55 lb⋅ft) of torque at 3600 rpm.
The chassis included rack and pinion steering, independent suspension with struts in front, as well as 4-links and coil springs in back. Disc brakes were used in the front and drum brakes were used in the rear.[ citation needed ] A large, electronically operated canvas roof was offered as an option starting in March, 1987.[ citation needed ] The interior is very basic and notably features a large, centrally mounted speedometer. Like the original Mini, the Be-1 has a small bootlid (although it opens upwards) and a fixed rear window and is thus a two-door sedan. Nissan themselves has sometimes classified the car as a "coupé". [5]
10,000 Be-1s were built in total from 1987-1988, but since demand was so high for the Be-1, buyers were decided through a lottery organized by Nissan. The cars were assembled, partially by hand, by contract manufacturers Takada Kogyo . Takada later also built the Pao and Figaro, as well as some small-series Isuzu and Subaru products. [6]
The Be-1 was available in 4 colors: Pumpkin Yellow, Tomato Red, Hydrangea Blue and Onion White. [7] The Pumpkin Yellow Be-1 came with body-colored steel wheels with black hubcaps, the other colors came with white steel wheels with black hubcaps.
![]() |
The Subaru Vivio is a kei car that was introduced in March 1992, and manufactured by Subaru until October 1998. It is small enough to place it in the kei car class, giving its owners large tax breaks in Japan. The Vivio has a spacious interior considering its small size, thanks to a relatively tall profile and large windows. The name "Vivio" is a reference to the engine's displacement of 660 written in an approximation of Roman numerals, and also inspired by the word vivid. It replaced the Rex nameplate that was introduced in the 1970s, and was itself superseded by the Subaru Pleo. The Vivio was available in 3 and 5-door versions, with a two-door targa top version named T-top also available.
The Nissan Altima is a mid-size car manufactured by Nissan since 1992. It is a continuation of the Nissan Bluebird line, which began in 1955.
The Infiniti J30, marketed as the Nissan Leopard J Ferie in Japan, was a rear wheel drive luxury car. The J30 went into production on April 7, 1992 as a 1993 model to replace the M30, and was launched in the United States after its competitors, the Lexus GS and Acura Legend. The car was sold in the mid-size sedan segment between the smaller G20 and the larger Q45, both by size and price. The small interior resulted from its rounded styling uncharacteristic of the crowded executive car class, which is now considered an early variant of a four-door coupé.
The Nissan Micra, also known as the Nissan March, is a supermini car (B-segment) that has been produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Nissan since 1982.
The Nissan Sunny is an automobile built by the Japanese automaker Nissan from 1966 to 2004. In the early 1980s, the brand changed from Datsun to Nissan in line with other models by the company. Although production of the Sunny in Japan ended in 2004, the name remains in use in China and GCC countries for a rebadged version of the Nissan Almera.
The Nissan S30, sold in Japan as the Nissan Fairlady Z and in other markets as the Datsun 240Z, then later as the 260Z and 280Z, is a grand tourer produced by Nissan from 1969 until 1978. The S30 was conceived of by Yutaka Katayama, the President of Nissan Motor Corporation U.S.A., and designed by a team led by Yoshihiko Matsuo, the head of Nissan's Sports Car Styling Studio. It is the first car in Nissan's Z series of sports cars.
The Suzuki Alto is a kei car produced by Suzuki since 1979. The model, currently in its ninth generation, was first introduced in 1979 and has been built in many countries worldwide. The Alto originated as a commercial vehicle derivative of the Fronte, but over time the Alto nameplate gained in popularity and by 1988 it replaced the Fronte name completely. The Alto badge has often been used on different cars in Japan and in export markets, where it is considered a city car.
The Nissan Sentra is a series of automobiles manufactured by the Japanese automaker Nissan since 1982. Since 1999, the Sentra has been categorized as a compact car, while previously it occupied the subcompact class. Until 2006, Sentra was a rebadged export version of the Japanese Nissan Sunny, but since the 2013 model year, Sentra is a rebadged export version of the Sylphy. The Sentra nameplate is not used in Japan. Many other countries in Latin America sell their versions of the Sunny as the Sentra. In Mexico, the first three generations of the Sentra were known as the Nissan Tsuru, and the B13 model was sold under that name until 2017, alongside the updated models badged as Sentra.
The Daihatsu Copen (Japanese: ダイハツ・コペン, Daihatsu Kopen) is a 2-door convertible kei car built by the Japanese car company Daihatsu. It debuted at the 1999 Tokyo Motor Show, as the Daihatsu Copen concept. The second generation model debuted as the Kopen (Future Included) at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show.
The Nissan Murano is a mid-size crossover SUV manufactured and marketed by Nissan since May 2002 for the 2003 model year, and currently in its third generation.
The Nissan Figaro is a two-door car manufactured by Nissan in 1991 for the Japanese market. Based on the original Nissan March/Micra, the Figaro is a fixed-profile convertible with a 2+2 seating arrangement. It shares the March's front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout. When new it was sold only through Nissan Cherry Stores.
The Nissan Cube is a mini MPV produced by carmaker Nissan between 1998 and 2019. Initially sold only in Japan, the Cube was sold in North American markets from 2009 to 2014, and in European markets from 2009 to 2011. In Japan, it was exclusive to Nissan Red Stage dealerships. It is a slightly larger load-carrying alternative to the Nissan Micra hatchback. While production for the North American market ended in 2014, the Japanese-market Cube lasted until December 2019.
The Infiniti G Line is a series of compact executive cars manufactured and marketed by Infiniti, a luxury division of Nissan, for the 1991–1996 and 1999–2016 model years — across four generations.
The Mazda CX-9 is a mid-size crossover SUV manufactured by Mazda in Japan since 2006 through two generations With three-row seating, it was Mazda's largest passenger vehicle until the arrival of the CX-90.
The Nissan Rasheen is a compact crossover SUV with four-wheel drive capabilities produced from November 1994 to August 2000 by Nissan. A prototype was first shown at the October 1993 Tokyo Motor Show. It was offered with three different inline-four engines: from the original 1.5-liter GA15DE, to a larger 1.8-liter SR18DE, and finally a 2.0-liter SR20DE in the Rasheen Forza. The car has five seats and a rugged, quirky and angularly styled body. It is a very small and short four-wheel drive that is often compared to Eastern European cars in design, particularly the Wartburg 353, but is also reminiscent of Nissan's "Pike" cars. As for the Be-1 and Figaro, Rasheen production was carried out by contract manufacturer Takada Kogyo. It was exclusive to Nissan Japanese dealership network called Nissan Red Stage.
The Nissan Pao is a retro-styled three-door hatchback manufactured by Nissan for model years 1989–1991, and originally marketed solely in Japan at their Nissan Cherry Stores.
The Nissan S-Cargo is a small retro-styled van manufactured by the Japanese automaker Nissan from 1989 to 1991, and originally marketed solely in Japan at their Nissan Cherry Stores.
The Suzuki Cervo is a kei car manufactured by Suzuki Motor Corporation. Introduced in 1976 as the successor to the Suzuki Fronte Coupé, the Cervo name was originally affixed to a kei sports coupe, and then to models derived from the Suzuki Alto. The nameplate was retired between 1998 and 2006, and again in December 2009.
The Honda Vigor is a premium sedan that was derived from the Honda Accord. It was sold in Japan through the Honda Verno dealer network from 1981 until 1995, and sold in North America from June 1991 until 1994 as the Acura Vigor. Early Vigors were more upmarket versions of the Accord, and served as Honda's flagship until the arrival of the Honda Legend. In 1989, the Vigor would differentiate itself further from the Accord with unique styling and an available longitudinal five-cylinder engine, and a twin to the Vigor was introduced with the Honda Inspire, available at Honda Clio dealerships.
The Nissan Pulsar EXA and Nissan EXA are automobiles manufactured and marketed by Nissan Motor Company from 1983 to 1986 and from 1986 to 1990 respectively. The first generation model was internally designated as the N12 series and was marketed in Japan at Nissan Cherry Store locations as the Pulsar EXA. The second generation EXA was designated as the N13 series.
Nissan Be-1 detail up image collection https://minkara.carview.co.jp/userid/139692/blog/29813815/