Will Datsun build a cheap Datsun Pickup truck for the people?

Datsun Nails 1

I hope they build a Datsun pickup truck. Honestly, wouldn’t be über cool to have a super cheap, simple pickup truck available in the USA again? Well, Datsun is back. After just announcing their return at a press conference in Delhi, India – they gave the public a peek at the 2014 Datsun GO.

Datsun Nails int

You can read that Datsun GO post (here).

The Nissan Nails Concept looks a lot like what could be possible if Nissan/Datsun opt to build something small, cheap and rugged for a new generation. A Datsun Pickup truck could take its cue from past small pickups that could hold half a ton and tow a full ton. Light-duty pickups like the Mitsubishi Mighty Max/Dodge D50, Isuzu P’up and Mazda’s Rotary Pickup did well in the United States for a time. Many small trucks from the 1980s are still helping working folk on a budget today.

Most of the pictures on this post are of the 2001 Nissan Nails Concept. The beefy SUV is the Nissan Terranaut Concept.datsun nissan_terranaut_concept_01

I think that, if you mated the two designs together, you could have a concept pickup truck people would get behind. Nissan has small diesels, electric vehicles and a slew of excellent I4 gas engines – could you imagine what the potential could be?

Look, I know it’s pie-in-the-sky stuff I’m spewing, but there is a case for inevitability. As we move forward in time, government restrictions are looming that will force many automakers to shirk their vehicle’s powerplants in order to comply. I wonder if a Datsun Pickup truck for the masses could lower Nissan/Datsun’s CAFE numbers.

Speaking of Nissan trucks, check out the 2013 Nissan Frontier PRO-4X Pickup 0-60 MPH Towing Test video!

Nathan Adlen brings an uncompromising passion and love for cars to TFLcar & Truck. Not only does Nathan add his talents to this website,he also works with Roman to review cars for the TFLcar & TFLTruck channel. Easily amused by anything with four wheels, Nathan Adlen reviews vehicles from the cheapest to the most prestigious. Wrecking yards, dealer lots, garages, racetracks, professional automotive testing and automotive journalism – Nathan has experienced a wide range of the automotive spectrum. Brought up in the California car culture and educated in theater, childhood education, film, journalism and history, Nathan now lives with his family in Denver, CO. His words, good humor and video are enjoyed worldwide.
Nathan Adlen brings an uncompromising passion and love for cars to TFLcar & Truck. Not only does Nathan add his talents to this website,he also works with Roman to review cars for the TFLcar & TFLTruck channel. Easily amused by anything with four wheels, Nathan Adlen reviews vehicles from the cheapest to the most prestigious. Wrecking yards, dealer lots, garages, racetracks, professional automotive testing and automotive journalism – Nathan has experienced a wide range of the automotive spectrum. Brought up in the California car culture and educated in theater, childhood education, film, journalism and history, Nathan now lives with his family in Denver, CO. His words, good humor and video are enjoyed worldwide.

Datsun Nails 3

Nathan Adlen
Easily amused by anything with four wheels, Nathan Adlen reviews vehicles from the cheapest to the most prestigious. Wrecking yards, dealer lots, garages, racetracks, professional automotive testing and automotive journalism - Nathan has experienced a wide range of the automotive spectrum. Brought up in the California car culture and educated in theater, childhood education, film, journalism and history, Nathan now lives with his family in Denver, CO. His words, good humor and video are enjoyed worldwide.