Nissan Be-1
The first Pike car turned a small Nissan platform into a friendly limited-edition design experiment.
1987 Nissan Be-1 at the Toyota Automobile Museum in Japan. · TTTNIS · CC0 1.0 Universal
Research pending
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More than a set of wheels.
Nissan displayed the Be-1 as a reference car at the 1985 Tokyo Motor Show. The company released a production limit of 10,000 in January 1987; Nissan says demand was high enough that buyers were chosen by lottery. This page covers the preserved standard-roof automatic example.
Look a little closer.
The name came from 'Plan B-1,' and the car's success helped start the later Pao and Figaro projects.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
A March underneath, a new idea outside
Nissan says the Be-1 body was based on the first-generation March K10. Its cozy, old-car-inspired body and interior changed the character people saw, even though the project began with practical small-car foundations.
Source: Nissan Heritage Collection · Be-1 standard roof ↗Why Nissan called it a Pike car
Nissan uses 'Pike car' for playful, edgy designs intended for limited-volume production. The Be-1 came first and opened the path for Pao and Figaro, making it part of a design family rather than a one-off nickname.
Source: Nissan company history · 1980s ↗Where these facts come from
- Nissan Heritage Collection · Be-1 standard roof
- Nissan company history · 1980s
- Nissan Heritage · bringing more fun to car design
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed September 29, 2026.