Nissan Pao
A tiny city car styled like an adventure tool, with a canvas roof and room for five.
1989 Nissan Pao photographed as a Japanese-market import in the United Kingdom. · Calreyn88 · CC BY-SA 4.0 International
Research pending
A matching completed auction sale has not been verified for this exact year, body, trim, engine, transmission and market.
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More than a set of wheels.
Nissan first displayed the Pao as a concept at the 1987 Tokyo Motor Show, then released the production car in January 1989. It followed the Be-1 in Nissan's limited-volume Pike series. More than 30,000 were produced. This profile uses the preserved canvas-top automatic example.
Look a little closer.
Nissan says the name Pao came from a Chinese word for a portable Mongolian dwelling.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
Designed around adventure
The Pao mixed a retrospective shape with an 'adventurous spirit' theme. The canvas roof on the preserved car is a specific option; solid-roof Paos should not automatically be described as having it.
Source: Nissan Heritage Collection · Pao ↗Built from the March idea
Nissan's company history groups the Be-1 and Pao as distinctive Pike cars based on the first-generation March. Sharing a basic-car foundation let designers create a different-looking product without inventing every hidden component again.
Source: Nissan company history · 1980s ↗Where these facts come from
- Nissan Heritage Collection · Pao
- Nissan company history · 1980s
- Nissan Heritage Collection · Be-1 and Pao index
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed September 29, 2026.