Pioneering pack mule
It is not clear how many Nissans Prairie are driving around in the Netherlands, but one thing is certain: there are not many. As a lover of the model – and we understand if you are – it could just be that you have been looking for a fresh one for years, so we would like to draw your attention to the car that you will now find in our used car range.
The Nissan Prairie was quite a pioneer. In the early 1980s, the car came on the market worldwide (including Europe) as just about the very first compact MPV. And that wasn’t the only thing that made it special. What about the third rear windows that extend almost to the roof? And the sliding doors on both sides that do not lock to a B-pillar, but to the front side doors? Yes: this car lacks its B-pillar, and with that it has a design detail that we hardly see in any other car – except in many (too many) concepts.
The rest of the Prairie’s design is pretty crazy, too. With its relatively high and straightforward shape, it really is a box on wheels, which may look even more crazy due to the extra far-protruding American bumpers of this copy. The car we are highlighting this time is indeed an ‘import’ of a model that was also delivered in Europe, but we quickly forgive that. Not only because of the rarity of original Dutch Nissan Prairies (just find one), but also because of its history.
The American bumpers protrude further than the bumpers that were on European Prairies.
His owner survived
The car comes from an (or perhaps its original) American owner, the advertiser describes. He took the car with him when he or she moved to the Netherlands in 2012, but has since passed away. The car – one of almost 40 years old – has survived its owner. And how. The Prairie still looks passable, which is not entirely surprising given the mileage of 88,984, and would still drive fine. A fresh MOT is in any case on it, and that is – especially given that it is valid for two years – a nice bonus.
It is a Prairie SGL (power steering!) With a 2-liter four-cylinder, an automatic transmission and four-wheel drive. This makes it the thickest motorized Prairie (105 hp!) that you could buy in the 1980s. And the thickest you can buy now, because a second Prairie is of course not offered at the moment. That’s where the only drawback comes in: the rarity moves the advertiser to ask a small €10,000 for the Nissan. Is it worth that?
Big opening.
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl