1982 NISSAN Micra 3 Doors 1.0L 4MT (50 HP)

Vehicle Overview

The first generation of the Micra, the K10 model, was launched in an era when the Datsun badges were still on some of Nissan’s vehicles. It was introduced to Japan market in 1982.

Nissan needed a car to compete against the Honda City and other Japan domestic market brands. The cubist design was initially for sale to the Fiat, but the Italian car-maker went for the project offered by Giugiaro. But for the Nissan board, the project looked very good. The car was introduced in the European market in 1983.

The Micra featured two square headlights with turn-signals on the outside. The plastic grille with horizontal slats was a new approach for the Japanese car-maker. The greenhouse and the raked C-pillar was in the trend of the new, hatchback, trend. The doors covered more than half of the cabin’s length and that was a big advantage, offering easier access to the rear seats.

Inside, the dashboard was flat and straight, with a rectangular shape for the instrument cluster. There were three dials on it: the speedometer, the coolant temperature, and the fuel level. A two-spoke steering wheel hosted the horn button in the middle. There were no power windows for comfort, and no air-conditioning either.

Under the hood, the 3-door Micra received a 1-liter engine offered with 50 hp or 55 hp, mated to a standard 5-speed manual. In 1982, that was a rare feature of a small car. In 1988, a 10.000 limited production series was powered by a supercharged and turbocharged engine that offered 110 hp. It was the quickest Micra ever produced, with a 0 to 100 kph (0-62 mph) time of 7.7 seconds.