Nissan Pao
A charming retro-design city car from Nissan's Pike Factory.
Made to order: your copy is researched, fact-checked, and typeset to our standard, then delivered within about two weeks. We'll email you the moment it's ready.
About the Nissan Pao
The Nissan Pao is one of the most charming products of Nissan's short-lived Pike Factory, the same skunkworks that gave the world the Be-1, the Figaro, and the S-Cargo van. Sold in Japan only for the 1989 to 1991 model years, the Pao wrapped a humble economy car in deliberately retro clothing: exposed door hinges, a fold-back canvas top on many cars, round headlamps, and a dashboard that looked back to the 1960s rather than forward to the 1990s. Nissan built 31,352 of them, and demand at launch was so strong that the initial run sold out through a reservation lottery in a matter of months.
Underneath the nostalgia is the thoroughly sensible mechanical package of the K10 March (Micra). That is a large part of the Pao's appeal to owners today: it looks like a boutique curiosity but drives, and is serviced, like a simple front-wheel-drive Nissan.
Specifications at a glance
| Years | 1989 to 1991 (Japan only) |
| Chassis | PK10, based on the K10 March |
| Engine | 1.0 L MA10S inline-four, carbureted |
| Output | about 52 PS (51 hp) |
| Transmission | 5-speed manual or 3-speed automatic |
| Layout | front engine, front-wheel drive |
| Production | 31,352 units |
Known issues to check before you buy
- Rust. This is the single most important inspection point on any Pao. Check the floors, sills, wheel arches, the tailgate, and around the canvas-top surround, where trapped moisture does its worst.
- Carburetor and vacuum lines. The MA10S is durable, but decades-old rubber vacuum lines and a gummed carburetor cause most of the running complaints. Budget for a carb clean and fresh hoses.
- Oil leaks. Valve-cover gasket seepage is common with age and cheap to fix.
- Pike-specific trim. Mechanical parts are shared with the March and easy to find, but the Pao's unique interior and exterior trim pieces are not, so buy the most complete car you can.
Owning one
A Pao is now old enough to import legally into the United States under the 25-year rule, which is a big reason values have climbed. Treated as what it is, a simple, light, slow, and genuinely happy little car, it rewards an owner who wants character over speed. This volume documents the exact specifications, the documented weak points, the service data, and the parts and community sources for the Pao specifically, not the wider March range.
Inside this volume
Known issues & a survey guide
The documented weak points for this exact model, how to inspect each, and what a proper fix costs.
Full specifications
Every published figure, engine option, and running change, with the conflicts flagged, not guessed.
Systems & maintenance
Electrical, fuel, cooling, and drivetrain, plus service schedules and torque and fluid data.
Parts & community
Where the parts are, what cross-references, and the clubs and forums that keep the model alive.
Make it your car.
We fold in your year, your engine and options, your refits and modifications, your VIN, and your own car's photo on the cover. The book stops describing the car that left the factory and starts describing the one in your garage.