Would You Buy This Car For $3,000?

What would you say if we could offer you a brand new Nissan for just $3,000?  Just about everyone we know would say something along the lines of “Where do I sign up?!”

Well, we have good news and bad news.  The good news is that Nissan is actually planning on making this a reality by reviving their Datsun model from the 1950s.  The bad news is that in order to realistically bring the cost of the car down to that level, just about everything has to go.  And when we say just about everything, we aren’t just talking about handy features like electronic locks and windows.  We really are talking about just about everything.

Start by throwing out anything electronic, and then scrap the air conditioner.  Then add broadcloth seat fabrics, a two-cylinder engine, and forget about automatic transmission.  After that, it’s time to get rid of some of the safety features that are standard on nearly every car under the sun.  This includes anti-lock brakes and stability control.  Also, throw out that strong emissions control; this car is not going to be environmentally friendly.

So in the end, the revival of the Nissan Datsun might not be the most luxurious car.  But it was never meant to be luxurious, only affordable.  We can’t wait to see the prototype.