Nissan didn’t just follow the retro design trend—it created it for the modern automotive industry. While today’s automakers cautiously dip their toes into nostalgia, Nissan dove headfirst in the mid-1980s with the Be-1, a Micra-based hatchback that initially baffled Western critics but became a sensation in Japan. The company is now revisiting this strategy with a retro-styled EV inspired by the Renault Twingo.
The Birth of Retro: A Japanese Obsession
In 1985, Nissan unveiled the Be-1 at the Tokyo Motor Show. Autocar dismissed it as “cheeky ugliness,” yet the Japanese public swarmed the exhibit, clamoring for the car with cries of “kawaii” (cute) and “hoshii!” (I want it!). This wasn’t just a case of quirky design catching on; it tapped into a unique cultural moment.
The very concept of “retro” was still new, having only recently entered the English language. In Japan, however, vintage aesthetics held a powerful appeal, especially among younger generations who saw classic cars like the Mini as aspirational symbols. This demand was so high that Nissan had to run a lottery to allocate the 10,000 build slots for the Be-1, despite its mechanically identical but pricier base.
The Pike Factory: A Retro Revolution
Nissan fully embraced the momentum, establishing the “Pike Factory” team responsible for the Be-1’s design. This led to the 1987 debuts of the Pao and S-Cargo, two more Micra-based models with deliberately exaggerated retro styling.
The Pao aimed to evoke a 1940s jungle explorer vehicle, featuring a minimalist metal dash, old-fashioned switches, and even map satchels on the seatbacks. The S-Cargo, named after the French word for snail, was a playful nod to the Citroën 2CV, pushing retro aesthetics to the extreme.
“Cute, weird, fun—they’re all adjectives that apply to the S-Cargo’s ‘retro’ styling, which is so completely over the top that you can’t help but fall for it.”
The Legacy of Mr. Be-1
Behind this unconventional success was Isamu Suzuki, known internally as “Mr. Be-1.” As the general manager of Nissan’s Product Planning and Marketing Group Number Four, he championed these designs against conventional industry wisdom.
Nissan’s early embrace of retro wasn’t about market research or calculated risk; it was about responding to an undeniable cultural craving. This willingness to defy expectations set the stage for the industry’s eventual adoption of vintage-inspired aesthetics, proving that sometimes, “cheeky ugliness” can be a winning formula.
