[Auto] The Nissan Patrol Coulda Been a Contender (to the Land Cruiser)

[THē-GHōST]

 

It's really a shame that the Nissan Patrol wasn't sold in America after 1969—at least, technically. These Jeep-like vehicles were first offered by Nissan in 1951 and have continued to be very capable and po[CENSORED]r vehicles across the globe through to today's sixth-generation. Unfortunately, the U.S. missed out after 1969, so it's considered a very rare Nissan in the States. Fortunately, one is coming up for sale at the 2023 Mecum Auctions Kissimmee on January 4-15, 2023. The first generation of the Nissan Patrol was built in 1951 and called the 4W60. It looked very much like a Willys Jeep, and much of it was copied from the Willys CJ-3B, including its iconic flat front fenders. It was only sold through Nissan's Japanese dealerships with the 3.7 liter NAK I-6 engine, the same one used in its 290 bus. Just like the Willys, it featured a part-time 4WD drivetrain and four-speed manual transmission. It would eventually spawn a two-door pickup and fire truck versions, but there was also the Nissan Carrier known as the 4W70 that was based off a Dodge M37 chassis and using the 4W60 engine and drivetrain. Both it and the 4W65, now named the Patrol, would eventually use a version of the Nissan P engine that would be found in the next-generation Patrol, the 60 Series. The 60 Series began production in 1959 for Australia with the 86.6-inch short wheelbase (SWB, 60) and the 98.4-inch long wheelbase (LWB, G60) and as right-hand drives. LHD models sold outside of the country, like ones sold in North America, were designated L60 and GL60 but were otherwise similar in design and powertrains. Unfortunately for North America—specifically Canada and the U.S.—the Nissan Patrol was only available from 1962 through 1969, but that did include the KGL60 hardtop that was offered in 1963. Although they were sold by Datsun dealerships, the Patrols were branded under the Nissan name, making them (along with 100 1960s Nissan Cedrics) the first models sold under the Nissan banner until the 1980s. There was also a super-long-wheelbase version known as the H60, which was 110.2 inches long. Under the hood of these Patrols was the Nissan P40, a 123- to 143-hp 4.0-liter I-6 engine mated to either a three- or four-speed manual transmission with a part-time 4WD that operated each axle independently. The engine wasn't anything special, being a cast-iron block and head with bathtub-shaped combustion chambers, but it was used until 2003, most recently in the Spanish-market version of the Patrol known as the 260 Series, which was based off the third-generation 160 Series. There was also a version made just for fire-fighting trucks like the 1962 to 1966 FR40, the PF. The changes included using a better alternator and engine block heater, among other improvements.