Nissan Gobi

Nissan Gobi
Overview
DesignerBruce Campbell (1990)[1]
Body and chassis
ClassCompact pickup truck (concept)
Body style
LayoutFR layout / F4 layout?
RelatedNissan Hardbody

The Nissan Gobi was a concept pickup truck designed at Nissan Design International by Bruce Campbell under the leadership of Jerry Hirshberg. It was introduced at the 1990 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Design

Bruce Campbell[2] and Diane Allen[3] are separately credited with designing the Gobi concept.

The cab of the Gobi concept was influenced by helicopter design and was laid out asymmetrically with driver-oriented controls.[4] The concept was a styling exercise that was built on a shortened Nissan Hardbody pickup truck platform and could reach showrooms in 18 months, if approved. Hirshberg called it "an economical entry-level vehicle with the excitement of a sports car" although a Nissan spokesman noted it was engendering an enthusiastic reception among "women and young professional people [...] not as much by entry-level buyers."[5]

Storage bins on the Gobi concept were whimsically labeled for "stuff and things" and "odds and ends".[6] The glovebox is removable and can be worn as a backpack when detached, and the sides of the bed fold down to facilitate movement of cargo.[4]

The last showing of the car was in April 1990 at the New York Auto Show.[5] Plans to produce the Gobi were shelved in August 1990 as "production costs would exceed what the consumers would pay."[7] As of 2014 the Gobi concept was stored in the basement of the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, near Nissan North America headquarters.[8]

References

  1. ^ Rechtin, Mark (20 March 2000). "Nissan's Hirshberg lays down his pen". Automotive News. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  2. ^ "Nissan's Campbell Retiring as U.S. Design Head". Wards Auto. 11 March 2010. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  3. ^ Maynard, Micheline (23 September 2003). "The Challenger". The End of Detroit: How the Big Three Lost Their Grip on the American Car Market. Crown Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0385511520. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  4. ^ a b Gromer, Cliff (September 1990). "Dream Haulers". Popular Mechanics. p. 34. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  5. ^ a b Doo, Jack (25 February 1990). "Nissan hopes concept truck will appeal to women buyers". Santa Cruz Sentinel. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  6. ^ Lee, Patrick (6 January 1990). "Changing Concepts in the Auto Industry: Design: Show cars once were meant to be attention-grabbers at expos. But today, they may be a glimpse of what will be appearing on the highways". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  7. ^ "Nissan Kills Plan for Gobi Pickup". Orlando Sentinel. Autoweek. 9 August 1990. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  8. ^ Chappell, Lindsay (25 January 2014). "Concepts keep coming, but historic autos are a chore to store". Automotive News. Retrieved 23 January 2018.