Everything You Need To Know About The Weird And Wonderful 1989 Nissan S-Cargo (2024)

In the contemporary automotive world, most stories revolve around horsepower, torque, acceleration, towing capacity, and whatnot. There are also those shiny new EVs to show off with their range and tech. But, as exciting as the new levels of design are — and they truly are — we've somewhat gotten used to cars being, well, the best they can be. What happened to the good old fall-outs from the mainstream?

Before the 2000s, we dare say, there were all kinds of wonderfully unexpected scenes to be seen in the automotive market. Just ask Nissan. If any non-standard vehicle should get a medal, it should be the 1989 Nissan S-Cargo. Looking literally like something a two-year-old would draw, this van (van!) was born to be a delivery vehicle in urban areas during the late '80s and '90s. How successful was it? We'll let you judge that.

Let's see how the 1989 Nissan S-Cargo came to be in the first place, and explore it in more detail. Make no mistake, we love this little snail made for the road.

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Bring On The Weird-Small-Car Craze: How The 1989 Nissan S-Cargo Came To Be

Even the most knowledgeable car enthusiasts may not know that the 1989 Nissan S-Cargo was not the first unconventional small car to come from this iconic Japanese brand, which we know for the likes of the Skyline R34, the GT-R, and many more. Yet, Nissan made quite a sensation in 1985 when it presented the BE-1 concept at the Tokyo Motor Show.

The Nissan BE-1 concept was essentially a micro retro-styled hatchback that bore some features of the Micra. Unexpectedly, the crowd at the Tokyo Motor Show freaked out about this mini experiment, and the concept sold out at record speed. So, what do you do when you have such a hot-selling product? You make more of those, of course.

Nissan saw this craze about the BE-1 concept as a perfect opportunity to introduce its other already developed concepts. The Pao was pretty much the variation of the BE-1 and also based on the Micra. Then, there was the Sentra-based van, and finally, our favorite, the S-Cargo. They all debuted in 1989 at another Tokyo Motor Show.

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Presenting The 1989 Nissan S-Cargo In Detail: As Simple As It Gets, Only More

The 1989 Nissan S-Cargo is unmistakably a small (teeny-tiny) van, although, upon first look, one can easily mistake it for a hatch. When it rolled out, the van became super popular for its snail-like styling, which is actually part of its name. Toyota borrowed the French word "escargot," which means snail, shortened it, and added it to the word "cargo." Hence, the beautifully accurate name.

With two headlamp pods in a place where we would expect a grille, a short and low hood for increased visibility, and completely flat sides, the 1989 Nissan S-Cargo was a small box on wheels. Add to the picture a super rounded roofline, and you get a tiny home.

All jokes aside, the 1989 Nissan S-Cargo is a unique automotive achievement. Like the design or loath it, one just has to praise the bravery of Nissan to introduce such a tiny van to the rapidly expanding market. The 1989 Nissan S-Cargo had nothing of the power or sporty looks to brag about, yet it attracted a lot of attention back in the day. One simply has to admire that.

Both inside and outside, the 1989 Nissan S-Cargo was as simple as a car can be. Under the hood, the van had a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine paired with a three-speed automatic transmission. It could develop about 70 horsepower, which is maybe more than preferable for a car of this size, and a top speed of 75 mph (speaking of living on the edge). Everything else was stripped to a minimum, starting with the interior.

An instrument panel with a speedometer, a steering wheel, a few buttons for air conditioning, and that's about it when it comes to the 1989 Nissan S-Cargo's interior. Although, we should mention that the flat instrument panel was a smart option, as it allowed for storing more belongings in such a small cabin. Behind the front seats was a minimalistic rear cargo area with a capacity of 660 pounds at max for hauling goods — a primary goal of this diminutive van.

Can You Still Buy The Wonderfully Weird 1989 Nissan S-Cargo Today?

Now, the most important question of all. Can you find the 1989 Nissan S-Cargo for sale today? The answer is yes, you most definitely can. Although produced in limited numbers only from 1989 to 1991, the 1989 Nissan S-Cargo still hits auctions and dealerships, much to everyone's delight.

You can find your perfect little snail-shaped van for a price between $10,000 and $20,000. Are you surprised with the tag? The 1989 Nissan S-Cargo is, after all, a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. Although, we would prompt you to double-check the regulations regarding the van, considering safety requirements were much lower in the 80s and 90s than they are today.

Sources: Nissan, Hemmings