BARCELONA – Some vehicles mark a turning point in the history of a brand. This is undoubtedly the case with the Patrol, the first Nissan vehicle manufactured in Europe.
In 1983, Nissan began making Patrol in Europe at its Zona Franca factory in Barcelona, the company's first plant on the continent. During the next 18 years and until 2001, 196,000 units of this emblematic vehicle rolled off the production line.
Patrol opened the way to manufacture more SUVs and pickups at the Zona Franca plant, which continued in 1993 with the Nissan Terrano II. The Barcelona plant produced 375,000 units of this model until May 2005, giving way to the launch of the Pathfinder and the first version of the Navara pickup.
"The Nissan Patrol is a real source of pride for Barcelona plant," said Genís Alonso, vice president at Nissan Motor Ibérica. "The journey we began with this flagship model for our company continues today in our pickups, which combine the legacy of 4X4 vehicle manufacturing with the finest cutting-edge technology."
Patrol was such a success that in 1988, one out of every two SUVs sold in Spain was a Nissan Patrol, and the model's market share in Spain stood at 52%. Patrol was exported throughout Europe and also across the rest of the world to countries such as Angola, Argentina, New Caledonia, Tanzania and Uruguay. It even took part in the 1987 Paris-Dakar rally with the Nissan Patrol Fanta Limón model.
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A new range of pickups – heirs of Nissan's 4x4 tradition in Spain
Nissan Pathfinder and the Navara were manufactured at the Barcelona factory until July 31 2015 when they gave way to a new generation Navara. In 2017 two more pickups, the Renault Alaskan and the Mercedes-Benz X Class, were added to the roster.
The new pickup range saw €80 million invested in Nissan Barcelona plant, including the renewal of Line 2 at the factory. Designed following IFA (Integrated Factory Automation) principles in both the body shop and final assembly areas, the modern facility enables high productivity levels supporting improved quality, cost and flexibility.
Spanish plants have produced 3.7 million vehicles since Nissan's industrial operations kicked off in the country. With this new range of pickups – Nissan Navara, Renault Alaskan and Mercedes-Benz X Class, plus global exports of the e-NV200 – the Barcelona plant is showcasing its capabilities within the Alliance.
Did you know?
- "Do you work at Nissan Patrol?" or "Do you work at the Patrol?" were common questions used to refer to Nissan Motor Ibérica.
- The Zona Franca plant manufactured four different Patrol models, the last of which was made only in Barcelona.
- The first Spanish-made Patrol had registration number B-FN and its frame number was 0000010.
- The first Nissan Patrol model had round headlamps and removable disc rims without ventilation holes, like truck tyres from the period. Also odd was the fact you put it into first gear by moving the gearstick backwards.
- The Patrol was the first Spanish 4X4 vehicle and one of the first in Europe which used adhesive markings on its body which until then had not been seen on many cars.
- The UN used Nissan Patrols in numerous peace missions.
- Over 37,000 Nissan Patrols are still on the roads.
Contact
Albert Rodríguez
Tel. 608294887
Albert.RodriguezHorta@nmisa.es
Juan Monzón
Tel. 696627593
Juan.MonzonViedma@nmisa.es