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.
| Nissan Gobi | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Designer | Bruce Campbell (1990)[1] |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Compact pickup truck (concept) |
| Body style |
|
| Layout | FR layout / F4 layout? |
| Related | Nissan Hardbody |
Design
editBruce 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[update] the Gobi concept was stored in the basement of the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, near Nissan North America headquarters.[8]
References
edit- ^ Rechtin, Mark (20 March 2000). "Nissan's Hirshberg lays down his pen". Automotive News. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
- ^ "Nissan's Campbell Retiring as U.S. Design Head". Wards Auto. 11 March 2010. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b Gromer, Cliff (September 1990). "Dream Haulers". Popular Mechanics. p. 34. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
- ^ a b Doo, Jack (25 February 1990). "Nissan hopes concept truck will appeal to women buyers". Santa Cruz Sentinel. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Nissan Kills Plan for Gobi Pickup". Orlando Sentinel. Autoweek. 9 August 1990. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
- ^ Chappell, Lindsay (25 January 2014). "Concepts keep coming, but historic autos are a chore to store". Automotive News. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
External links
edit- "Nissan Titan Truckumentary" Chapter 1: Our Truck History on YouTube. Gobi is shown starting at 3:14.
- Butterworth IV, W. E. (February 1992). "Creating Cars". Boys' Life. pp. 32–37, 57. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
- "What a Concept! Nissan's Helicopter-Like Gobi Embodies Fun, Practicality". Nissan News. February 1990.
- Motavalli, Jim (6 June 2016). "Inside Nissan's Hidden, Wacky Heritage Collection". Car Talk. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
- Schuon, Marshall (15 April 1990). "About Cars; Some Expensive Toys at the Auto Show". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
Gobi is on the show's lower level with the rest of the trucks (and the Batmobile), and it is world-class cute. Its originator, Jerry Hirshberg, is vice president of Nissan Design International, the Japanese manufacturer's American studio in San Diego, and he was stuck in traffic when he came up with the idea for a truck that looks like a bubble-bodied helicopter.