1999 Nissan Pulsar for Sale and a Brief History

Yesterday we talked about Nissan’s newly unveiled revived Nissan Pulsar hatchback. Set to go on sale in Europe before the end of this year, the new Pulsar will be a premium-feeling family hatch. However, what you might not realize is just how much the new Pulsar embodies the vision of the old one. As it turns out, there are several original Nissan Pulsars up for auction in Japan, so we pulled one up to show you where the new car got its roots:

Pictured above is a 1999MY Nissan Pulsar. The original Pulsar launched in Japan all the way back in 1978 as a five-door hatchback with front-wheel-drive. The car was also known as the Cherry or Sentra in some international markets, while it was branded under the Datsun marquee in others like Australia. It was distinguished from same-class hatchbacks by its longer-than-normal nose, which Nissan envisioned would eventually allow for a sedan variant, as seen in the 1999MY Pulsar above. And, just like the new version, it originally shipped with two relatively small engine options – a 1.2L with 70hp and a 1.4L with 85hp.

The Nissan Pulsar made its way into Europe when its second generation debuted in early 1982, but the car really hit its prime 10 years later when its fourth-generation launched in 1990. The car continued to thrive throughout the ‘90s, particularly in Australia and New Zealand, although it never made it into the US. During its heyday, Nissan even developed a performance version by the name of the Nissan Pulsar GTI-R.

The Pulsar finally died in 2000 when it was replaced by the Nissan Sylphy. Still, the Pulsar name has been intermittently applied to various Sylphy models in Australia and Asia since that time, probably because of the old marquee’s popularity in those regions.

Today’s Japanese car auction find is a 1999 Nissan Pulsar from the car’s fifth generation, chassis number N15. As you can see, this particular vehicle is in decent condition (except for the oil leak) with only 67k kilometers on the odometer. Both the interior and exterior have an above average rating; the interior is graded a B and the overall rating is a 4.

Looking a little bit more over the auction sheet (pictured below) we can see that this is a Nissan Pulsar sedan, model CJ-I, which used Nissan’s GA15DE engine with an automatic transmission. This is a 1.5L petrol engine with dual-overhead camshafts (DOHC) and electronic fuel injection, capable of producing 104hp. This is one of the largest and most powerful engines a non-performance Pulsar ever saw.

You can probably tell that this 1999 Nissan Pulsar was never meant to be flashy, but it is highly functional. It became so beloved by Australia and New Zealand because of its staunch reliability, making it a great car for those who just want something simple with four wheels. Best of all, Pulsar models like this one typically go for around 33,000 Japanese Yen auction price, which is about $325 USD. You definitely can’t beat the price.

If you’d like to learn more, feel free to check out the auction sheet below, along with our full auction sheet overview below that:

Here is the translation:

“Interior B, no exterior condition grade, first registered March 1999, CJ-I Limited model, AT, AC, power steering, power windows, ABS, airbag, stone chips in front windscreen, interior grime, wheels scratched, engine oil leak, scratches and dents, has spare wheel with 10/10 tread, frotn wheels have 4/10 tread, rear wheels have 5/10 tread, other marks as per map”