Sado 1200

The Datsun 1200AX was a small commercial utility vehicle made in Thailand. It was a type of van with a bench seat and A12 power. It came in minivan, microbus and cabover pickup styles, apparently based on the C20 Sunny Cab. It was also made in Portugal as the Datsun Sado.

Overview

In June 1977 Nissan announced that they would introduce a new BTV (Basic Transportation Vehicle) for emerging nations.

File:1200AX van front.jpg

The Datsun 1200AX was specially designed for unskilled and primitive assembly facilities from kit form.

File:1200AX van side.jpg

The vehicle was a light commercial, powered by the proven A12 engine, and designed for a variety of body configurations, ranging from cab-over truck to microbus or delivery van. Siam Motors built the Datsun with locally-produced body panels, batteries, tyres, upholstery, glass and trim parts.

Press Release

File:1200AX press release.jpg File:1200AX press release 2.jpg

It appears to be based on the C20 Sunny Cab:

• Full frame chassis

• B10 style front suspension (tranverse leaf)

• Engine access by lifting up the front seat

• Datsun 520-style steering wheel

• B110 gauges

Datsun Sado

The 1200AX was also made in Portugal as the Datsun Sado. Because over 60% of the vehicle was locally produced it was considered a domestic vehicle rather than an import and so had a price advantage over imports. It was named after the Sado River in Portugal. Code named 'AX', the Datsun Sado was assembled in the Entreposto Warehouse Group plant on the banks of this river Sado.

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This vehicle should not to be confused with the Sado 550, a later city car with Daihatsu running gear. It is sometimes incorrectly called by the Datsun name; it has no Nissan parts. Its only relation is it was another project by Entreposto.

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Competitors

In the BTV space

Toyota TUV from South Africa (this one has been retrofitted with A14 engine)

File:Tuv.jpg

1973 General Motors BTV

Nomad

AX Photos

File:I297 11.jpg File:1979.jpg File:1979 287554.jpg File:1979 1323890556 291278747 1-Fotos-de--Datsun-Sado.jpg File:1980 1314187156 180276473 1-Fotos-de--Datsun-sado-Diesel-1000-euros.jpg File:15606231 1.jpg File:15606231 2.jpg File:17103778 1.jpg File:1274297248 94390989 1-Fotos-de--Datsun-Sado-1274297248.jpg File:1274297248 94390989 2-Datsun-Sado-Sangalhos-1274297248.jpg File:1274297248 94390989 3-Datsun-Sado-Carros-1274297248.jpg File:1274297248 94390989 4-Datsun-Sado-Carros-motos-e-barcos-1274297248.jpg File:1295792658 160320931 1-Fotos-de--Datsun-Sado-1982-Diesel.jpg File:1295792658 160320931 2-Datsun-Sado-1982-Diesel-Viseu.jpg File:1295792658 160320931 3-Datsun-Sado-1982-Diesel-Carros.jpg File:1295792658 160320931 4-Datsun-Sado-1982-Diesel-Carros-motos-e-barcos.jpg File:1300060168 177086830 1-DATSUN-SADO-milharado.jpg File:1300060168 177086830 2-Fotos-de--DATSUN-SADO.jpg File:1300060168 177086830 3-DATSUN-SADO-Mafra.jpg File:1300060168 177086830 4-DATSUN-SADO-Carros.jpg File:1300060168 177086830 5-DATSUN-SADO-Carros-motos-e-barcos.jpg File:1300060168 177086830 6-DATSUN-SADO-Lisboa.jpg File:1300060168 177086830 7-DATSUN-SADO-Portugal.jpg File:1300060168 177086830 8-DATSUN-SADO-.jpg File:1300060168 177086830 9-DATSUN-SADO-.jpg File:1300060168 177086830 10-DATSUN-SADO-.jpg File:1300060168 177086830 11-DATSUN-SADO-.jpg File:1300060168 177086830 12-DATSUN-SADO-.jpg File:1300060168 177086830 13-DATSUN-SADO-.jpg File:1300060168 177086830 14-DATSUN-SADO-.jpg File:1300060168 177086830 15-DATSUN-SADO-.jpg File:1300060168 177086830 16-DATSUN-SADO-.jpg File:1300060168 177086830 17-DATSUN-SADO-.jpg File:1300060168 177086830 18-DATSUN-SADO-.jpg File:1300060168 177086830 19-DATSUN-SADO-.jpg File:1300060168 177086830 20-DATSUN-SADO-.jpg File:1314187156 180276473 2-Datsun-sado-Diesel-1000-euros-Coimbra.jpg File:1314187156 180276473 3-Datsun-sado-Diesel-1000-euros-Carros.jpg File:1323218032 288870363 1-Fotos-de--datsun-sado-1200.jpg File:1323218032 288870363 2-datsun-sado-1200-Granja-Nova.jpg File:1323890556 291278747 2-Datsun-Sado-Coimbra.jpg File:1323890556 291278747 3-Datsun-Sado-Carros.jpg File:1325104042 295276604 1-Fotos-de--Datsun-Sado.jpg File:L 1305287226 pc164700.jpg File:L 1305287234 pc164701.jpg File:L 1305287242 pc164702.jpg File:L 1305287252 pc164703.jpg File:L 1305287261 pc164704.jpg File:L 1305287269 pc164705.jpg File:L 1305287277 pc164706.jpg File:L 1305287285 pc164707.jpg File:L 1305287292 pc164708.jpg File:L 1305287300 pc164709.jpg File:L 1305287329 pc164711.jpg 

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