Nissan Van C22 (Vanette)

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Nissan C20

The Nissan Van C22, also called Nissan Vanette, Nissan Sunny-Vanette, or Nissan Van, is a van produced by Japanese automaker Nissan since 1981. The Nissan C20 had a 2.0 liter four-cylinder gasoline engine while the C22 had a 2.2 liter. The passenger version is called the Vanette in most markets. While no longer produced for the Japanese market, it is still available in other markets around the world such as Malaysia.^[1] While it has had a few facelifts over the years, the basic van is still the same. The 1980s interior is still intact as can be seen on the Malaysian Nissan website referenced. It was introduced in 1981 as the , and exported as the Datsun C20 (later the Nissan C20) in North America and the Datsun Vanette (later Nissan Vanette) elsewhere.

Eventually, it was replaced by a version of the Mazda Bongo (or E-series), sold as the Nissan Vanette under an OEM deal.

[edit] Nissan Van in the United States

The Nissan C22 was modified for the United States market to compete with the similar sized Toyota Van, and to join the growing minivan market in the USA. This van was sold as the "Nissan Van" in the USA from 1987 to 1990. Nissan had to engineer its larger 2.4 liter engine into the C22 in order to handle American requirements such as air conditioning. The C22 was not originally designed for such a large engine, and the resulting tight quarters would later contribute to overheating and engine fire issues.

In 1994, after four safety recalls did not end the engine fire problems, and with a class action lawsuit pending,^[2] Nissan took the unprecedented step of recalling every Nissan Van sold in the USA. Van owners were offered blue book value or more for their van,^[3] and most accepted, but a few opted to keep their vans.^[4] Never before or since has an entire vehicle range been bought back by its maker. The vehicles which were recalled were crushed en masse.^[5]

[edit] In Popular culture

The two transformers characters Ironhide and Ratchet from the eighties toys,cartoons and comics, have the ability to diguise theirselves as Nissan Vanettes. Ironhide is a red vanette,while Ratchet is a white one with a siren,supposed to represent an ambulance.