With more than 275 000 units sold in South Africa, the Nissan 1400 half-ton Bakkie has become an iconic symbol of the South African motor industry – the popular 1400 Bakkie ended its 37 year stint in South Africa with a limited run of 150 Heritage Edition models.
The Nissan 1400 Bakkie has stood strong as one of the most affordable vehicles on the South African market for the last decade. After almost four decades of production there are very few South African's who have not encountered the Nissan 1400 Bakkie in some shape or form. This became increasingly evident when Nissan South Africa received a flood of entries for its Heritage Edition competition held earlier this year.
Nissan called for South African's to submit their stories about the Nissan 1400 Bakkie on www.thelast1400.co.za, hundreds of nostalgic South African's submitted stories and images of the 1400 Bakkie and what it has meant to them.
The campaign proved to be a huge success with over 5000 hits on the website and more than 500 stories submitted. Nissan ran a similar campaign within its network receiving 49 entries.
The heart-warming stories had the judges laughing, crying and reminiscing about the good old days. It proved to be a difficult decision but in the end it was Sunel Bezuidenhout who walked away with the ultimate prize – the first of the 150 Heritage Edition 1400 Bakkies.
Sunel and her family inherited their Nissan 1400 Bakkie 17 years ago. "We have a mentally handicapped son Stephan (25 years old)," explains Sunel. "Every Saturday Stephan gets into the Nissan early in the morning and waits for his father. They spend the day in the bakkie, going to the dumpsite – together they look ready to take over the world."
While Stephan looks forward to Saturday's in the bakkie his 19-yearold sister, Tharien has the privilege of driving the bakkie during the week. "She has put a sticker on the back that says; 'sussie se bussie'," adds Sunel
"We received so many amazing stories from so many diverse and different characters but in the end it was Sunel's story that touched us the most," says Wilhelm Baard, General Manager of Light Commercial Vehicles at Nissan South Africa. "The Nissan 1400 Bakkie is such an important part of the Bezuidenhout's family life. Their story will now continue as they take ownership of the first of the 150 Heritage Edition Bakkies"
"The vehicle is a big part of our lives and has brought so much joy to our family especially Stephan. We would like to thank Nissan South Africa for giving us the chance to enter this competition and we are all looking forward to spending time in the Heritage Edition model," says Sunel.
Few are as fond of the Nissan 1400 Bakkie as those who work for Nissan South Africa, they are the ones that have seen firsthand the phenomenal and far reaching success of the 1400 Bakkie. With this in mind Nissan opened up the competition to its staff and dealer network. An unsuspecting Legal Assistant Jenny van Graan emerged as the clear winner, taking home one of the last Nissan 1400 Bakkies to come of the production line at Nissan's Rosslyn plant.
Jenny's story dates back to the 1980s before she began working at Nissan South Africa. The Nissan 1400 became a trusted friend and member of the family. From landscaping the garden to moving home or going on holiday the Van Graan family could always rely on their trusty steed. Though they eventually parted ways Jenny will always hold fond memories of the 1400 Bakkie.
"I am thrilled to have been chosen by my colleagues as the winner of one of the last 1400s," says a delighted Jenny. "Our original 1400 Bakkie played such an important part in our lives when we were a young family in the eighties. We are now looking forward to having the 1400 Bakkie back in the family."
But while the Nissan 1400 Bakkie will be missed by many, the Nissan NP200 is already impressing in the Light Commercial Vehicle segment with strong sales and positive reactions from the media.
"We are excited to now be able to offer loyal Nissan customers a worthy successor that will not only cater to the specific needs of the business sector but will offer the added appeal as a leisure vehicle too," concludes Vinod Thomas, Product Manager at Nissan South Africa.
Sunel Bezuidenhout's winning external story: Happiness
We inherited our 17 year old Nissan bakkie in 2000 from my father-in-law. He preferred to go to the Kruger National Park in his bakkie rather than his car. My husband always wanted a bakkie and he was very sad when his dad died, but – he got a Nissan bakkie!
We have a mentally handicapped son, Stephan (25 years old) who weighs only 30 kg and my husband Stef is a man of 120 kg and 1.92 m tall. Picture the two of them in the Nissan next to each other – big and small with their "snorre" and smiles.
Every Saturday Stephan gets into the Nissan early in the morning (of course he will test the hooter many times while listening to the radio) and waits for his dad to do all the loading onto the bakkie to go to the dumpsite to dump stuff.
My husband is a big man and does not get into the bakkie, he puts it on. The look on Stephan's face when they leave for the dumpsite is to die for and Stef also looks very proud. It looks as if they are going to conquer the world, like two brave soldiers in their Nissan Bakkie. Nothing can stop them. After a whole Saturday of hard work and lots of dust the bakkie gets washed and then it is time for my daughter Tharien, 19 years old, to take over.
The moment dad and brother get out, she gets in. When she got her licence we had to get her a car. She suggested that she would like to use the bakkie BUT the canopy had to go so that it would look cool. She put a sign on it that reads "sussie se bussie". During the week the Nissan goes to shopping malls to shop, goes for manicures, pedicures and facials. It also goes to the gym (now and then). Next year it will go to university.
Of course, I am waiting for the new Nissan Bakkie, but for now this Nissan bakkie can take the good during the week and the tuff on Saturdays, and is the pride and joy of the family and a very lucky little Nissan Bakkie
Jenny van Graan's "Goodbye to you, my trusted friend" that made her the internal winner
We purchased our Trusted Friend in the early 1980s – she was almost brand new ….. so exciting!!
We then enhanced her image by adding a canopy & placing a thick, covered foam mattress therein for our two young sons.
Our Trusted Friend helped us build our first house & landscape our garden (see photos attached hereto).
Our Trusted Friend also took us on many holidays & travels across our beautiful country. Our two sons were thrilled at the prospect of being able to play, fight & scream at each other, whilst in transit! We would merely shut the inter-leading, sliding window - which thankfully separated weary parents from fighting children, when such need arose!
Then, one day, a dear friend (now sadly departed) asked us if she could borrow our Trusted Friend to help her move house, to which we (somewhat reluctantly) agreed. What we would do for our friends, hey!!
Later that same evening we were sitting outside, watching the sunset, when we heard a dreadful sound approaching – similar to a helicopter landing on our roof! To our utter amazement, we saw our Trusted Friend being carefully driven towards us, being dutifully returned to her rightful owners. When we questioned the strange sound emanating from the engine, our dear friend said "….. but this is a bakkie, & I thought bakkies were supposed to sound like that"!!
Upon closer inspection & many questions, we were told that a light had appeared on the dashboard earlier in the day (a warning, indicating that there was no water in our Trusted Friend's radiator) but our dear, unassuming friend continued driving to & fro until all her furniture & belongings had been moved into her new house, after which she politely returned the bakkie to us! She was so thankful.
I had, meanwhile, just commenced employment at Nissan South Africa in the late 1980's & made enquiries regarding the 'sick' condition of our Trusted Friend. We received the unwelcome diagnosis of a 'seized engine' after which we decided to part with our Trusted Friend. We all learn by our mistakes, don't we?
One of my NSA colleagues at that time, immediately showed interest in & ended up purchasing the bakkie, with seized engine & all, for the same amount as what we'd paid for her a few years earlier (the purchase price), & that after us having driven our Trusted Friend for a good few years! This goes to prove, that the reliable & Trusted Friend (& all her family members) was indeed a true friend to all & was always in demand, no matter the condition it was in.
I have written an ode, sung by one of those 'lost recording artists of the '70s' – "Seasons in the Sun" – first written in the mid 60's & then recorded in around '74 by Terry Jacks, to which there have been many adaptations since …..
Adios to you, my Trusted Friend
We've known each other since only God knows when
Together we've climbed hills & slopes
Reached our dreams & met our hopes
Don't know how we would have coped.
Adios my friend, it's hard to 'die' …..
The model's ended, I really don't know why.
Now that Spring is in the air.
Apprehension is the game
Things will never be the same.
We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the hills that we climbed
These just had to end sometime.
All our lives we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the end was in sight …..
We just couldn't win the fight.
Unfortunately, being a motor manufacturer, designer & builder we need to at least run along with, (or even better still, ahead of) technology ….. not walk behind it - & so we say goodbye to an era of building B140's, which many of us will remember fondly.
Our Trusted Friend was "simply the best ….. better than all the rest" !!
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