Nissan Pulsar

The Pulsar was a compact car designed by the Japanese automaker Nissan. The Pulsar had an impressive run; spanning no less than five generations of designs and having been offered to the public from 1978 until the year 2000. While the flagship name of this model has been discontinued, the name "Pulsar" is still used to brand several similar vehicles in Asia and Australia.

The Pulsar was originally designed as a utilitarian hatchback; primarily for families and those who wished to drive an economy car (this had much to do with the end of the gas crisis of the 1970s). The appeal of the Pulsar originally was found in its simplicity of design and due to its nearly universal appeal, the Pulsar made its place into both the European and the American marketplaces. However, the name "Pulsar" was often replaced with other versions. An example of this can be the Datsun 310 model which was heavily marketed in the latter part of the 1970s throughout the United States.

As mentioned previously, the span of five different generations led to many modifications in the design of the Pulsar. Some of the most noticeable were changes in the number of doors that were available (up to five doors were made optional) as well as a more streamlined appearance that was characteristic of cars throughout the 1990s.

While the name has officially been retired, newer 2013 models of the Pulsar can be seen in the Nissan Sylphy and the Tiida variants that are quite popular in many Asian countries.