Nissan Patrol: How a Great 4x4 Became Number Two

The Nissan Patrol has spent most of its history in the shadow of the Toyota Land Cruiser. Yet at different times it was cheaper, more powerful, technically more ambitious, and on some markets even more successful. In this video, we follow the Patrol from its origins in early postwar Japan through the 60, 160, Y60, and Y61 generations, its success in Australia, Spain, Africa, and the Middle East, its surprising absence from the U.S. market, and its long rivalry with the Land Cruiser. We’ll also look at the Patrol’s Dakar history, the legendary TD42 diesel, the troubled ZD30, and the moments when Nissan actually managed to put Toyota on the defensive. So why did the Land Cruiser become the global icon, while the Patrol remained the great number two?