After the end of the Second
World War the occupying forces, along with the Japanese government, faced
the huge task of rebuilding the war ravaged country, as well as restarting
the economy. The country needed trucks to help rebuild, and rather than
simply import trucks for the task the decision was made to increase production
in Japan's motor industry, which would supply the vehicles needed as well
as provide jobs and stimulate the economy.
Nissan were already building trucks of their own design,
but there was a need to have trucks that could traverse rougher terrain,
and Nissan's answer to that need was the Nissan Carrier, though the design
was not all Nissan's handiwork. In the United States in 1950 the Dodge
M37 four wheel drive truck went into production, which was to replace the
Dodge WC series that was used during the war. The M37 was a troup carrier
that was also to be used as a flat bed all-terrain truck. As part of the
aid package to rebuild Japan, Nissan were given the rights to build a vehicle
based on the Dodge M37.
Nissan's version of the M37 was to be called the 4W70, and
would be sold as the Nissan Carrier, though the Carrier name never appeared
anywhere on the vehicle. Whilst the Carrier was definately based on the
Dodge, it wasn't a complete copy. It utilised a chassis that was basically
the same, but instead of using the Dodge mechanicals it instead used the
running gear from the newly released 4W60 Nissan Patrol four wheel drive.
The engine used was the 3670cc 6 cylinder NAK series Nissan engine, which
developed 75hp, 3hp less than the Dodge T245 engine used in the M37. It
also used the 4WD system from the Patrol.
Visually the 4W70 was very similar to the M37, but there
were several differences. Most obvious was the grille, which was much narrower
on the Nissan. The front guards on the Nissan were flat at the top and
tapered downwards towards the back, whereas the Dodge guards curved downwards
at the front.
In the about 1955 some changes were made to the Carrier,
and the new model was called the 4W72. (No 4W71 was built) The new model
featured the new 3960cc NC series engine, which gave it a big power increase
from 75hp up to 105hp. It recieved a new bonnet design that was more curved
at the front, and also had a raised bonnet bulge at the front. The 4W70
had a pressed steel grille with ten rows of horizontal slots, the 4W72
had a grille which consisted of eight vertical steel bars. The front guards
now slope downwards slightly at the front, and the headlights are set slightly
closer to the ground.
At the end of the decade another new model was released,
the 4W73. This model received the new P series engine from the 60 Series
Patrol, which was a 3956cc OHV engine that produced 125hp. This model had
a more rounded bonnet design, and a grille that has a small recess at the
top.
A small number of 4W73s were purchased by the Indian military
in the early 1960s, and eventually a deal was done where the 4W73 was build
under licence in India and sold as the Jonga. |
A 1955 sales brochure for the Carrier 4W72
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1951
Nissan Carrier 4W70 Specifications
Length - 3730mm
Width - 2045mm
Height - 2355mm
Wheelbase - 2800mm
Weight - 2690kg
Top speed - 89kph
Transmission
Floor change 4 speed |
Engine
Specifications
Model - NAK
Capacity - 3670cc
Bore & Stroke 82x114mm
Power - 75bhp@3200rpm
Torque- 152ft/lb@1600rpm
Compression - 6.4 : 1
Carburettor - Hitachi Solex
40PH single throat down draught
Final drive - 4.09:1 |
Engine Specifications
Model - NC
Capacity - 3960cc
Bore & Stroke 86x114mm
Power - 105bhp@3400rpm
Torque- 195ft/lb@1600rpm
Compression - 6.8 : 1
Carburettor - Hitachi Stromberg
VC-45 single throat down draught
Final drive - 4.09:1 |
Engine Specifications
Model - P
Capacity - 3956cc
Bore & Stroke 86x114mm
Power - 125bhp@3400rpm
Torque- 210ft/lb@1600rpm
Compression - 7 : 1
Carburettor - Hitachi Stromberg
VC-42-1 down draught
Final drive - 4.09:1 |
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