The rare 1989 Nissan Sunny B12 Estate 'draws crowds at every car show', according to owners Maia and Mike EganIn the world of old cars, you can still encounter self-appointed experts who like to decree that formerly popular mass-produced vehicles could never be true classics. The success of events such as the Hagerty Festival of the Unexceptional suggests otherwise and Maia and Mike Egan's 1989 Nissan Sunny B12 Estate was a star of the 2025 Fotu event. It is also believed to be one of only two on the road in this country.Mike Egan observes that this B12 is "the only one that is unmodified, still running its original engine and with steel wheels. The simplicity of no power steering, no electric windows and no central locking complements the 'sea of brown' interior and 'washing machine white' exterior. We just love it and regularly feature it on our YouTube channel, Old Cars New Van".Not that the B12 lacked comfort, for who could fail to be impressed by its "twin interior adjustable door mirrors, tailgate wash/wipe, quartz digital clock, adjustable cloth head restraints, four-speed heater fan and carpeted luggage area"? Nissan immodestly claimed: "It comes with everything because we think of everything" and that the latest Sunny offered the buyer "outstanding reliability".This B12 has no power steering, no electric windows and no central locking componentsIt was this element of the Sunny Estate that most appealed to its target market; suburban motorists in Ever Decreasing Circles-style housing developments. There was nothing to startle the owner, from its 1.6-litre single-overhead-camshaft engine to its resolutely conventional lines. The B12 was as sensible as a pair of Mr Byrite slacks.AdvertisementAdvertisementAs for rivals, the B12's £8,869 price in 1989 meant it competed against the Ford Escort Mk4 1.6L Estate at £8,801. The Vauxhall Astra Mk2 1.6L Estate for £8,911 was another B12 rival, while the £9,186 Citroën BX RS16 Estate was probably too radical for the average Nissan buyer. Other alternatives were the Fiat Regata 85 Weekend for £8,764 and the Mitsubishi Lancer 1500 GLX Estate for £8,799.The B12 was never marketed on its performance, but it is 'easy to drive and keeps up with modern traffic'Nissan launched the original B10-series Sunny in 1966 as its rival to the Toyota Corolla. The Japanese firm dispensed with the Datsun brand name for the UK market in 1983 and launched the sixth-generation B12 Sunny in 1985. The design of the latest model was not well-received, so in 1986 Nissan decided to rename its N13 Pulsar saloon and hatchback stablemates as the Sunny for the UK market.To ensure the line-up was as complex as an Alfred Hitchcock film plot, Nissan also imported the B12 Estate, which meant it rather stood out in the 20-model line-up. Yet, despite its ultra-conventional nature, the Sunny Estate represented a mild revolution in the new car market. When Nissan imports began in 1968 under the Datsun brand, "one of those foreign cars" would spark dark mutterings at the village Post Office, yet by 1989 the Sunny was virtually part of the motoring landscape.The interior of the B12 – believed to be just one of two left in the country – is described as a 'sea of brown'Nissan replaced the B12 with the B13 in 1990; the UK received a Sunny-badged N14 Pulsar. Maia saw this example for sale in June 2024: "We couldn't believe the opportunity and travelled 140 miles the same day to buy it. The typical reaction to our Sunny Estate is one of incredulity. It draws crowds at every car show we go to, simply because they don't exist any more. The B12 was a disposable, throw-away car and people's mouths literally open in amazement to see one again."AdvertisementAdvertisementThe B12 was never marketed on its performance. Maia says: "Despite its basic specification, it is easy to drive and keeps up with modern traffic. The 1.6-litre engine produces about 90bhp, which in a car that doesn't weigh much is plenty. The B12 does have a five-speed gearbox, which is about the only luxury."Spares are inevitably a challenge with such a rare model and Maia says: "Many parts are unique to this model. We have nightmares about picking up a crack in the windscreen, as replacements for such things are unobtainable. But using the internet, one can cross-reference part numbers. Who knew the ignition system had many parts in common with a 1.8 Ford Sierra?"And the "Self-Appointed Classic Car Police" will probably never understand that yesterday's mundanity seems fascinatingly obscure a few decades later. A B12 Estate belongs to a remote time of grey briefcases and provincial video libraries, with the Betamax section gathering dust. Not to mention a tailgate "lifting easily on gas-filled struts" as a major sales feature.We use the fascinating howmanyleft.co.uk for figures of surviving examples but some cars present more of a challenge than others, so the figures are rarely authoritative. Some pre-1974 records were lost before the DVLA centralised the process, while some cars have their model type misnamed on the V5 registration documents. A further issue is the omission of the exact model name or generation, or distinction between saloon and estate bodystyles.Try full access to The Telegraph free today. 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