Coalescing EV technology with heritage style, the Nissan Leaf-Powered Bluebird Restomod celebrates 35 years of production at the Sunderland plant in North East England. Much like the Hyundai Heritage Series Grandeur Restomod, the one-off car – dubbed the ‘Newbird’ – places an electric drivetrain used in the Nissan LEAF into a 1986 Nissan Bluebird, the first car off the factory’s production line at the time.
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To transform the Bluebird into a Newbird, Nissan removed the original petrol combustion engine and gearbox and installed a LEAF motor, inverter, and 40kWh battery back, splitting the modules of the latter between the hood and boot for optimal weight distribution (though at the cost of storage space). Modifications were also made to the power steering, braking, and heating systems to allow them to be electrically powered, while a custom suspension was installed to support the additional weight of the battery packs. The fuel gauge has been swapped out for a battery level and the car is recharged through the original fuel flap, which provides access to the charging port, with the battery able to be recharged at up to 6.6kW.
The exterior of the Newbird retains the classic silhouette, adding in LED taillights and an LED backlight on the bonnet badge. Created by Nissan Design Europe, the colourful graphics adorning the Nissan Newbird take their design cues from ‘80s consumer technology with a 21st-century twist. Although the Nissan Newbird is a fun retro restomod, don’t expect it to compete with the big players out there: the Newbird goes from 0-100km/h in 15 seconds and has a full charge of around 209km.
“The ‘Newbird’ represents all that is great about our plant – past present and future – as we celebrate 35 years of manufacturing in Sunderland,” said Alan Johnson, vice president of manufacturing at Nissan Sunderland Plant. “We have a rich heritage of building great cars, right from the original Bluebird model, and our fantastic team is now leading the way as we drive towards an exciting electrified, carbon-neutral, future.”
The Newbird celebrates 35 years of the Nissan Sunderland plant, initially opened in September 1986. Over the years, the plant has manufactured over 10.5 million cars, beginning with the inaugural Bluebird Job 1. Looking to the future, Nissan is aiming to be fully carbon neutral by 2050 and solely offer electric vehicles by the early 2030s.
Words by Theo Rosen
