The first Diesel to finish in the top 10 of the Dakar was restored by Nissan and returned to its natural habitat almost 30 years after the first Dakar.
There is no doubt that Diesels are relatively common engines across all terrain. Just look at the latest edition of the Dakar 2016, where Frenchman Stéphane Peterhansel was victorious driving the 2008 Peugeot DKR16, equipped with a V6 3.0 twin-turbo diesel engine. But it was not always so.
The first model to be able to prove the performance of a diesel engine was the Nissan Patrol in the 1987 Dakar. At the time, the Japanese model was equipped with a 2.8 four-cylinder engine with 148 hp of power, but it was the livery in tones of yellow and the sponsorship of Fanta that attracted the most attention.
Although it did not win the race, the Nissan Patrol – with the Spaniard Miguel Prieto at the wheel – finished in 9th place overall, achieving a feat that until then was not thought possible when driving a Diesel.
Since then, this rallycar has been aging all these years in a museum in Girona, Spain, but in 2014, after learning of the car's existence, Nissan bought it, sent it to the brand's technical center in Europe and started immediately working on a restoration project.
“The engine was in a sorry state, it was heavily corroded and wouldn't start. The front axle was also quite damaged, but the worst thing was the electrical circuit, because it had been consumed by the rats”.
Juan Villegas, one of those responsible for the project.
Fortunately, with the help of the original drawings and manuals, the Nissan team was able to return the Patrol to its original condition, but the project wouldn't be complete without a visit to the North African desert. You can see him in action in the video below: