Minneapolis Street Sighting: Nissan Sentra XE hatchback

In an ode to forgotten Japanese cars this week, I would like to present a car that had a significant impact on my youth; for whatever reason, I was always intrigued by this little hatchback. Sure, the two-door sedan and the four-door were more common, but the three-door hatchback and five-door wagon (at least I think there was) boggled my little mind. At the age of three or four, I was not quite ready for the concept of variations of a theme; in the automotive world, that means a wide range of bodystyles. This was a new concept for me, and I think seeing the Nissan Sentra three-door hatch was the first time I recognized that cars were not always sold in one bodystyle.











This generation of the storied (well, okay, that's pushing it) Nissan Sentra made its US debut in 1986. Like many of Nissan's naming structures, the XE stood for the middle trimline; included in the XE package were full-faced wheelcovers (the hubcaps you see here), a heater, and A/C. On the hatchback, the XE added a rear wiper, and "side panel protector bars'; I'm assuming that means the ugly black rubstrips in the center of the doors to reduce parking lot mishaps.
Contrary to many Japanese vehicles manufactured before 1995, this example of the oft-forgotten 1980 Sentra is in impeccable condition. The paint glistens (as much as white can, anyway), and all the badges (stickers, really) are there just as the factory intended. Even the quite ghastly stock hubcaps are not only present, they're in very very pristine condition--something almost unheard of on 90% of my streeet sightings that do indeed wear hubcaps. Inside, the story was the same. All stock interior in great shape for its age; no seat wear, no visible hard wear on the steering wheel, and even the center console looked to be in remarkably good shape. Either this little XE has been treasured from day one, or it's a very lucky craigslist find just waiting to be eaten alive by a clueless owner.
I don't really like this bodystyle very much, but it sure did make an impact on a (very) young me. And that alone, is reason enough for me to care about it.