Retro Fever: How Nissan Heritage Sports Car Revivals Are Driving Pop-up Nostalgia

Catch up with Retro Fever: How Nissan Heritage Sports Car Revivals Are Driving Pop-up Nostalgia. Read all about expert viewpoints in this concise summary.

Nissan did not reserve pop-ups solely for dedicated sports cars. In 1986, the brand released the second-generation Nissan Pulsar NX (sold abroad as the Nissan EXA). Designed at Nissan Design International in San Diego, California, under the direction of Jerry Hirshberg, the vehicle was an automotive multi-tool.

The car featured removable T-tops, a removable rear hatch, and an optional square wagon-back canopy known as the EXA Canopy. Drivers could transform the car from a notchback coupe into an open-air targa, a miniature sport wagon, or a quasi-ute pickup. Up front, tiny pop-up headlight pods completed the toy-like, geometric proportion.

The EXA Canopy represents an era of corporate fearlessness. Nissan was willing to tool specialized latches, modular seals, and electric headlamp motors for a front-wheel-drive commuter platform just to make it visually arresting. Surviving examples are exceptionally rare in 2026, often drawing larger crowds at Radwood lifestyle events than six-figure supercars.