A motoring icon in the Middle East celebrated its 70th birthday at <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/expo-2020/" target="_blank">Expo 2020 Dubai</a> on Monday in a flurry of drumming, music, lights, and enough dry ice to camouflage an army. Yes, the <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/motoring/2021/09/30/road-test-2021-nissan-patrol-nismo-lives-up-to-the-hype/" target="_blank">Nissan Patrol, the region’s most popular car</a>, really is a septuagenarian. Not that you’d think so though, looking at the perky 2022 version, but it has had a lot of upgrades over the years. Under a spectacularly lit <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/expo-2020/2021/10/21/inside-the-nerve-centre-bringing-expo-2020s-majestic-al-wasl-dome-to-life/" target="_blank">Al Wasl dome</a>, the structure at the heart of Expo 2020, the event took place before an audience of hundreds of invited guests. Exhibition visitors were also drawn towards the spectacle, dubbed The Story of the Conqueror, when things got under way, with the opening drumming demonstration proving a particular draw. In a keynote speech, Nissan’s chief operating officer Ashwani Gupta said the event marked a “historic moment”, a celebration of the company’s longest-running nameplate. And all that before a special 2022 Patrol 70th Anniversary model was ultimately revealed. The latest version to the line-up features the obligatory commemorative badge, as well as enhanced design and technology elements that raise it above the standard vehicles. It joins the Patrol’s more well-established Nismo and Super Safari special editions. Nissan also took the opportunity to nudge in a plug for its new Pathfinder model. The Patrol’s history stretches back to 1951, with a model based on the US army stalwart the Willys Jeep. It has been through six generations since, with the latest versions unsurprisingly bearing little resemblance to their ancient ancestors. As part of ongoing celebrations around the 70th anniversary of the vehicle, Nissan has also launched a new project to recognise those who have played their own personal role in the SUV’s legacy. Entitled Patrol Legends, the platform, on TheNissanNEXT website, features stories and pictures uploaded by drivers and passengers that form part of a global initiative underlining the role of those who have sat behind the wheel of one of the millions of Patrols that have found their way onto the world’s tarmac, sand, and soil. Nissan is the Official Automotive Partner of Expo 2020. Watch a video from the event below:
