Nissan Already Teased The Perfect Retro Frontier. So Where Is It?

The 2023 Nissan Frontier is a pretty solid truck that's now under threat from a barrage of other new midsize pickups. There’s a way Nissan could defend its territory, though. That’d be by emphasizing its analog, classic-truck character—maybe by bringing on those retro styling packages that it designed, but never bothered putting on sale.

Back when the Frontier was still new, Nissan showed off a bunch of concepts for custom takes on what'll soon be the only truck in its lineup. A couple of them revisited the styling of classic Nissan and Datsun pickups, notably Project 72X and Project Hardbody, paying tribute to the Datsun 720 and D21 Hardbody respectively.

Headlining the 72X were its white steelies and sport bar, replicating a look popular on 1980s trucks. The reimagined Hardbody, on the other hand, had custom-milled triangular alloy wheels, plus classic graphics and a bed-mounted spare. Both setups would make for great option packages, especially with how slim the Frontier's wheel selection is.