23. Datsun 120/220
You may wonder why a Japanese brand is on an almost purely American list of significant pickups. This is because the Japanese had their share of innovations in truck design and construction. The first Japanese compact truck was the Datsun 120 introduced in 1955.
Immediately after the war, Japan needed light delivery vehicles. Most car companies started producing three-wheeled Kei cars and vehicles based on motorcycle technology. Those pickups were small, light and nimble, but they weren’t real trucks. So, in 1955, Datsun produced the 120, the first real compact truck.
Under the hood was a diminutive 860-cc engine delivering just 25 HP. The payload and towing capacity were not great, but by Japanese standards in the 1950s, the Datsun 120 Pickup did the job. For that reason, it was the first true compact pickup truck. After the 120 series, Datsun continued to produce small trucks. Today the compact truck market is huge, especially in Asia, Africa, and Europe, all thanks to this little pickup.