Among the hybrids, EVs and new SUVs at PAPS 2026, one of the most photographed cars on the floor was more than fifty years old. A 1974 Datsun 120Y, covered almost entirely in Pakistani coins, stopped visitors in their tracks.
Its creator, car collector Tariq Javed, says around 33,000 coins went into the project. Here is how the coin-covered Datsun came together, and what comes next.
| Car | 1974 Datsun 120Y |
| Coins | About 33,000 |
| Denominations | Rs2, Rs5, Rs10 |
| Face value | Around Rs105,000 |
| Adhesive | Around 20 kg of silicone |
| Creator | Tariq Javed |
Figures as stated by the creator.
How Many Coins Are on the Datsun 120Y?
Javed says the Datsun 120Y carries roughly 33,000 coins in Rs2, Rs5 and Rs10 denominations, with a combined face value of around Rs105,000. That works out to an average of a little over Rs3 per coin, which suggests a mix weighted toward the smaller Rs2 pieces.
Holding them in place took, by his account, around 20 kg of silicone adhesive. He puts the extra weight at around 160 kg a figure that fits the numbers, working out to just under 5 grams per coin.
For a small 1970s car, that is a significant load. Added weight on a vehicle this age puts more strain on suspension, brakes and tyres, which is part of why a project like this is more display piece than daily driver.
What Is the 1974 Datsun 120Y?
The 120Y was a compact Japanese family car of the 1970s, part of Datsun's Sunny line the kind of simple, economical sedan that put a great many families on the road. That ordinariness is exactly what makes the transformation work: a plain, practical car turned into something nobody could walk past.
Who Built the Coin-Covered Datsun?
Tariq Javed is a car collector and enthusiast, and the Datsun is not his first project of this kind.
He previously completed a coin-covered Chevrolet Camaro in Dubai. The Datsun brings the idea home and swapping a modern American muscle car for a 1970s Japanese sedan, covered in Pakistani currency, gives the second project a distinctly local character.
The Datsun 120Y at PAPS 2026
Auto shows are built around what is new, so a fifty-year-old car stands out almost by default. Covered in coins, the Datsun 120Y became one of the talking points of the Pakistan Auto Show 2026.
It made an unusual contrast with the rest of the floor, where the focus was firmly on the future the new cars in Pakistan 2026 launched with prices, plug-in hybrids such as the Haval H7 PHEV at PAPS 2026, and sporty trims like the Hyundai Tucson N-Line at PAPS 2026.
Is It Heading for a Guinness World Record?
Javed says he intends to pursue a Guinness World Record for owning two coin-covered vehicles the Camaro and the Datsun. That is an ambition, not a confirmed record: nothing has been officially awarded, and Guinness applies its own verification process before recognising any claim.
Final Thoughts
The coin-covered Datsun 120Y was a reminder that car culture is about more than specifications. Tariq Javed says it carries around 33,000 Pakistani coins worth roughly Rs105,000, held on with about 20 kg of silicone — and he now has his sights on a Guinness World Record for his two coin-covered cars. Whether or not the record comes, it was one of the most memorable things at PAPS 2026. Every car has its own personality, and yours deserves the same care.
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