The new model was announced earlier this year

The company said production of the Micra C+C marked a �95m investment in the Wearside plant, bringing total investment there to �2.1bn.

It is hoping to sell 20,000 of the coupe/convertible model a year.

In February, Nissan announced it was building its new family car, called the Qashqai, at the Sunderland plant, safeguarding 1,000 jobs.

The C+C features a folding glass roof, which is being produced by specialist German supplier Karmann GmbH.

The German firm has set up a "factory within a factory" at the Nissan plant.

Dr Christian Rennert, from Karmann, said: "For reasons of quality control and speed of manufacture, we have established a dedicated production facility within the Nissan plant where we will run two shifts a day and employ up to 50 people."

Nissan Sunderland plant managing director Colin Dodge said: "Nissan has never built a convertible car in Europe before and I'm delighted that our plant has been given the responsibility, and the challenge, of producing the C+C."