Nissan Figaro
If you’re the kind of person who loves retro style in every respect, the Nissan Figaro could be your perfect car. It’s a tiny, funky looking run around that’s actually quite modern underneath the old school bodywork. Cute, friendly and cuddly, it’s still holds massive appeal and is easily one of the quirkiest cars of recent times. You’ll really stand out from the crowd, and that’s not a bad thing.
Despite Nissasn’s intention to only produce 8000 for the Japanese market, demand quickly became overwhelming and over 20,000 ended up being made for sale around the world. A ‘one off’ that was released in 1991, the Figaro was essentially a Nissan Micra with different bodywork, and that gave it some modern motoring prowess beneath the old school designs. The loud colour schemes are a hallmark of the model, and only 4 were available- Emerald Green, Lapis Grey, Pale Aqua and Topaz Mist. The tiny 2 door auto also had a convertible roof, that made it particularly wonderful cruising around in summer.
The Figaro was designed to look like the Datsun Fairlady from the 1960s, and it really does. Very stylish in appearance, there are so many wonderful features that it would take weeks to describe them all in detail. From the hubcaps to the front headlights, the fantastic wing mirrors and the sexy rear end, everything is brilliant. Inside it’s very well designed too, with some spongy leather seats, an awesome radio console and numerous old school knobs and buttons. It is comfy although not very practical, but that’s not why you’d buy it.
To drive it’s relatively nippy due to the small size, and the 1.0 litre engine can motor along with zeal. It’s not fast and it’s not refined, but you do get something that’s perfect for city driving (where it’ll get the most attention), and can take on back roads too. Light steering and a relatively firm ride make it rather inane, but you wouldn’t really think about taking on motorways or speedy situations. Overall it supplements the classic designs well.
While you’ll catch a glimpse of this car now and again on British roads, the truth is that it’s very rare as not many were send to the UK in the first place, and those that were are either in the hands of collectors or the original owners. This isn’t the kind of car you’d buy and then sell on. However some people clearly did make the sacrifice because there’s a decent selection available second hand here at Motors.co.uk. You’ll pay next to nothing for a used Nissan Figaro due to low prices, and can also be confident it’ll be in a good state thanks to a impressive approach to quality.
At the end of the day, driving should be an experience and there are too many ‘similar’ cars around these days that dilute it somewhat. The Nissan Figaro is definitely an individual with its flamboyant retro design and loud colour schemes. While not the best car to drive, it’s great around town and loves to garner as much attention as possible. For fans of the swinging 60s, there’s nothing better!