It brings to mind the Citroën 2CV, Renault 4, Mini and Fiat 500. One of the best retro concepts I've seen.
Retro - before retro became modern.
I remember when it was introduced in 1991. At that time I myself drove a modern Nissan. I imagine 1991 must have been a good year for the Japanese car brand. The cars here at home, the Micra, Sunny, Bluebird and Laurel did not appear particularly exciting. Lots of plastic and thin metal. You could probably say that Nissan at the time sold well despite its appearance. But I can confirm that the cars started and ran regardless of the weather - and were just as tight and fine after driving around the world a couple of times.
Could have sold many more
Nissan had attempted retro projects a couple of years earlier. Pao and the van concept S-cargo (pun based on "escargot" - snail in French). None of these were very successful, at least not outside Japan of the time. Then the Nissan Figaro appeared. Like its predecessors, I believe it was a project earmarked for the Japanese market. Left-hand drive cars were never made, and I don't think Nissan could - or cared to supply enough cars to meet the demand. They could have sold many more than the 20.000 that were produced during the one year the car was in production.
Japanese with British features
I read about the car in the British car magazine Car. I expected them to be critical of Figaro and ridicule it. They didn't. The motoring journalist, who drove it in Japan, liked it – obviously. Figaro is a very grateful photo subject and decorated the pages of the glossy car magazine. I think perhaps it was Figaro's British-inspired design that made the difference.
Rare bird
The Nissan Figaro was actually imported and sold in the UK. The price was just under £10.000, about the same as a Nissan Sunny 1,3. But the Nissan Figaro never became an everyday sight. Before now, - now the retro car has become a vintage car. In a few hectic pre-Christmas days in London, I discovered no less than four copies in excellent condition. I posted pictures of them on Instagram under the hashtag #whencarsmatchplaces. Rarely have I seen any car that matches the classic buildings of London's West End, Knightsbridge, Kensington and Notting Hill so well. Come to think of it, a Nissan Figaro would decorate any city street in the South of France and Italy, too. But given the fact that Nissan only built right-hand drive cars, the Figaro is less interesting for continental Europe and Scandinavia. I read that there should be approximately 10 registered cars in Sweden. One car is mentioned in Norway. It had Østfold plates - but it is currently deregistered in the vehicle register. Hope it hits the road soon!
Sales advertisement on Finn.no
Micra-based
Based on the Nissan Micra mk1, the Nissan Figaro is very much a drivable car with durable and modern mechanics. The engine is a 1,0 liter turbo engine with 76 horses. There was probably no regular Micra engine in Europe. In any case, I can't find any trace of this engine in contemporary Micra's, but the engine is considered to be very reliable - like everything else from Nissan at the time. Undercarriage, wheel suspension and brakes must be identical to the Micra.
Hobby car
The Figaro is decorative, drivable and an easy object to maintain and refurbish. It is rare and guaranteed to attract attention. That makes it well suited as a hobby car - a car to shine up and go to car meets with. An alternative to newer 2CV or Renault 4. Prices are between 12.000 and 16.000 Euro. If you take care of it, you will probably get the same for it when you sell it.
Facts
Drive:
Engine: 1,0 liter turbocharged petrol engine, 76 HP, 106 Nm at 4400 rpm
Engine code: MA10E-T
Gearbox: 3-speed automatic
Weights and Measures:
Net weight in kg: 810
Length, width and height in cm: 3,74 / 1,63 / 1,37
Wheel size: 165/70R12
Number of seats: 2+2
Description:
2-door cabriolet with folding roof. The same principle as i.a. Citroen 2CV and 500C. The driveline and undercarriage are taken from the Nissan Micra mk1. Standard equipped with automatic transmission and power steering. Interior retro design with, among other things, white leather seats, Bakelite knobs and retro-inspired instruments.
Colors:
According to the brochure, the car was produced in only four colors – one for each season. These are as follows:
Emerald Green, Pale Aqua, Lapis Grey, Topaz Mist
The interior and the fold-down top are always in white.
Pictures
Click on a picture to see it full size!
YouTube: "Fifth Gear" mentions the Nissan Figaro.
Things to watch out for: The soft top cover can shrink and crack. It costs £250, but the worse thing is that moisture can then get into the seats. The radio units are unreliable. They can be fixed for £300. The engine is very reliable, but watch out for blue smoke. It may indicate that the turbo is broken. It costs £650 to fit a new one. The video is from 2012, so expect higher prices today.
And at the time, Japanese design wasn't exactly something to travel miles to see. Why did this never come with European spec?
It was never intended to go into full production. It was shown at the Tokyo Motor Show, those who were interested in the car at the fair could sign up and then "winners" were drawn who were given the opportunity to buy the car, which was produced in limited numbers. Nissan's main message at the time was that they too could make nostalgic cars and that they should take the time to do so. The Japanese car industry had been in a hurry to focus exclusively on market share and quality in mass production, they had "forgotten" to make classics. This was Nissan's realization and the Figaro thus represents the sum of what they should have done from 1950 until the end of the 89s. If you look closely at the lines, you will see this throughout the car's design. To also make it future-oriented, little Figaro also got equipment that was not quite common in all cars from 1991, Automat, Servo, electric windows, electric antenna, leather seats, AC, and not least beautiful white leather seats.