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Press Reviews
Press Reviews are always revealing (although sometimes more about the writer than the car), we offer a couple below.
Nissan Figaro: Rust-free retro chic with celebrity style
For cuteness and power, this ticks all the boxes, says Elizabeth Skerritt
Published: 04 October 2005
It is a dream of mine to own a vintage car. But not just some old banger that
doesn't require road tax any more; I want something with a bit of personality.
One day I will, when I live near some country lanes along which I can drive it
and have a garage to keep it in so the rain doesn't rust the paintwork. Isn't
that always the story?
Well, maybe it doesn't have to be. Walking along the street the other day I
came across something rather smart, a very cute soft-top car with muted
paintwork and curvaceous Fifties lines. At a glance you would swear it was
from that era. In fact it was a 1991 Nissan Figaro. You don't see many in
this country: fewer than a thousand were imported.
There are two things that have added to the Figaro's profile. One is that it
seems to have acquired a bit of a celebrity following. Vanessa Feltz once
said, "If I had to consider something else, I think it would be the number
22 bus, because there isn't another car as perfect as this." And on its
release the car was 10 times oversubscribed.
Here's a bit of history: Nissan wanted to develop a car to compete with a
booming American market that wasn't just seen as Japanese and
functional, but which, according to the press release in February 1991,
would "allow owners to enjoy a delicate feeling of stylish elegance in
everyday life".
Only 20,000 Figaros were built, between May and September 1991. It was
declared that "a lottery will be held in the event the number of orders
exceeds the planned sales volume". Some 250,000 orders flooded in for
the little car that went on sale in Japan for ¥1,870,000, about £8,000 at
1991 rates.
It is not really surprising then that Figaros still sell in the UK from £5,000
to £10,000, depending on condition, colour (some, such as Topaz Mist
are rarer) and spec.
Former celebrity owners are said to include Eric Clapton, Frank Skinner
and Athina Roussel. The model Nancy Sorrell says she has her
husband, Jim Moir, the comedian Vic Reeves, to thank for her
introduction to the Figaro.
"He came home one day and said he had seen this car that would really
suit me," she says. "It was love at first sight! I think some people suspect
that it is not as satisfying to drive as it is to look at, but it's great.
"I like to drive automatics, but it is a turbo and you are not struggling on
the motorway - you are there. As soon as it's sunny the roof comes down,
and despite having all the mod cons built in, the interior doesn't let the
car down as it is based on the styling of the 1950s Nissans."
Now, as every driver knows, you can't move for idiots that get a kick from
running a key down the side of your car or, in my case, throwing a brick
through your windscreen at 3am, so it seemed a little risky to leave this
little gem parked with such careless abandon. True, but the beauty of the
Figaro is that it is built around the chassis of the Micra. Parts are cheap
and most of them can be sourced through Nissan dealers, although there
are quirky extras, such as cup-holders and boot trays, which are highly
coveted and harder to find.
So, if you, too, hanker after a car from another time, with bags of personality
(and some modern luxuries thrown in for good measure), you can find more
information and a list of UK dealers on the fan-club site, www.figarist.com.
And, if pulling up at the lights next to Vanessa Feltz is putting you off, don't
despair, I hear she has now disposed of her Figaro!
Published: 04 October 2005
It is a dream of mine to own a vintage car. But not just some old banger that
doesn't require road tax any more; I want something with a bit of personality.
One day I will, when I live near some country lanes along which I can drive it
and have a garage to keep it in so the rain doesn't rust the paintwork. Isn't
that always the story?
Well, maybe it doesn't have to be. Walking along the street the other day I
came across something rather smart, a very cute soft-
from that era. In fact it was a 1991 Nissan Figaro. You don't see many in
this country: fewer than a thousand were imported.
There are two things that have added to the Figaro's profile. One is that it
seems to have acquired a bit of a celebrity following. Vanessa Feltz once
said, "If I had to consider something else, I think it would be the number
22 bus, because there isn't another car as perfect as this." And on its
release the car was 10 times oversubscribed.
Here's a bit of history: Nissan wanted to develop a car to compete with a
booming American market that wasn't just seen as Japanese and
functional, but which, according to the press release in February 1991,
would "allow owners to enjoy a delicate feeling of stylish elegance in
everyday life".
Only 20,000 Figaros were built, between May and September 1991. It was
declared that "a lottery will be held in the event the number of orders
exceeds the planned sales volume". Some 250,000 orders flooded in for
the little car that went on sale in Japan for ¥1,870,000, about £8,000 at
1991 rates.
It is not really surprising then that Figaros still sell in the UK from £5,000
to £10,000, depending on condition, colour (some, such as Topaz Mist
are rarer) and spec.
Former celebrity owners are said to include Eric Clapton, Frank Skinner
and Athina Roussel. The model Nancy Sorrell says she has her
husband, Jim Moir, the comedian Vic Reeves, to thank for her
introduction to the Figaro.
"He came home one day and said he had seen this car that would really
suit me," she says. "It was love at first sight! I think some people suspect
that it is not as satisfying to drive as it is to look at, but it's great.
"I like to drive automatics, but it is a turbo and you are not struggling on
the motorway -
car down as it is based on the styling of the 1950s Nissans."
Now, as every driver knows, you can't move for idiots that get a kick from
running a key down the side of your car or, in my case, throwing a brick
through your windscreen at 3am, so it seemed a little risky to leave this
little gem parked with such careless abandon. True, but the beauty of the
Figaro is that it is built around the chassis of the Micra. Parts are cheap
and most of them can be sourced through Nissan dealers, although there
are quirky extras, such as cup-
So, if you, too, hanker after a car from another time, with bags of personality
(and some modern luxuries thrown in for good measure), you can find more
information and a list of UK dealers on the fan-
despair, I hear she has now disposed of her Figaro!
