Second-hand Sense: The three-year-old boy who recently managed to buy himself a Nissan Figaro on the internet showed an impressive degree of prescience. Motors readers may recall the story of the boy who, on discovering his mother's computer switched on and connected to E-bay, went through the entire process of buying the car for over £9,000 before his mother discovered what she and her husband had apparently let themselves in for. Fortunately for them the seller saw the funny side of it all.
The boy proved himself a shrewd judge of cars indeed, ignoring more ordinary choices and opting for one of the dinkiest small cars around. Other fans include Eric Clapton, Chris Rea and Jonathan Ross. There are some, but not many, in Ireland because the car was only ever sold on the Japanese market where it was produced to appeal to young customers who, like many Japanese people, are consumed with icons of the past (anyone who has ever seen an Elvis gathering in a public park in Tokyo will know exactly what I mean). The cars sold in Ireland and the UK are right-hand drive models and all are imported from Japan.
The Figaro first emerged at the Tokyo motor show in 1989 and went into production in 1991. It is a convertible with styling cues taken from virtually every important car of the past, but it is in reality a Nissan Micra in clever disguise. The engine is a 1.0-litre turbo version of the Micra engine, the gearbox is a three-speed automatic and it was only ever produced in four colours - Pale Aqua, Topaz Mist, Emerald Green and Lapis Grey.
The roof folds down into the boot area to reveal an interior that is impressive in its retro authenticity and also in its finish. The car was made with leather upholstery, has a CD player and the top of the dashboard, the horn button, the seating piping and the carpet all match the colour of the exterior, whatever your choice is.
I have to confess to not ever having driven one but I have spoken to one woman who says it is very pleasant to drive and she has had no problems with the car. "It's more to do with the cute looks than the way it drives," was her verdict. There are no recalls listed for the car but that is not to assume there have never been problems. Any car imported from Japan has been subject to some of the biggest traffic jams in the world, so it would be important to have such a car checked over very carefully before parting with your money. These cars originally sold for about €15,000 in 1991 and they have not dropped that much in value since.
Apart from Figaros available on sites such as Carzone in Ireland there is a UK company called Figs4u.co.uk that specialises in importing them from Japan. This company claims to provide cars with low mileage, fully serviced (with new cam belts), the radio/CD checked, the air conditioning system refurbished, a new roof (a good idea given the fact that the car is 15 years old now), leather upholstery refurbished and all bodywork in "A1 condition".
In Ireland there is a number for sale on the internet. One car with 31,000 miles on the clock is for sale for €11,500, while another with 53,000 miles is for sale for €12,000. "Breaks my heart to sell", says the owner. With a car like this you take your chances but sometimes the heart will rule the head, n'est-ce pas?
FOR: A fun car that stands out from the crowd.
AGAINST: Those who are not in touch with their feminine side won't even like the colours, never mind the car.