Figaro Magnifico? The Nissan Figaro Story

[@BigCar2]

I missed an interesting part of the story in the 1990s and Patron Banpei has it here: www.banpei.net/tag/march-athon

[@misssummersalt]

It's videos like this that remind me of how glad I am to have found this channel oh so long ago. I doubt you will read this Mr. Car, but if by chance you do, I would love it if you could do one of these for the Toyota Sera. My other favourite quirky import ❤️

[@theblackhand6485]

Ever upload to soon. Always keep a copy. A clone. Record your voice separately just in case.

[@iatsd]

SO, the Daihatsu Gino 1000 next then? Japan went on t a bit of a 50's-esque binge in the 90's to early 00's.

[@hathaway.1166]

@@iatsd japanese mini, good looking car tho

[@im_not_rado]

3 of my favorite KZbinrs in 1 video? What is this, a crossover episode?

[@stevenkelby2169]

Needs more Jonny!

[@chefchaudard3580]

Including one that spent a lot of time to figure out how to color Christmas tree led lights so they look like lamps… And the thing is that some fools like me watched his videos and enjoyed them!😁

[@zogzoogler]

Just needs MrHewes and a tank + Rob Dahm with an RX7 and it would be all my favourites

[@joshuawilson7023]

I was literally thinking the same thing lol. Like who's been stalking my algorithm 😂

[@rinhato8453]

Crossover episode? Nah, that was the XC70 video from a few months ago

[@19sunbeamalpine67]

I first saw one of these at a car show surrounded by Mustangs, Camaros, and so on. The owner said I was the only person there who knew what it actually was. He was very impressed so I think I made his day.

[@GT380man]

Good for you and good for the owner. I also knew what these were and are, because a lady living near us had one and I made a point of finding out about it. I knew it was Japanese and wondered if it was a “city car”, having recalled they had rules about dimensions for coming into certain metro areas. It not for me, but it’s lovely.

[@19sunbeamalpine67]

@ I still see him whenever I go to a Cars and Coffee in the summer and he was invited to a Concours D’Elegance a few years ago.

[@Drunken_Master]

When I saw the title of the video, I instantly knew that Technology Connections would feature :)

[@JOY-ONE-24]

I was imagining Alec watching this!

[@matzemunz2827]

Absolutely. In fact, I just watched the Fan thrust video

[@igorzkoppt]

That's.... One of the most beautiful interiors I have seen in my life 😱 Why can't we have nice things like this anymore in ordinary cars ?!

[@SmallBlogV8]

Cost. Nissan had the money and confidence at the time to create totally bespoke switchgear for the Figaro - not a single March/Micra button in sight! Times are too desperate and uncertain for Nissan and any other similar marque these days to do something like that. I mean, Renault even fitted the brave Alpine A110 with HVAC controls from the Zoe EV and a media stalk seemingly from the 1990s...

[@Mr.pawahh]

Hyundai is slowly leaning towards 90s interior designs so yeah there's some hope

[@miskatonic6210]

It seriously is way way way too expensive. Nowadays you would need to produce spare parts for a model for years to come (and that's not a bad thing!) and when you can't use these parts in other models and volume models... This batch production really was a bad idea. You won't get important spare parts for these cars.

[@portland-182]

I was always reminded of Columbo's 1959 Peugeot 403.

[@68404]

A 403 convertible. Even rarer than the sedan.

[@shaneeslick]

Yeah that's where my brain goes to

[@MrDuncl]

In the comments of Doug Demuro's review people were suggesting the Gutbrod Superior. It is funny how1950s cars all looked the same. Imagine the reaction to concept cars like the Lamborghini Marzal when they were first shown. To me it still looks futuristic today.

[@reslider]

Bring...Back....These...Cars!!!!!

[@uzaiyaro]

Well, apparently Lexus is bringing back the LFA. Will that do?

[@JK061996]

The next Nissan Micra is going to have retro styling... as it will be a rebadged Renault 5

[@FunkStallion]

I always thought the Nissan designers had been binge-watching episodes of Columbo 😊

[@DGHodgson-o8z]

Yes, it reminds me of Columbo's Peugeot too, not as tatty though🙂

[@Roger_Ramjet]

😂

[@williammorris1384]

Thought exactly the same ! Exhaust fumes from the back cigar fumes out the front ! The Columbo car is still around ! Kept under wraps at a universal studios lot :)

[@simonhodges6084]

One of the two Japanese cars I own, the other is a MK1 MX5. Both in green and both classic looks with modern reliability.

[@TofersCarTales]

lol, I was thinking of Technology Connections the whole time and then he shows up! Perfect.

[@ve2vfd]

LOL! I saw the thumbnail I knew that had to be Alec's Figaro :) Nice to see Mr. Dunn's footage too! Technology Connections and Aging Wheels are some of my favourite channels.

[@jamesengland7461]

Same here!

[@dsdmtom]

A car that brings a great colab of various KZbin channels together!

[@torresalex]

I remember the Figaro launch soooo well. And it was only in production a year and it was a Japan exclusive. Yet it is way more famous than it should be. Truly remarkable

[@MrDuncl]

A car people cherish rather than scrap at the first major problem. I wonder how many have gone from the U.K. to the U.S.A. now they can be imported ? p.s. While we don't have a 25 year rule in the U.K. cars over forty years old are don't need road tax or safety inspections. I was looking through Autotrader and the majority of cars over that age were either MG and similar sports cars or Land Rovers.

[@hathaway.1166]

as it should be, this is a once in a lifetime product

[@DabDabGoose]

went to Japan last month, it's actually surprising how many Micra based Retro cars there are, I don't know what it's called but I also saw a classic Jag looking sedan on the same platform which was common too(saw a few that had it) edit: at 19:51 it was this lol, you would be surprised how common these actually were.

[@gerarduspoppel2831]

I think i have seen that car at a top gear episode

[@simeonyves5940]

Mitsuoka Viewt.

[@ColinHarvey78]

Love the Figaro - such a different and beautiful car…

[@edmundisanski982]

Every time I see one I stop and give it a look over. Always a smile!

[@neutronick]

both of my favorite KZbinrs together

[@megapangolin1093]

This is the sort of car we need to know more about. Something original, that someone actually designed to look like something, not everything else. Well done.

[@JeremySayers38]

You say that and then people go and buy a big crossover blob car.

[@AxeGaijin]

A video about the lovely Figaro? With a guest appearance of Alec from Technology Connections and a cameo by Roger from Aging Wheels? You spoil us Sir!

[@somenamelessdude8095]

The art deco window switches are are beautiful and the steering wheel looks like what dodge tried with the PT Cruiser done correctly.

[@austinpeterson4898]

Yay technology connections cameo! Glad you guys were able to come together on this video. Sure gave me a smile to see him on your channel.

[@BigCar2]

It took a while to come together, but it was very cool he did a bit for my channel.

[@austinpeterson4898]

@ you guys are two of my favorite channels on KZbin and I’ve been watching both of you for just about as long as you have been making videos and the one thing that bugs me is that you don’t have more subscribers than you do. You definitely deserve more. Especially for the quality of work that you put out on such a regular basis. I just want to thank you for all of the information you are able to compile and share with the community because I know if I appreciate it then others do too. ❤️

[@classiccarcub4368]

We’ve got two Figaro’s. The best cars we’ve ever had. Had them just over eleven years now. I’ll never be rid of them! No rust issues ever on either of them unfortunately, daily driven and kept outside and both with 180K miles on the clock. Cannot fault them! 😊

[@miskatonic6210]

The best cars you ever had? 😂 They barely qualify as cars. What was the competition?

[@classiccarcub4368]

@ that’s your opinion, the Figaro has been the only car that’s been kept by us, been reliable and worth every penny in restoration costs. We’ve had boring cars before like Corsa’s. Life was too short to have a boring car. We love em. That’s all that matters.

[@kaitlyn__L]

Did you get the odometer converted? Or am I taking “on the clock” too literally 😅

[@thomosburn8740]

I live in Atlanta and have test driven one of these in Nashville 260 miles north. Unfortunately the Georgia government in their infinite wisdom has banned Kei cars in our state, so you can own one but you can't title it or drive it on public roads.

[@patrickmartin3322]

The Figaro isn’t a Kei car though

[@pokeboi5438]

@@patrickmartin3322yup, based on the larger March/Micra

[@robertmyatt9177]

Thank you for doing the Figaro story . You done the car proud 😊. My wife has a pale aqua and loves the car sorry Figgy to bits . The Figaro Club is fab with great people .

[@MartyFox]

Very funny to see Alec in Robert’s garage using Andy’s camera set-up.

[@GT380man]

Mr Car, your love of all things automotive just flows out from the screen. Just keep being you.

[@MikeArott]

Come to think of it, I find the whole design and proportions of the Nissan Figaro very reminiscent of the Peugeot 403 convertible, which everyone will remember as Columbo's car, played by the late Peter Falk.

[@varsas10]

I always thought the Figaro looked like the Subaru R360, which also has the same kind of roof.

[@MikeArott]

The Subaru R360 looks more to me like a cross between the original Fiat 500 and the Messerschmitt KR200.

[@pasteldecocoa1754]

nissan should release these today as EVs, based on the leaf platform

[@darrenwilson8042]

Its funny my son who is now 28 is a massive Whovian. Just before the rebirth of Dr Who with Christopher Eccleston he heard several times the Supernaturals song Smile. He asked me what a Dalek was as it appeared in the lyrics and I told him and soon afterwards Dr Who came back and he was hooked. There were several spin offs one was The Sarah Jane Adventures in which the star the late Elizabeth Sladen drove a Figaro. So today over 15 years later whilst he knows its a Figaro he will always say when he sees one "oh look a Sarah Jayne car"

[@markallen5353]

One of the best you tube channels out there, always very informative

[@joaquimfonseca2047]

O FIGARO É UM CARRO QUE VENDIA BEM NOS DIAS DE HOJE....OS CARROS SÃO PRATICAMENTE TODOS IGUAIS HOJE EM DIA E O FIGARO ERA UMA LUFADA DE AR FRESCO...

[@staffy73]

So very nice to see my two favorite channels and hosts together!! What a great surprise!!! 😊

[@oliverbalogh8234]

I worked on many of these in the early 2000s. It would have been worth mentioning the Nissan Micra C+C Essenza which was meant to be inspired by the Figaro.

[@adriangoede7433]

Another great video & on such a deserving little ride. Like so many others, I fell in love with the Figaro from day one. Hopefully one day I'll have one or something from the Kei segment. There's so many nifty rides.

[@chris-townson]

Reminds me of the Daihatsu Copen

[@Bhaerts]

👌🏼 Thank you again. It is filling gaps in my knowledge. And I like the way you bring it. Have a nice Christmas.

[@AWMJoeyjoejoe]

One of my friends took a photo of one of these parked in the street and sent it me saying "look at this cool classic car!!" She was amazed when I told her it was a Nissan

[@haryadoon]

GREAT VIDEO! Please do one about Toyota's retro/future kei-car competitor, the Sera!

[@barron204]

The Nissan March Bolero, Rio, Tango, Rafeet also existed. I don't know if Nissan's retro phase influenced Subaru but the Impreza Casa Blanca also exists.

[@Noah_E]

Just looked it up and now I need to bleach my eyes.

[@JenniferinIllinois]

Aww, the Figaro is adorable. You just wanna go up and give it a big hug. 😁 Thanks for that @8:59. 🤣🤣🤣

[@peter455sd]

Some of these were imported to the US,pretty cool little car

[@paultucker1272]

Cars with character……..we need these now more than ever!

[@dietgilroy]

this car actually fooled me into thinking it was genuinely from the 50s/60s lol ❤️

[@Danger_mouse]

2:20 The Nissan March had an awesome range topper in Japan. The March Super Turbo! The world's first combination super and turbo charged production car. It had a 930cc 4cyl Super charged & Turbo charged homologation special engine made for racing and rallying in the 1.3 to 1.6lt class (930cc x 1.7 FIA super charger factor = 1581cc)

[@mpsw6937]

even the older march turbo with the quirky "dyno" steering wheel and the digital dash was cool, the body kit was really cool too, would love to see these covered someday in the future as k10s are being forgotten more and more sadly

[@theleftyboater]

I’d love to see a in-depth video about the PIKE cars, especially the Rasheen. Great video as always, thank you ❤️❤️

[@woofgbruk5947]

The 1st time I saw a Figaro I thought "What a gorgeous classic car,I wonder what make it is" then i saw the number plate and was confused as heck!

[@althejazzman]

Me too. With no obvious manufacturer's badge either.

[@JTA1961]

Continue to out do yourself. Much appreciated. Thank you.

[@BigCar2]

Thank you JTA!

[@Byzmax]

Great video and lovely to see Alex take a starring role. His channel is outsanding.

[@davidhinkson8856]

From an era when Nissan was truly creative.

[@andrewschildhauer2898]

I was fortunate enough to own a blue Figaro for five years. Yes it was relatively slow. Yes it was very small inside. But the smile it put on your face every time you drove it makes this car priceless. It never failed to attract attention with its head turning great looks. The radio/cassette units could be returned to the original UK supplier, for a hefty price tag, but the improved quality and new speakers were fantastic. They needed to be as the engine was quite noisy. Never missed a beat in five years. Sadly I sold it and if one were to come up I'd probably buy one again. They had a problem with the dash splitting if you left it in the sun too long. The speedo had to be converted from kms to miles. The seats had a tendancy to split along the deep cushion lines but the sense of joy far out weighed these minor niggles. A truely unique car the likes of which will never be seen again.

[@e28forever30]

Funny thing, there’s one driving around here in Belgium too, saw it last week! Brilliant episode, love Johnny and Alec too!

[@christopherrose7746]

I love the retro styling craze of the early 2000s, I've got a PT Cruiser and I love stuff like the Thunderbird and Chevy SSR, etc. So needless to say I've always had a passing interest in the Pike cars but never knew much about them. I had no idea they were from the 1980s, I'm absolutely blown away. It's crazy how they managed to make these cars simultaneously look retro and 15 years ahead of their time.

[@rockervdrive]

I missed when automotive design was so diverse and "bold?" Yeah, at the time these designs were controversial, but today I really appreciate how quirky they were. Especially in this current sea of homogenous modern car designs.

[@DrLoverLover]

no

[@ewan_clegg06]

When I was a kid, I used to love whenever I saw a Figaro, even though you never saw them by the early 2010’s. I was absolutely fascinated by them, and just thought they were so cool!

[@maciejcegowski657]

What a coincidence, I love your YT both channels ❤

[@robmortimer4150]

My 6 year old saw one the other week and was fascinated by it. He loves all sorts of cars, but the Figaro surprised him.

[@vitesh89]

From someone who really likes old Toyotas, I must say those Nissans look awesome man!, even better to think they have a city "a spec" car platform and drivetrain.

[@seanoneillsongs]

My son had one and loved it. His two boys were small and to them it was the Batmobile. That a while ago - they’re both well over 6 foot now. Quite a few came to Ireland- mostly spring’

[@tomomiko202]

I first noticed this car in 1992 in Tokyo (a few months after I arrived). Fell in love immediately. Wish I had brought one back to the USA. Another car of the same era similar to Rasheen was the Raum. It looked great. A bit too small for people with a lot of gear, but perfect for short trips, light camping trips, and daily driving. There is no shortage of excellent small Japanese vehicles and in particular small vans. Most of them would meet the needs of most Americans, but Americans are conditioned to want huge vehicles so finding buyers would be tough.

[@JongiB96]

Never in a million years would I have expected a collab between Technology Connections and Big Car... but, here we are!

[@wertywerrtyson5529]

OMG I was thinking this is the car that the guy at Technology Connection has and then he shows up. I found his channel recently and I immediately got addicted to it. It’s so good.

[@Johnem-Love]

Thank you, Andy - enjoyed this one 😊❤️

[@CAMFORRESTER]

Great video! You mentioned the Citroën 2cv Fourgonnette influence on the S-Cargo...have you noticed the many similarities between the Citroen Bijou and the Figaro? Everything from the body shape/style, the wheels, the lights...but I've never seen it mentioned as part of the inspiration. Pure coincidence?

[@jamescurnick1637]

I have always loved these little cars, so cute and interiors are so stylish. I think I would go for the mint green colour.

[@reheller]

What a lovely little car!

[@madphilip12]

All these great youtubers are in this video yes lawd

[@Commentator541]

Loveee it. A neighbor has one, not in perfect condition, but they drive it around.

[@Bucketroo]

I saw one of these while driving around the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. It was parked, so I was able to pull over and get plenty of photos. It was a green one. It's such a lovely little car.

[@leylandlynxvlog]

I would love to own a Figaro, and I think the Rasheen looks quite cool too. Thanks for the video.

[@carlhacker6852]

Wow, what a cool litte car!!! I love the design......

[@NLBassist]

What a great vid! One of your best, You see them in Holland too, but not that often of course.

[@ADHDIYuk]

I love these cars, one day I hope to own one.

[@Meower68]

Saw one of these in Ft Myers, Florida, back in 2019. I had no idea what it was. Got pictures of it because it was just so different from everything else on the road. Glad to see a video about it. IIRC, the PT Cruiser was built on the Dodge Neon chassis / engine / tranny, etc. So clearly Nissan isn't the only company out there looking at leveraging something they're mass-producing to make something ... different.

[@mahiru20ten]

14:14 "And through the magic of buying two of them, I have an already-taken-apart one right here"

[@binarydinosaurs]

Thanks for the reminder of Poundshop Abba 😆

[@timothyunedo5642]

3 of my fav channels crossover, me likey

[@KubikCv]

22:15 - Herpa has already tried this in Europe. But they couldn't find a production partner for the NewTrabant...

[@ofirs5830]

9:35 modern Minis have toggle switches as well

[@akyraisconfused]

as soon as i saw this video i thought of Alec and Robert, and i was not disappointed!

[@martincontreras2438]

Keep up the good work 👏

[@BearsinGamesNeo-qt5ww]

That Figaro song is great! Thanks for sharing that. I'm all for the ABBA knockoffs of the late 70s.

[@blowfishes]

A new version of this would sell amazingly well. Even an all electric version - though heavy - would still be fabulous

[@josephhouk6703]

Love the shoutout to TC and AW.

[@anthonyfrench3169]

I often see these things on the road and I know Mitsuoka does a lot of reimagination. It would be cool to see a story about that.

[@criaghuges4445]

We had one. Drove it to France on holiday. It broke down 11 times in the end we put a new loom in a recon engine transmission re spray recrome and water cooling system. And it still kept over heating. Couldn’t get to the bottom of it. Part exchanged it for a Nissan cube. Best car I’ve ever had

[@mediarav]

I adored the styling from the moment I saw one. My daughter is learning to drive and I spent a while looking for one this year. It's incredibly hard to find a solid example with a service history.

[@matthyde693]

Unexpected guests! Mint!

[@garrylawless3550]

I used to drive a Triumph Herald 1200 every day, and when I started seeing the Nissan Figaro here in the UK, I thought classic looks and reliable drivetrain that looks a good proposition, however the lack of space for storage put me off. The TV presenter, Andrew Marr used to drive one to the BBC studio for his Sunday morning political show, I believe it was his own car. Thanks for telling the story. 👍🏻🚗

[@casinodelonge]

I think its beautiful, and I love seeing the odd one around here in Dublin!

[@Cliffjumper24]

I was in Japan this summer and saw a couple of Figaro's... but thought they were 1960's cars!! Didn't realise they were retro styled 90's cars!!

[@teklife]

always loved that car since i first saw one in 1989 in a magazine, wished they would sell them in the US

[@LOrealHardly]

First thing I thought of was Columbo's 1959 Peugeot 403 Cabriolet. same vibe..

[@Colaholiker]

KZbin is going full circle. I first heard of the Figaro when Aging Wheels made a video featuring Technology Connections' Figaro. Now here we are.

[@MiniMii550]

I was NOT expecting my nerd overlord Alec from technology connections to make an appearance on my favorite automotive storytelling channel. A most unexpected crossover but a welcome one

[@BigCar2]

I'm so happy that I've managed to feature my three favourite KZbinrs on this channel.

[@michi-eke]

I came across the Rasheen exactly today, so if a full video on its story is made by you, i'd love it!

[@theblackhand6485]

We had the Daihatsu ‘Copen’ too. That was a baby Audi TT. Almost a copy = copen (?). Or ‘Co’ from ‘copy’ and ‘open’ from ‘open top’. 🙈

[@Sheffield_Steve]

First time I saw one of these parked up and I thought it was something from the 60s I'd not seen before! Really knocked me for six when I found out it was a Nissan Import. The look fab though. 👍

[@sergioleone3583]

When I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area on the peninsula, I saw one of these in the town I lived in. It was pink with a white top, and though tiny looked nice in person.

[@gruntherblendin388]

I've sometimes wondered if Ford used the Figaro as inspiration for its eleventh generation Thunderbird two-seater revival of 2002.

[@GordonHudson]

We have a lot of these in Edinburgh because there was a company here that specialised in Japanese imports. They brought a lot of them over. One of my neighbours has one.

[@yelowpunk]

I knew this day would come!