well, my story about me and my Figaro: By Barbara & Ernst
I´m a collector of oldtimer-bikes and scooters and 3 years ago, while finishing may last project, a Heinkel Tourist 103A2 built 1963 I thought about my first oldtimer with 4 wheels, but I was a little bit afraid to restore a car, because it´s a lot more difficult to do dis than a bike.. Jürgen, a good friend of mine, joked about this and told me about the Figaro, a oldtimer-designed car, reminding of the Gutbrod Superior of the 50ies with common and modern technology of the Nissan Micra. This should be the right thing for me!
Investigations in the internet, especially pictures let me fall in love with this nice little car, and further investigations let me meet 2 owners of Figaros in Vienna/Austria (www.nissan-figaro.com), who are also in the business of car requisites for movie-productions. I talked a while with thiese guis, they let me drive a while with the Figaro trying the inner dimensions (I´m tall) and then the decision was clear: I want a Figaro!
During the next 2 years I banged around in the internet, collected a lot of information, checked import options from japan, USA and Great Britain and found last October a fair and reliable offer on ebay in London by a private seller. in a longer e-mail-correspondence with the seller I got the trustworthiness, did my bid and won the auction, a week later I travelled with my wife from Vienna to London, saw the car, was absolutely not disappointed and finished the bargain. Then I programmed my mobile GPS with "Home" and the transfer by own wheels to Vienna began. 3 days and 1.560 km later we arrived without any incident a little bit tired, but happy in Vienna and had immediately a stop-and-search operation: the reason was not a delict, no, it was the curiousity of the policemen! They never had seen such a car.
Meanwhile I had to invest a new battery and 4 new tyres, they were used up and now (March 2009) the weather is so fair, that we are able to drive a little bit on weekends around Vienna to learn more about the Figaro and on the end of April 2009 we will enter the Seiberer Mountain Race in Austria, a constancy competition for oldtimers (www.seiberer.at). Driving the Figaro is easy, funny and we enjoy the large opened eyes and opened mouthes of the other road users, we are often asked about details of the car and we have always a printed leaflet about the Figaro (information on the german issue of wikipedia) in the glove box. With the Figaro on the road you will be ever asked about the car.
For a regular registration in Austria the car the headlight has to be converted, this is at this thime the biggest problem, because it isvery hard to find the proper headlights for our inverse driving side; maybe one of the registered owner has a clue for us?
The Figaro will be our fun-car for summer, except we drive our bikes or scooters; 1955 Puch RL 125, 1963 Heinkel Tourist, 1985 KTM Hobby, 1998 Honda Pantheon, 2000 Yamaha XJ 900 S Diversion (and maybe soon 1953 Vespa Faro Basso). By the way: my other car is a Opel Astra Caravan.
Well, I hope to gave you a little bit background about my ownership of the in Austria absolutely rare Figaro and I hope also to realise to meet the Figaro10 next year!
P.P.S.: ! enclose a few of pics transferring the Figaro from London to Vienna
Best Wishes from Vienna/Austria
Barbara & Ernst