At the turn of the 1990s, Nissan introduced several cars for their “Cherry Stores” in the Japanese domestic market. The Figaro was named for the title character of the Beumarchais comic opera, and featured smooth 1950s-inspired bodywork, meeting a retro trend then sweeping Japan. It offered a “fixed profile” convertible top, with a top that slid back along runners over the doors, as well as a nicely appointed interior with leather seats, factory air conditioning, and a CD player. Such was its popularity that prospective purchasers were actually entered into a lottery to purchase a Figaro. Over 20,000 examples were made in the single year of production, 1991, all of them originally delivered in Japan.

The Dare to Dream Collection’s Pale Aqua Figaro is equipped with the Snob Group options of seat covers, Orange Sherbet floor mats, and leather brake lever, as well as the Convenient Group cup holders, cargo shelf, lower cargo tray, and mud flaps, and the Jewel Group rain deflectors, door edge molding and kick plate, headlight visor, wheel arch molding, and other features. The Tokyo Nouvelle Vague external fender guards are themselves a rare and desirable option.

According to documents on file, the car relocated to England in 2006 and was kept there for a decade before being brought to North America. Soon thereafter, in 2017, it was driven by Jerry Seinfeld in an episode of Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee, in which he collects the car from a toy store (appropriately enough), then drives Saturday Night Live cast member Melissa Villaseñor around Brooklyn. It was acquired for the present collection in 2019. Today it remains in excellent overall condition, with the undercarriage in fine original condition. Recording 9,136 kilometers (~5,677 miles) at the time of cataloguing, it is accompanied by a history file including British and Japanese service invoices, a manual, and a signed photograph of Mr. Seinfeld behind the wheel.

A JDM modern classic with the best possible provenance, this is a Figaro to sing about.