NEWS | EVENTS | GALLERY | FORUM

This newsletter is best viewed on a smartphone or tablet. Rotate your phone for a richer experience.

Through our involvement with the Figaro Owners Club, we have all had the opportunity to connect with fantastic individuals, develop lasting friendships, and benefit from the extensive knowledge and history offered by the club.

As your new team, we thank Kevin and Sue for entrusting us with their legacy. Their unwavering dedication to supporting club members, hand in hand with the enthusiasm of chapter coordinators and the wider Figaro Community, is too precious to lose. 

As your inaugural committee, we are a dedicated group of enthusiasts who whole heartedly stand by the kindness, madness and fun of the Figgy Community.

As the club’s newest custodians, we commit to securing the long-term future of the club by being in post as volunteers for at least the next 2 years, and formalising the club as a not-for-profit organisation.  

Our principal objectives are to honour the foundation established by Kevin and Sue, sustain the club’s strong community spirit, and guide its progress as we approach Figaro’s 35th anniversary and beyond.

While this is a significant responsibility, we are confident that, with the support of our valued members, we will achieve continued success.”

Beep Beep!

The Figaro Team

Contact us here: hello@figaroownersclub.com

It's typical for this time of year that the events are few and far between. We are hoping to have some exciting news on a major event taking place next year in the next newsletter.

Visit to the Figaro Shop September 2025

Enjoy a quick whiz around Didcot-based Figaro specialist The Figaro Shop. In the video, Kevin is accompanied by Managing Director Christian Brooks. It's an insight into the mix of works undertabken by the company and includes a rare cold-climate Figaro, and at the end, an exciting new development which will help keep these cars on the road! Apologies for the sound, which isn't great at the start!

How to change the interior light bulb

A short video about changing the bulbs (2) in the centre courtesy light. Ideally, to gain access to the bulb, you will need a trimming tool remover. If you have not got one of these, then a flat-bladed small screwdriver, but be very careful not to mark the white plastic cover, as it will scratch easily.

The bulbs you need are 2 x LLB501 5W capless. Once installed, clip the cover back in. Job done :)

Parcel Shelf Leather Trimmed Brake Light Bar

Enhance your Nissan Figaro’s interior with the elegant parcel shelf featuring a leather-trimmed brake light bar. Quality and retro style combined!

The Nissan Figaro’s ivory-themed interior is retro by design and is a blend of leather, vinyl, coloured and chrome-plated plastics that all match perfectly with each other.

The rear parcel shelf on the Nissan Figaro houses the 3rd high-level brake light. This plastic ivory coloured assembly is surrounded by a urethane/rubber covered steel bar of the same colour to protect the delicate high level brake light, but also to offer a grab handle for rear passengers. Due to its location on the rear shelf, the sun’s harmful UV rays, magnified by the rear window, often damage the covering, causing it to discolour, tarnish and split, which becomes unsightly. Read more

10 Tips on putting your Figaro to bed for the winter

If you're lucky enough to own a Figaro as a second car, you may consider storing it long-term over winter.

We have put together a list of ten great tips, many of which are related specifically to the Figaro. Damp and condensation are always major issues with the car, so we addressed this, too. The article also includes a short video from Kevin covering all aspects of the article. Read more

Figaro Facts – 18 Downloadable A4 Leaflets

We have today published 18 downloadable A4 leaflets, covering the Figaro's Accessories, Colours, History, Specifications and more. 

Once printed, the leaflets are ideal for displaying at car shows. Each includes a barcode that directs the user to the associated webpage on our club website for more information. Read more

Huge thanks to member Debbie Hagan.

We love this picture, sent in by Chapter Coordinator, Kitty Muffett. It was taken when they were on the Sunflower Run at Kington near Chippenham.

Coffee and Chat and Cake at Baddersley Clinton – 14th September

Cars attended this event which included a tour of the rather wonderful Packwood House. 

Words and Pictures by Midlands Chapter Coordinator Barry Thompson

We had a great turnout of 10 Figs who braved the elements to visit Baddesley! Although the weather was not great, especially on the drive home, which was like a river, everyone had a great time.

We had a good chat about Figaros and some coffee and cake, as well as a look round the house and garden. We then drove in convoy to Packwood House and had a good look round there as well. We certainly got our money’s worth today!

"The cars drew a lot of attention as usual, and it was lovely to

meet fellow owners, particularly those who had not been on a

meet before, as well as one potential owner who is thinking of

buying one but just came along to look and chat."

We all had a great time and vowed to do it again in the Spring next year.

Isle of Man Figaro Rally & Festival of Motoring – 18th/22nd September

65 Cars travel from as far afield as Germany, Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg to attend this once in a lifetime figgy rally

Words by Kevin Fagan. Pictures/Video by Francine Hendrie/Adam Woods/Kevin Fagan – Drone Footage by AmadeusIOM

DAY ONE – THURSDAY 18th September

The rally has an optional day on Thursday called the ‘Fun Run’, which 29 enjoyed. The morning offered dry weather as we all departed from the hotel at 10:00, heading for our first coffee stop at the Sound Café. Sue and I were so lucky to see seals basking on the rocks. At 11:30, we left in convoy for our next stop at Peel Castle. We were met by the red-jacketed staff from Scenic Car Tours, who directed us to park next to the other classic cars.

A walk along the beach and a visit to the marina were followed by a coffee. 13:30 soon came, and we all drove off again in convoy towards the next stop at the Victory Café. Unfortunately, the weather closed in, and the fog was like pea soup! We sought refuge in the café with a hot chocolate. The last stop was Laxey, and finally back to the hotel. The first day had been a lot of fun, and it was great a feel the island’s roads before the main event started.

DAY TWO – Friday 19th September

Unfortunately, the forecast was heavy rain and indeed, heavy rain it was!! We set off from the hotel at 08:15 and headed towards the holding car park, which was located near the Coffee Cottage. If you watch the video, you will see just how heavy the rain was falling. Two drops on the BBC weather app were delivered. Our members huddled up under brollies whilst queuing for the coffee until it was time to leave.

Everything at this rally is organised to ensure the car groups get to the holding areas at different times. With 300 cars to park and get around in groups, each person is given a window screen number. Our group was 1 – 65, which meant we were the first out in the morning. Although this meant early starts, we were rewarded by having first access to areas such as the TT Grandstand on the Sunday. At 9:00, we all left the car park in a 65-car convoy, which, although it was still raining, looked incredible. About 10 minutes later, we arrived at the start of the SLOC up in the mountains.

The cars were sent off every 1 minute, meaning a good distance between them for safety. As we approached the man with the red flag, our excitement rose, and at last it was our turn. One thing that becomes apparent immediately is how odd it feels driving on the other side of the road. This meant that you really could put your foot down; although there was a maximum speed limit of 60 mph, we did reach this once, and it felt very fast indeed. The nice thing is you get another go, and when there are two in the car, it means each can experience this unique event. Luckily for me, I was the second driver, and the fog was clearing, so you could see where you were going and the view from the road. 

From here, we headed to the IOM Motor Museum, which is located on the other side of the island. The drive was so nice, and you could pick out the ‘TT Sections’ as the roads on these have black and white curbs, and the trees are covered with large foam! Arriving at the museum, we parked with all the other figs, which looked fantastic. 8 Cars had chosen to take part in the optional Jurby Track Sessions!

The venue is well worth a trip if you ever visit the IOM, and it has so many classic and unusual cars. Back at the hotel, it was time to start preparing for our Figaro Quiz Night. These nights are legendary within the club and are always very competitive. The room was filled with 30 tables of 4 people. We had pre-printed the forms, and as Sue gave these out, I checked the mic and got ready to ask the 50 questions.

THE QUIZ WINNERS

3RD PLACE – Silence is Golden (Adam & Lukas / Andrew & Kitty)

2ND PLACE – Lapis Lovelies (Dawn & Aaron / Anthony & Nicky)

1ST PLACE – The Shatner Pants (Gillian & Peter / Jane & Mark)

DAY THREE – Saturday 20th September

After a couple of early starts and some busy days, today’s static display aw a welcome rest. We left the hotel again in convoy to dry weather (hooray) and headed towards to promenade at Douglas. Like the day before, we were welcomed by the red-jacketed Scenic Car Tours staff and entered the closed promenade. The figs looked amazing as we made our way towards the parking.

I jumped out of the car and filmed us arriving. Once all parked, you were free to visit Douglas, take the steam train or even visit the Great Laxey Wheel. I was asked to do a quick radio interview live with Bob Cole from SCT on Manx Radio. As the wind dropped, I decided to fly my drone to capture the figs from the air. I must admit I was a bit nervous, but I managed to get some nice pictures and video. At around 15:00, we were allowed to leave, and we made our way back to the hotel for some much-needed rest!

The evening soon arrived, and we were off on our next adventure. This time it was driving to Laxey and catching the 130-year-old Snaefell Mountain Railway up to the Victory Café for pie and mash. This was so much fun as we all parked up at the Washing Floors. The train took around 15 minutes to take us up the 5-mile track to the summit. The Victory Cafe was full of the history of the TT, and you just felt the vibes of all the bikers who had visited it over the years. The organisation was again so well done, as we made our way to our table, each place had a place card with not only our name but also what we had ordered.

The food was very tasty, and we were told that they had been busy making all the pies all day. Entertainment was supplied by a band with just two people; they created a brilliant sound, and soon some of us were up dancing around the tables. The evening was over all too soon, and we all made our way back down to Laxey and home to the hotel.

DAY FOUR – Sunday 21st September

The final day was blessed with a blue sky as we ate our breakfast. We knew that with great weather, the next few hours would be simply awesome. A group picture at 08:30 was followed by a convoy in sunshine with the roofs down (at last) towards the iconic TT Grandstand. Our cars entered around the back of the stand, and in convoy, we parked in a row at the start grid. I quickly went to the top of the grandstand to capture this unique moment in history for our little club. You almost had to pinch yourself, were we here now doing this? It really was so special.

I mentioned before our 1-65 numbers, and this is where they paid us back, as this allowed us to be first on the grid and to enjoy this unique moment. A quick briefing to everyone from SCT was followed by our setting off. We made our way in convoy to the start of the closed parade, which was led by 4 police bikes and a police car. As we made our way across the island, many residents had positioned themselves down by the road so they could wave at us. Of course, we Figaros are not like other cars, as we have flags on our vehicles, and these really did set us apart from the others. I can imagine what we must have looked like from those houses, with us waving and flags flapping.

All too soon, it was over, and we entered Ramsey and were asked to park by the sea in another holding compound. We were then moved further on to start the last of the closed mountain runs. After a delay due to an accident, we were allowed to go.

The last part of the day involved us going back to the TT Grandstand, where a professional photographer from SCT took lots of pictures of our cars and members.

The evening was met with a coach pick up from our hotel and a short trip down to Douglas for our Gala Dinner. After a superb meal, it was time for a dance (we have a reputation for filling dance floors very quickly), and we danced to the brilliant Retrospect.

DAY FIVE – Monday 22nd September

Saying our goodbyes at breakfast, most of us made our way to the ferries today, but some stayed on another day and enjoyed the Steam Train.

SUMMARY

What a rally, it really did deliver in so many ways. Although the weather didn’t play ball at the start, we didn’t let that affect us, and like many of our rallies, it’s all about being together and enjoying ourselves. Without knowing it, our little cars are really the ‘glue’ which joins us all together, delivering fun, smiles and memories. Read more

WATCH THE VIDEO

Electric Figaro Conversion

Since 2011 we have been publishing electric conversions. As battery technology improves its interesting to see the range improvements. In this article Paul Jones shares his desire to go electric

Words and Pictures by Paul Jones

Backstory. My wife has always been a Figaro fan and has had two in the past, a Topaz Mist and a Grey (which was sadly written off!) After a brief spell using my new electric BMW i3 in 2014, she decided that it should now be hers and commandeered it, which led to a succession of new electric cars, including another BMW i3 and a Honda E. With her retirement looming, we came up with a plan. Why not get another of your favourite cars, a Figaro, and bring it up to date by electric-converting it? A quote of £50,000 from a reputable conversion company sent me down the route of doing it myself. How hard could it be? Very hard, as it turned out!

The first challenge was finding a cheap, rust-free Figaro, not exactly an easy task, as the thought of doing a body restoration and an electric conversion seemed like a task that would take the rest of my life! After about two years of searching, a candidate was found in a shipping container with a blown engine, exactly what I was looking for!

I haven’t included other bits and pieces such as the heater box, cooling system, Prius throttle pedal, Aliexpress gear lever, driveshafts, suspension changes etc, just to keep theings simple. I hope this gives everyone an idea of how involved the process is and why it costs so much. I’ve bought about £15k of components and have spent about 1000 hours on this car.

Scenic Tour of The Mourne Mountains, Northern Ireland. 27th September

Despite the rain, members turn out to enjoy a fabulous figgy drive and lunch together

Words and Pictures by Stephen Coulter

We headed off despite a weather warning for heavy rain and flooding in the local area, and managed to stick to the planned itinerary despite the rain. We were rewarded in the afternoon with clear skies and beautiful views of the Mourne Mountains from the Silent Valley Reservoir, all topped off with a vivid rainbow arcing from the mountains to the Irish Sea.

We are looking forward to more meetings next year.

Welsh Figaro Drive through Villages and Valleys – 28th September

6 figgies set off for a scenic tour of the Brecon Beacons followed by a nice lunch at the 2nd oldest pub in Wales.

Words and Pictures by Helen Hunter

We were so lucky with the weather for this trip – we had beautiful, blue, sparkling skies as six lovely Figgies set off from Talbot Green with tops down to allow us to enjoy the fabulous scenery we would encounter on the drive.

In the old medieval, walled market town of Cowbridge, their annual Cars and Coffee event was being held. This is a fabulous event showcasing all kinds of cars, from vintage to new and quirky and is always very well attended every year.

Today’s route was planned so we could, in some small way, also take part in the event by driving, extremely slowly, in convoy through this beautiful old town and showing off our fabulous Figgies to the crowds attending the event.

"We certainly attracted quite a bit of attention despite all the fabulous cars that could be seen parked on both sides of the high street. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to stop to wander round all the amazing cars parked in each of the car parks as we had a deadline – lunch"

The route to our lunch venue took us via common land and through narrow villages. The Old House, 1147 in Llangynwyd – so called because it was built in that year – is apparently the second-oldest pub in Wales and is situated in a beautiful setting. The old stone building has a thatched roof and a modern extension with a large restaurant, and is popular as a wedding venue as it also provides accommodation.

We received quite a bit of interest after parking, with the fabulous scenery serving as our backdrop. As one of our members, Kate, commented, “pretty maids all in a row”.

Following a very enjoyable lunch, the onward journey was over the Bwlch mountain with scenic views of dense forestry. From the highest point, we could see across the valleys towards Brecon Beacons in the north, Swansea in the west and down to the coast at Porthcawl, with a view of the sea in the far distance.

We stopped for a brief time to take photos and noticed the permanently parked ice cream van where the local sheep wait eagerly for visitors to buy or share a cone with them.

Our journey had taken us through the villages of the Vale of Glamorgan, the Garw, Llynfi, Afan and Rhondda valleys, down into Pontypridd, where we said our goodbyes. It was good to hear that this journey was a first for the majority of our group, some of whom live fairly locally but weren’t aware of the stunning scenery not far from home.

It was lovely to meet up with some old Figaro friends and also to meet new ones. I’d like to thank my husband Ian for driving while I filmed and for doing his best not to lose the Figgies following us.

I’d also like to thank everyone who supported us today, familiar faces Kate, Catherine and her son Paddy, Jacky and Malcolm, newcomers Gina and Nick, Amelia and her Dad. I’d also like to thank Kate’s hubby, Pete and son Rory for joining us. It was really kind of them both to make the long journey to and from Llangynwyd after a tiring football match this morning.

Some members were unable to join us today due to illness and a car breakdown. We missed you all and hope to see you next time. Wishing you all a speedy recovery and a quick fix for your Figgy.

Fig-tastic Gallery

As a club, we’re absolutely *figarolicious* about sharing the delightful snapshots of your Figaro with all our members! Whether you’ve just welcomed a fresh Figgy into your life or have been cruising in yours for years, don’t be bashful—send those stunning pictures our way! Let’s show off the unique charm and character of each Figaro and create a *fig-tastic* gallery that celebrates our love for these adorable little cars. And while you’re at it, take a moment to enjoy our latest champions who are revving up the excitement in our community. Join in the fun, and let’s keep the Figaro spirit shining bright together! 🌟🚗💖

Oh dear what have I done!
New Australian Members Tim and Ceridwen Moss.

Greetings from the other side of the world. Firstly, let me thank Kevin for his detailed YouTube video on inspecting a figaro before purchase. Also, for the buyer's guide PDF that we have downloaded.

And thanks for his encouraging message following the download of the guide. My wife has been wanting a Figaro for some time now - she had placed alerts on the various car sales websites, but very few came up in the state where we live, South Australia. And further, not many in the green colour she particularly desired.

"Last Thursday, just the right car came up in Melbourne, about 800 kms away. On paper, it looked good. Very much on the spur of the moment, we hit the road on Friday, messaging the vendor as we went. Your video

and guide gave us the much-needed confidence to assess the car and

look for any of its shameful secrets"

Sure enough, by 5 pm on Friday, we were crawling under a Figaro with a mirror and a flashlight - the vendor was pretty good about it all. Gave us plenty of time undisturbed - maybe an hour in the garage. And then let us go for a drive for as long as we want. The car presented so well - rust is less of a problem here. Low kms ( 84k) - ran like a clock. The vendor has previously spent a load of money on a new roof, and interior tidy up - so the whole package was getting more attractive the more we looked.

Again, we probably could not have made such a good assessment without the info from the Figaro Club website. We elected to sleep on the matter overnight and then decided to leap.

This is where we broke all the rules! Not only did we buy the first car that we saw, but then we drove home in our two-car convoy with an unfamiliar and unknown car, driving the equivalent of Aberdeen to London, in the middle of a massive storm and in the dark of night.

Didn't miss a beat! And not a drop of water inside!. 

Overall, it was quite the adventure - and now we have a Figaro of our own, safely tucked in the garage. Or perhaps the adventure is just beginning!

Members Enjoy Hampton Court Meet

The weather continued to deliver yet another fabulous event. The Concours of Elegance, presented by A. Lange & Söhne, is one of the world's leading automotive events, famed for gathering a collection of the rarest cars ever created in one of Britain's most beautiful historic settings.

It was a real treat to be part of such a prestigious event.

Blossom (the Figaro) reports in from Brooklands Japanese Day

Mummy drove me to Brooklands Museum on Sunday to attend the Japanese Day, the newest Japanese car meet there. It was very exciting with live music, and a chance to drive your car up test hill (Mummy didn't want to do that!!) and a display of other Japanese cars spaced out as far as the eye could see on the finishing straight.

Sadly, I was the ONLY Figaro. How lonely I felt, although I did gain considerable interest from the crowd, particularly 3 young gentlemen from Japan, over here on business, one of whom owns a Figaro, and his wife also owns one. He loved me with my information boards fixed to my windscreen & side window. I will attach some pictures of me with Mummy and the 3 Japanese gentlemen.

We were reliably informed that the event will be repeated next year, so if we could get a few owners to show interest, we could obtain a discount as members of the Figaro Owners Club. Blossom and (Mummy - Suzie McRory).

Bill Shimmel - USA

Took the Figaro out today for a nice, long drive into western Kansas.

Beautiful 19 degrees Celsius weather. Stopped at this classic old building for a coffee. The car was flawless.

Karen Virgo - Australia

Here are a couple of pics from South Australia.

"I like your car", says the horse...

AND FINALLY

A JOKE TO TICKLE YOUR FIGARO

THANKS TO FIGARO SMILES

The friendliest and most active Nissan Figaro community on Facebook

Figaro Owners Club Limited,

27 Old Gloucester Street, London, WC1N 3AX