We remember the Figaro probably best today, but the Nissan Be-1 was the first of Nissan’s Pike Cars, a handful of limited-production retro vehicles of the Bubble Era. It was adorable, down even to the names of its available colors.
The world got:
Pumpkin Yellow
Tomato Red
Onion White
and Hydrangea Blue.
Yeah. Screw you, blueberry.
Anyway, the Be-1 is a real gem, and absolutely everything about it should be redone today. Light, simple and easy-to make with endless style without strict imitation.
It was basically a front drive Nissan March econobox under the skin, which I personally have no problem with. The Be-1 got a carbureted 1.0-liter four-cylinder making 52 horsepower, but it only had a scant 1,500 pounds to push around if you got the five-speed manual transmission.
I need one.