28 Jan 09
Nissan Figaro
Nissan Figaro 1990-1991
We shouldn't even know what a Nissan Figaro is, let alone want one. Nissan made just 20,000 Figaros and were too narrow-minded to imagine any European demand for this automotive horror. We like to think Nissan decided that the British wouldn't be caught dead driving around in the motoring equivalent of a mock Tudor house.
Perhaps they were right, but then something unexpected happened: celebrities started driving them. In spite of its unfortunate proportions and humble underpinnings, the Figaro became hot property.
Weirdly, demand hasn't tailed off and prices hover between £4,000 and £10,000, even though the cars are frequently plagued by rust. Seems we're still smitten with the Figaro's 50s Bakelite charm. We should be ashamed.
Land Rover Defender
Land Rover Defender
60 years on, the Land Rover Defender still looks like the farmer's workhorse that started life back in post-war Britain.
Because the present-day version is so similar to the 1948 car, it's no surprise that some farmers have abandoned the faith and bought Japanese rivals. They found the Landie unrefined, noisy, uncomfortable and unreliable.
But we think there's still a case for it. It's British and it's got a rugged charm that's missing in the sterile offerings from its foreign rivals.
Of course it's noisy, of course it rides like a tractor, but it's 60 years old and, like a good wine, just keeps getting better with age.
