PICK OF THE DAY: Rare Nissan Pao

Well before the automotive movement that saw retro-inpsired designs such as the Volkswagen New Beetle, Mini Cooper and Ford Thunderbird, Nissan went through their retro phase. Sold exclusively through what Nissan called their Cherry Stores, the series included the quirky Be-1, the even quirkier S-Cargo, and the two more classic designs, the Figaro and the lesser known Pao. With queues from the Austin Mini and A40 of the 1960s, it was a “city car”—not quite micro, but sub sub-compact, weighing around 750 kg. Powered by a 100cc inline four, they were nimble and downright peppy, àpropos to its free-spirited styling. While we occasionally see Figaros and even S-Cargos, it’s unusual to find a federalized Pao for sale on these shores. Finding one with a canvas-top and 5-speed (most, and all Figaros, are 3-speed autos) is rare anywhere in the world. Today, we have that very car, preserved as only a Northwest car can be. With what appears to be excellent original paint and interior, this little car looks to have been esteemed throughout its 96,000-mile ownership; small but mighty in its distinction. Find it here on Craigslist in Seattle WA for a reasonable $10,000.