Whenever I find a Nissan Pike car (Pao, S-Cargo, Figaro, Be-1, K10-Micra) I find myself inexplicably writing about the car. The Pike cars beat the New Beetle, New Mini, PT Cruiser to the retro-style market, but keeping everything in perspective --the old Mini had been retro-styled since about 1970, the Beetle since about 1960. What was old is now new again...et cetera. Find this 1989 Nissan Pao offered for $9300 in Burlingame, CA via craigslist.
What are the chances? Two of Nissan's sweet retrotastic "Pike" cars for sale at the same time. Most people have never heard of oddball classics, much less seen one in the wild and here is your chance to buy two of them for less than a new Accord. Now you get to pick the one you like better. First up is this 1989 Nissan Pao offered for $14,800 in Gardena, CA via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!
Whenever I find a Nissan Pike car (Pao, S-Cargo, Figaro, Be-1, K10-Micra) I find myself inexplicably writing about the car. They aren't particularly fast, fun to drive, or that easy to go through drive-thrus in the USA...but there is something superbly cool about the little retro-styled JDM classics that is irresistible to my pen...errr..keyboard. Maybe if I owned one, I wouldn't write about them so often. Find this 1989 Nissan Pao here on eBay bidding for $4,150 reserve-not-met or $7,500 buy-it-now, located in Orlando, FL.
The term hipster is tossed around as a descriptive or a pejorative -- but when applied to goods, there are a few requirements. First, the item needs to be strange or unusual -- think Reed's Ginger Brew instead of Coke/Pepsi, and next the item needs to be overpriced, like a $12 IPA. Therefore, if you were looking for the perfect hipster car, this 1989 Nissan Pao seems to fit the bill, find it on Craigslist offered for $9,400 in Baltimore, MD. Tip from Torrance.
In the late 1980s Nissan released a series of retro-styled vehicles for the Japanese market built on what is called the Pike platform with design by Naoki Sakai who was noted for bringing retro styling to Olympus brand cameras. The limited production retro-minis included Be-1, K10-Micra, Pao, Figaro and snail styled S-Cargo. Regrettably, Nissan did not export any of these little oddballs into the USA, but you can find examples that have migrated here over the years. Find this 1989 Nissan Pao offered for $10,000 in NYC via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck. 
Everyone loves a car with quirks, until the quirks distract from the point of the vehicle. Like how the modern MINI's toggle switches can be frustrating to use, or some Wes Anderson films just become hard to watch. The Pao's very reason for existence is its quirk, and it manages to pull it off. Its dominant speedometer, odd stereo design, and heavily ridged body were a hit in Japan. This one has managed to bring its essence here to America, along with its rare 5-speed manual transmission and non-folding tin top. Find this JDM 1988 Nissan Pao in Portland, OR for $6,499 via craigslist.
In the late 1980s Nissan launched a series of retro-styled cars in what was called the Pike series and consisted of the Be-1, Pao, Figaro and S-Cargo (and yes, the S-Cargo does look like a snail). The Pike cars beat the New Beetle, New Mini, PT Cruiser to the retro-style market, but keeping everything in perspective --the old Mini had been retro-styled since about 1970, the Beetle since about 1960. What was old is now new again...et cetera. Anyway, if late 80's Japanese retro-cars are you thing, you might be interested in this 1989 Nissan Pao offered for $6,999 in Seattle, WA via craigslist. Tip from Luke.
