If you're about to buy a second car, or even trade down to a smaller new car, don't just think about fuel economy, think about the amount of carbon emitted during the manufacture of that car.

20% of the carbon emissions of a new car are associated with its production. That 20% doesn't show up in the emissions data associated with its use, so bear that in mind. The Nissan Pao was manufactured 15 years ago, and as such its carbon footprint has all but become invisible. The fuel economy of the Pao also adds weight to the question; Do you, or does the world for that matter, really need another new car on the road.

Cute, reliable, green cars don't have to be new. The Nissan Pao ticks all these boxes. We like to think of it as 'car recycling'!

The Nissan Pao was designed by Shoji Takahashi, the guy responsible for that other retro gem, the Nissan Figaro. Like the Figaro, the production run of the Pao was limited to approximately 10,000, and was only available in Japan. Also like the Figaro, the Nissan Pao was an instant hit. It was so popular in fact, that Nissan had to run a lottery to decide who the lucky buyers of the cars would be. It was manufactured between 1989 and 1991.

The Japanese are very good at spotting classic design signatures and incorporating them into their own modern cars. Because of this we guarantee that if you feel anything for classic cars like the 60's Mini, the Renault 4, the Citroen 2CV, the Austin A40 and even the old East German Trabant, then you will love the Pao. A massive upside is that unlike any of these great looking cars, the Pao also comes with automatic transmission, air conditioning, power steering, an electric sunroof and above all, Japanese reliability!

The Pao [pronounced 'POW' by the way] is a city car with a cute undertone that constantly makes you feel like you're on holiday. It has a tiny turning circle, it seats five and has a tailgate boot for easy loading. On the extra-urban cycle (average speed of 37mph) it also does a very green 70 mpg.

The Pao comes in four colours straight out of the 1950's; Aqua Grey, Olive Grey, Ivory and Teracotta.

We're just a husband and wife couple that work in the media industries and love strong design. We discovered Nissan Pao by chance whilst walking in our home town of Brighton. We fancied getting one ourselves but found that they were pretty difficult to come by.

We sourced a couple of suppliers in Japan, teamed up with some people who already had mechanical experience with Nissan Figaro's, and have now started to bringing Nissan Pao's into the UK in small numbers.

We are not car dealers. We bring cars over, get them through the MOT and UK conversion process, take care of any paintwork that needs attention and then register them in our names. They become our cars until we sell them to someone like you. As such, they are sold as seen, the same as any other car you'd buy from an individual, either through the classifieds or online.

We've had our share of big posh cars and have started thinking that, in green terms, the whole new car ownership thing is now unsustainable. Automotive manufacturing as well as car usage is putting too much pressure on the environment. Cute looking cars that are practical and reliable don't have to be new, so we sold our big cars and started using these instead. It's worked out great, and our conscience is as clear as it's possible to be if you opt to drive a car at all!

We hope you love the Pao as much as we do. And we hope you appreciate how important 'Car Recycling' has to become in the future!

Tony and Yvette

The Nissan Pao is based on the Nissan Micra, and as such is incredibly cheap to run and maintain. Because the Micra was such a global hit for Nissan, parts are now licensed for production to a number of non Nissan companies. These 'generic' parts are very widely available and any local garage should be able to service and maintain your Nissan Pao with ease.

All the Pao we sell range in price from £3000 through to £4500. This is based on mileage, car condition and rarity.

A low mileage Pao would have around 60k Km on the clock, or around 37k Miles. Most cars arrive with about 100k Km.

The most common colour is the Aqua Grey, followed by Olive Grey, then Ivory, with the rarest being Terracotta. Based on on all these factors, and the availability of manual transmission, a cars scarcity and subsequently its price are determined.

Nowadays especially, fuel economy is an important factor in deciding which car to choose. The green credentials of the Nissan Pao are impressive, and stand up to any of the small cars available today.

Add to that the fact that it's not another new car on the road, you're recycling an older car that does the job just as well.

Urban Cycle: 43mpg
Extra Urban: (37mph average) 69mpg

Turning circle: 15'5'
Transmission: 3 speed auto or 5 speed manual (rare)
Fuel: unleaded petrol, turbo assisted carburetion
Engine: 4 cylinder, water cooled, 1.0L (987cc)
Engine Type: Nissan Micra, MA10S
Steering: Rack and pinion
Suspension: Independent suspension all round
Brakes: Disk brakes used all round
Wheelbase: 2300mm (19 ins)
Length: 3740mm (147 ins)
Width: 1570mm (62 ins)
Height: 1475mm (58 ins)
Body Colour: Aqua gray (#FJ-0) Olive gray (#DJ-0) Ivory (#EJ-I) Teracotta (#AJ-0)
Interior colour: Black or Ivory (plastics and switchgear)
Other Equipment: Pre tensioned safety belts, power steering, electric sunroof (option), stereo radio with cassette player, air conditioning, roof bars