# What type of car is this in the BBC "Unforgotten" series? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 30, 2025, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-car-is-this-in-the-bbc-unforgotten-series/1022607 "2025-08-30T17:27:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jharvey963](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/54ee81/32.png) [@jharvey963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jharvey963)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2025, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-car-is-this-in-the-bbc-unforgotten-series/1022607/1 "2025-08-30T17:27:39Z")
In season 6 of the BBC “Unforgotten” series, there is a green (sports???) car driven by the character Melinda Ricci. I’ve never seen this type of car before. It’s very roundish similar to a VW beetle or an older Porsche, but it isn’t either of those 2. Does anyone recognize it? Thanks, J. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2025, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-car-is-this-in-the-bbc-unforgotten-series/1022607/2 "2025-08-30T17:33:54Z")
This Reddit thread says it’s a Nissan Figaro. It also includes a link to the Internet Movie Car Database, which is a good resource for “what is that car?” questions. 🙂 > **[Reddit - The heart of the internet](https://www.reddit.com/r/BritishTV/comments/1ioci1m/whats_the_car_used_by_melinda_ricci_in/)** ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2025, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-car-is-this-in-the-bbc-unforgotten-series/1022607/3 "2025-08-30T17:34:18Z")
> [@jharvey963](#): > > In season 6 of the BBC “Unforgotten” series, there is a green (sports???) car driven by the character Melinda Ricci. I’ve never seen this type of car before. It’s very roundish similar to a VW beetle or an older Porsche, but it isn’t either of those 2. Never saw the show, but from a quick Google search, could it be one of these? > **[Nissan Figaro](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_Figaro)** > > The Nissan Figaro is a two-door car manufactured by Nissan in 1991 for the Japanese market. Based on the original Nissan March/Micra, the Figaro is a fixed-profile convertible with a 2+2 seating arrangement. It shares the March's front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout. When new, it was sold only through Nissan Cherry Stores. > A total of 20,073 Figaros were produced by Nissan in the convertible's single year of series production, all with right-hand drive; at least several thousand have been grey ... [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3d/Nissan_Figaro.jpg/500px-Nissan_Figaro.jpg) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3d/Nissan_Figaro.jpg/500px-Nissan_Figaro.jpg) ETA: > **["Unforgotten" Episode #6.1 (TV Episode 2025) - Trivia - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27423016/trivia/)** > > "Unforgotten" Episode #6.1 (TV Episode 2025) - Trivia on IMDb: Cameos, Mistakes, Spoilers and more... > The car driven by Melinda Ricci (MyAnna Buring) is a Nissan Figaro. It’s a Retro-style car, produced since 1991. ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2025, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-car-is-this-in-the-bbc-unforgotten-series/1022607/4 "2025-08-30T17:51:25Z")
Is this a picture of car and actress? [![](https://www.thestar.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOmUwNWJjMDA3LWVjZjItNDcwZS1iZmRlLWNiNTFiMjM2ZGZiYTo4YTBhZWYyNy1jZmFkLTQwNGMtYWM1MC0yNjhlZmYzNzg3NGY=.jpg?crop=3:2,smart&trim=&width=640&quality=65) ](https://www.thestar.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOmUwNWJjMDA3LWVjZjItNDcwZS1iZmRlLWNiNTFiMjM2ZGZiYTo4YTBhZWYyNy1jZmFkLTQwNGMtYWM1MC0yNjhlZmYzNzg3NGY=.jpg?crop=3:2,smart&trim=&width=640&quality=65) ---
**Author:** ![jharvey963](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/54ee81/32.png) [@jharvey963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jharvey963)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2025, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-car-is-this-in-the-bbc-unforgotten-series/1022607/5 "2025-08-30T17:51:47Z")
Confirmed from multiple sources, so I guess that’s the one! Thanks, everyone. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2025, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-car-is-this-in-the-bbc-unforgotten-series/1022607/6 "2025-08-30T18:08:47Z")
I find it interesting that, despite its retro styling, the Figaro is from 1991. The fact that Nissan made very few of them (about 20,000), and only for the Japanese market (though some, like the one in the TV show, were apparently “grey exported” to the UK and Ireland), would explain why they’re so unusual, and the OP didn’t recognize it. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2025, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-car-is-this-in-the-bbc-unforgotten-series/1022607/7 "2025-08-30T18:31:36Z")
I’ve seen two of them in the U.S. One was at the Universal theme park in Orlando so I’m pretty sure it was used as window dressing when they were filming something. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2025, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-car-is-this-in-the-bbc-unforgotten-series/1022607/8 "2025-08-30T18:32:18Z")
Wanna’ get up close and personal with one … for about 13 relaxing minutes? [**Car Cleaning Guru Details 1991 Nissan Figaro - YouTube Video**](https://youtu.be/dBoCH4s5ye4) ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2025, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-car-is-this-in-the-bbc-unforgotten-series/1022607/9 "2025-08-31T00:37:35Z")
The guy from Technology Connections used to own one, and here’s a video from Aging Wheels doing a vid on it. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/HE2dKZ492TA/maxresdefault.jpg "The Nissan Figaro is a Lovely, Retro-Inspired, Convertible From Japan") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HE2dKZ492TA) ---
**Author:** ![iamatractorboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iamatractorboy/32/21261_2.png) [@iamatractorboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamatractorboy)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2025, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-car-is-this-in-the-bbc-unforgotten-series/1022607/10 "2025-08-31T07:55:50Z")
I’ve seen at least two, probably more. My ex-sister in law owned one and I’ve seen another in the village I live in, so anecdotally they’re not that rare. Maybe I’m just lucky 😆 ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2025, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-car-is-this-in-the-bbc-unforgotten-series/1022607/11 "2025-08-31T12:39:40Z")
I think quite a few were imported to the UK. I know a couple that used to have one. Don’t even bother trying to get into one if you’re over 5’10”. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2025, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-car-is-this-in-the-bbc-unforgotten-series/1022607/12 "2025-08-31T13:56:03Z")
Huh. I might have seen one of those here on the North Shore of Boston a few months ago. It was bright yellow and coming at me in the opposite direction at about 30 mph, so I didn’t get a very good look, much less have time to grab a photo. I just got the impression of a sort of yellow gum drop, and I’ve been wondering about it ever since. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2025, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-car-is-this-in-the-bbc-unforgotten-series/1022607/13 "2025-08-31T13:58:21Z")
Wonder no more … ?? > **[Boston Figaro (@bostonfigaro) • Instagram photos and videos](https://www.instagram.com/bostonfigaro/)** > > 279 Followers, 26 Following, 102 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Boston Figaro (@bostonfigaro) Oops! Not yellow. I’ll look a bit more 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2025, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-car-is-this-in-the-bbc-unforgotten-series/1022607/14 "2025-08-31T14:45:04Z")
Hmm, according to the vid above, they only came in four colors. None of them yellow, but each was associated with a season. Emerald green for spring, pale aqua for summer, topaz mist for autumn, and lapis grey for winter. It’s possible you saw one that had a custom respray. But since its front fenders are plastic molded in that color, it would be an odd choice for respray. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2025, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-car-is-this-in-the-bbc-unforgotten-series/1022607/15 "2025-08-31T14:49:31Z")
It might not have been a Figaro, then. Also, I can’t swear it was RHD. Were all Figaros RHD? It was definitely small and yellow and had similar rounded lines. That’s pretty much all I remember. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2025, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-car-is-this-in-the-bbc-unforgotten-series/1022607/16 "2025-08-31T14:53:04Z")
Hehehe, and a quick search has me questioning the accuracy of that vid regarding color, or my assertion that it would be odd to custom paint one. It’s easy to find several images of Figaros in yellow. [![](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b9/37/ec/b937ec0415006f56fbec9c72b92ad664.jpg) ](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b9/37/ec/b937ec0415006f56fbec9c72b92ad664.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2025, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-car-is-this-in-the-bbc-unforgotten-series/1022607/17 "2025-08-31T15:13:19Z")
They look like someone stole the bumper off a Karmann Ghia.