Cars that permeated the late bubble economy
The 1990s was a period when many Japanese cars, now known as neo-classic cars and secretly popular, made their appearance. Here, we have deliberately excluded family cars such as the Honda Odyssey minivan, a pioneer of the multi-person family car that debuted in 1994, and the Toyota Prius, a pioneer of mass-produced hybrid cars that caused a stir worldwide in 1997, as well as cars that dominated the market regardless of age or sex. We will introduce cars that were popular among young people who were following the trends of the time.
The Nissan Figaro was popular with upper-class girls
Let’s take a look at a car that permeated Japan at a time when the country was still in a state of flux: the Nissan Figaro, a car that appeared like a comet in the 1990s and was a hit with the girls, launched in 1991-1992 on a limited basis.
At the time, it was extremely popular among women, mainly university girls, and I remember it was popular among upper-class girls living in the Minato, Suginami, and Setagaya wards of Tokyo. Of course, depending on the body color, boys could ride in the car, but it was more suitable for two girls to ride together. The pattern of a girl driving and her boyfriend …… next to her was often seen on Aoyama Street in Tokyo.
The first Renault Twingo, loved by a port city lady
On the subject of girls, one of the imported cars that the so-called ladies of the time that the author knew loved was the first-generation Renault Twingo. Its lovely style and affordable size, which made it easy to park anywhere, were very popular with port city ladies who were not so good at driving. The author wrote an article on the Twingo at the time, and when photographed in front of a café on Minami Aoyama Icho-dori, the Twingo girls who appeared were apparel press and designers who would look good in a Twingo. The Twingo girls who appeared as Twingo girls were fashion experts, such as the press and designers of apparel that suited Twingo.
A great date car! The first generation Eunos Roadster
The world’s biggest-selling lightweight sports car of the 1990s was the first Eunos Roadster, which was introduced in 1989, and its lineage continues to this day. The Roadster was a great date car as well as a driver’s car, and I used to drive it fully open along the seaside roads of Shonan and Izu with my gal. However, the Roadster was rarely seen in adult playgrounds such as Roppongi, and was mainly found in the suburbs of Tokyo, all over Japan, where it was easy to drive.
