Import a Nissan Figaro, Pao or Be-1 from Japan to Ireland: what it really costs
The Pike Factory cars: Be-1 (1987), Pao and S-Cargo (1989) and the Figaro (1991), 20,073 of which were sold by lottery with a 1.0-litre turbo, a three-speed automatic and four colours named after the seasons.
The Figaro is the most imported Japanese classic in these islands, with more than 3,000 grey imports in Britain and Ireland by 2019, and it is the clearest example of what Japan does and does not offer a classic buyer. Every Pike car is over 30, so the taxes are 23% VAT on the customs value, €200 of VRT and nothing else; there is no duty argument and no NOx question. What Japan offers is the good ones: garaged, low-mileage cars with the original roof and interior, at prices that reflect that.
The arithmetic is honest rather than flattering. A ¥1,800,000 Figaro lands at about €16,800, against an Irish average asking price of €8,950 and a British average of about £11,000 for cars that have spent 25 years being Figaros in the rain. The buyer who wants the best one in the county has a reason to go to Japan; the buyer who wants a Figaro does not, and we would say so.
- Customs duty
- 0%
- With a Statement on Origin; 10% without one.
- VRT in the scenarios
- 0% to 0%
- of Revenue’s valuation, by CO2 band
- Landed, incl. fee
- €14,516 to €23,624
- across the scenarios and CO2 assumptions
- Exchange rate
- 180.94 ¥/€
- ECB, 18 Sept 2026, with the 2% buffer
Worked scenarios
Computed with the same engine as the calculator when this page was built. Prices and Irish values are assumptions. Open any row and replace the assumptions with a real car.
| Car | Price in Japan | Irish value | CO2 → band | Landed incl. fee | Open in calculator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 Figaro, Emerald Green, 90,000 kmPetrol | ¥1,800,000 | €12,000 | 35 years old → vintage rate, €200 | €16,618 | Open |
| 1991 Figaro, 42,000 km, roof and paint renewedPetrol | ¥2,800,000 | €17,000 | 35 years old → vintage rate, €200 | €23,624 | Open |
| 1990 Pao canvas top, five-speed, 95,000 kmPetrol | ¥1,500,000 | €10,000 | 36 years old → vintage rate, €200 | €14,516 | Open |
- 1991 Figaro, Emerald Green, 90,000 km: A grade 3.5 to 4 car with the original roof; price from the middle of the 2026 range, value above the Irish average because the car is better than the average. €200 VRT.
- 1991 Figaro, 42,000 km, roof and paint renewed: A restored low-mileage car from a Japanese specialist; the value assumes a British-style restored price. €200 VRT.
- 1990 Pao canvas top, five-speed, 95,000 km: A manual Pao with the canvas roof; price from 2026 listings, value an estimate. €200 VRT.
VRT and the OMSP
Every Pike car is over 30: €200 of VRT, no CO2 evidence and no NOx levy on our reading (V20). The Irish value affects the insurance and the estimate range, not the tax.
Motor tax is the €56 vintage rate, the ZV plate is optional and free, and the NCT is every two years until the car is 40.
NOx levy
None on a car registered at 30 years or more, as the engine and the secondary sources have it; we are confirming this with Revenue (V20). Registered younger, a petrol car with no NOx evidence pays the €600 default.
Without evidence Revenue charges €600 for petrol and hybrid cars, €4,850 for diesels.
Customs duty and origin
Japanese-built, so 0% customs duty applies with a Statement on Origin from the exporter, exactly as for a modern car. Heading 9705 adds nothing here: the duty is already nil, and Revenue charges the standard 23% VAT on a vintage car that will be driven whatever heading it is declared under.
Built in: Japan (Aichi Machine Industry, the Pike Factory, for Nissan). Japanese-built, so the EU–Japan 0% duty rate applies with a Statement on Origin.
Insurance
The easiest classic on the site to insure: the Irish and British classic insurers know the Figaro well, write agreed-value policies with limited mileage, and the values are low. Bring the photographs and the auction sheet for the valuation.
Generations
- Figaro (February 1991, one model year): MA10ET 987 cc turbo, 76 ps, three-speed automatic, fixed-profile convertible roof, leather interior; Emerald Green, Pale Aqua, Lapis Grey and Topaz Mist. All over 30.
- Pao (1989 to 1991): MA10S naturally aspirated, 52 ps, five-speed manual or automatic, optional canvas roof; 51,657 built, the practical one.
- Be-1 (1987 to 1988, 10,000 built) and S-Cargo (1989 to 1991, about 8,000): the rarer Pike cars, priced accordingly in Japan.
Before you bid
- The MA10ET turbo and its head gasket: a cold-start video, a compression figure and a look for oil in the coolant before the bid.
- Rust in the sills, rear arches and boot floor even on Japanese cars; the roof seals and the rear screen are the water’s way in.
- Roof fabric, seat leather and the dashboard top are the expensive cosmetic items; a car with them original and good is worth the premium.
- The three-speed automatic is slow and fine; a slipping one is a rebuild.
- Japanese tyres often lack the E-mark the NCT requires: budget €300–600 for a set.
Where the numbers come from
- Japanese retail prices in September 2026 ran from ¥998,000 to ¥4,903,000 across 38 Figaros on one aggregator, with honest cars between ¥1,500,000 and ¥2,800,000 and restored or very low-mileage cars above (MOTA; directional). Paos from about ¥1,000,000 to ¥2,500,000.
- Irish Figaros averaged €8,950 asking with 121,000 km and a 1991 plate on DoneDeal’s model page in September 2026; Adverts.ie returned 19 results. British averages of about £11,100 with the best restored cars at £15,000 and above (AutoUncle, dated).
- Values here are for insurance and the estimate range only; on a car over 30 they do not affect the tax.
Questions people ask
How much VRT does a Figaro pay?
€200, because every Figaro is over 30 years old when registered. No CO2 evidence is needed and, on our reading, no NOx levy applies (being confirmed, V20).
Is a Figaro from Japan cheaper than one in Ireland?
No. A good ¥1,800,000 car lands at about €16,800 against an Irish average asking price of €8,950. The Japanese car is a better car; whether that is worth €8,000 to you is the whole question.
Is the VAT 13.5% because the car is a classic?
Not for a car that will be registered and driven. Revenue lists vintage cars at the standard 23% rate and the brokers apply the 13.5% collectors’ rate only to a car kept off the road, warning of fines and confiscation for a wrong claim. Budget 23%.
Is a Figaro duty-free?
Yes, with a Statement on Origin from the exporter, because it was built in Japan. Declaring it under heading 9705 changes nothing: the duty is already nil and the VAT stays at 23%.
How long does the import take?
Typically 8 to 14 weeks from auction to Irish plates: a week or two in Japan for deregistration and export paperwork, four to six at sea, then customs clearance, the NCTS appointment and registration.
Price a real Figaro
Put a real auction listing into the calculator: hammer price, mileage and the CO2 figure if you have it. You get every cost line and a range, and you can send it to us for sourcing from there.
Other models
Rules version 2026-09-17. Estimates only; VRT is assessed by Revenue at registration. Page computed at build time; the calculator uses the exchange rate of the day.