Ever since its launch in 1982, the Nissan Micra (known as the March in its domestic market) has stood for reliable, practical and affordable motoring.
These cars are compact, crisply styled, and offer the sort of no-frills proposition that fits keenly with sensible and frugal budgets.…except that sometimes, just sometimes, the no-frills idea has gone out of the window.
The first-gen (K10) Micra was offered in Super S spec, with a rakish bodykit and extra interior equipment. The Mk2 (K11) could be optioned as an SR or, again, a Super S. And the pattern continued with the car you see here, the K12 Micra. This is the generation built between 2002-2011, with a facelift in 2005 bringing in a redesigned grille and bumpers, revised seats and improved trim.
At this time, Nissan Europe also launched a performance model, the Micra 160 SR. The ‘160’ in the name doesn’t denote the power output as some mistakenly assume, but the engine size: this car features the 1.6-litre HR16DE engine, producing 111bhp, and the model was also treated to sports suspension, 16” alloys and a subtle bodykit.
And with a kerb weight just a smidge over a tonne, the power-to-weight ratio leads to some genuinely entertaining performance from that effervescent four-pot. A hidden gem, this.
This Micra recently came into the possession of a collector who has an eye for the offbeat. As well as various classic Mercedes-Benz and Jaguars, we’ve known him to enjoy the likes of the Fiat Stilo Schumacher and all sorts – and when he spied the 160 SR for sale, he knew it was something rare that he wanted to try. Indeed, with just 700 or so currently registered on UK roads, these things are tantalisingly obscure.
However, now that curiosity has been sated, it’s time for the collector to move onto his next acquisition and somebody else to enjoy this rare and entertaining car.
The V5 is present, along with the original manuals. The Micra passed its MOT on November 29th, and it was a good pass – the only advisories were for wiper blades and a loose battery, so nothing concerning here.
We can see from its history that it’s averaged around 6,200 miles per year throughout its life, which is comfortably below average.
Being the top-of-the-range model, the 160 SR came surprisingly well equipped. While most Micras were somewhat austere in their runabout shopper nature, this variant came with air-conditioning and a 6-CD changer as well as electric windows and drilled aluminium pedals.
One little Micra secret that owners particularly enjoy is the hidden storage compartment inside the front passenger seat – when you pull the tab at the back the seat base lifts up, and there’s a handy cubbyhole in there, just the right size for your Friday night takeaway.
The cabin is generally tidy; there’s some visible wear to the gearstick and steering wheel, plus the odd mark on the seat fabric, but on the whole it’s in-keeping with a 2005 car with this kind of mileage.
Given the shopper niche the Micra sits in, it’s quite often the case that you find them liberally sprinkled with parking grazes and dings, but that’s not the reality here. Indeed, aside from a scuff on the front bumper by one of the foglights, it’s all pretty tidy.
There are some other minor scuffs near the front number plate and across the rear bumper, but on the whole it’s pretty clean throughout. The light lenses and window glass are all good. You may notice some kerbing to a couple of the alloy wheels, but the owner actually has another similar Micra with a set of identical wheels in better condition, so he’ll be swapping the good ones onto this car before it sells.
The engine is the important bit in a 160 SR, as it’s really what differentiates it from lesser Micras. In this car it appears to be in fine fettle – the motor starts on the first twist of the key, idles correctly, and pulls strongly through the gears under eager acceleration as well as happily pottering about town.
The car’s light weight is a real boon here too, as the acceleration feels more vivid than one might expect from 110-odd horsepower. The owner reports no issues with the gearbox or clutch, nor with the brakes, steering or suspension, assuring us that it’s a pleasant, entertaining and reliable thing to drive.
This is going to be a lot of car for the money for somebody, without a doubt. Nissan’s early-2000s warm hatch is a bit of a forgotten curio, and while the performance figures mightn’t set the world on fire, it’s a very tractable and perky thing that feels much quicker than you might think.
It’s well equipped, complete and original, and dependable for day-to-day use. You can sneak in and out of urban traffic with most people thinking it’s just another Micra, but you’ll know it’s underpinned by a vital element of stealth. And for the low cost of entry here, this is one fizzy little tearaway that oughtn’t break the bank.
Notice to bidders
Although every care is taken to ensure this listing is as factual and transparent as possible, all details within the listing are subject to the information provided to us by the seller. Car & Classic does not take responsibility for any information missing from the listing. Please ensure you are satisfied with the vehicle description and all information provided before placing a bid.
As is normal for most auctions, this vehicle is sold as seen, and therefore the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. All bids are legally binding once placed. Any winning bidder who withdraws from a sale, is subject to our bidders fee charge. Please see our FAQs and T&C's for further information. Viewings of vehicles are encouraged, but entirely at the seller's discretion.
Please see our FAQ's here and our Terms & Conditions here
Consulta le nostre FAQ
qui
e i nostri Termini e condizioni
qui
Il modo più sicuro per acquistare un'auto d'epoca online
Il sistema di pagamento sicuro di Car & Classic protegge acquirenti e venditori. Al termine dell'asta, l'offerente vincente trasferisce il pagamento su un conto vincolato di terzi. Una volta completato il trasferimento del veicolo, entrambe le parti confermano di essere soddisfatte della vendita e il denaro viene rilasciato al venditore.
Maggiori informazioni su come acquistare con noi
NO RESERVE! - 2005 Nissan Micra 160 SR
Come funzionano le offerte massime
Il processo di offerta massima ti permette di fare offerte senza preoccupazioni.
Inserisci la tua offerta massima e il sistema farà offerte automaticamente per assicurarsi che tu sia il miglior offerente - fino all'ammontare da te stabilito come tetto massimo.
Anti-sniping
Car & Classic contrasta il fenomeno dello “sniping”, ovvero il fenomeno dei rilanci all'ultimo secondo per vincere l'asta.
Se viene fatta un'offerta nei 3 minuti prima della chiusura dell'asta, la scadenza di questa viene automaticamente estesa di 2 minuti per permettere agli altri offerenti di reagire e, se lo desiderano, di rilanciare.
Incrementi di offerta automatica
Se la sua offerta massima è uguale o inferiore al prezzo di riserva, la sua offerta massima sarà applicata per intero se lei è il miglior offerente.
Se siete il miglior offerente e fate un'offerta massima superiore a quella di riserva, la riserva verrà automaticamente inserita come prima offerta.
Una volta raggiunta la riserva, Car & Classic si assicurerà che tu sia il miglior offerente utilizzando solo gli incrementi di offerta indicati di seguito.
Vi terremo in testa fino alla vostra offerta massima O all'incremento più vicino alla vostra offerta massima, a condizione che la vostra offerta massima sia sufficiente a coprire il valore dell'incremento.
Ammontare dell'offerta
Incremento
Da £0 a £9,999
£100.00
Da £10,000 a £49,999
£250.00
Da £50,000 a £99,999
£500.00
£100,000 +
£1,000.00
Superamento immediato dell'offerta
Quando piazzi un'offerta massima e questa viene immediatamente superata, questo significa che un altro offerente ha impostato una soglia di offerta massima superiore alla tua.
Puoi fare nuovamente un'offerta o impostare una soglia più alta di offerta massima e il nostro sistema rilancerà fino alla nuova soglia, cercando di portarti a essere il miglior offerente.
Offerte massime di pari ammontare
Quando ci sono due offerte massime di pari ammontare, quella impostata per prima è quella che viene considerata “migliore offerta”.
Pre-autorizzazione
Potremmo trattenere un piccolo importo di pre-autorizzazione sulla tua carta fino alla fine dell'asta, quando quest'ultimo verrà poi stornato. Se vinci, verrà prelevata una caparra che verrà detratta dal pagamento del prezzo di vendita per il veicolo e non comporta costi aggiuntivi per te.
Cosa sono le Offerte pre-asta?
Offerte pre-asta significa che avete la possibilità di fare offerte prima dell'inizio ufficiale dell'asta.
Verrà comunicato se si è il miglior offerente o meno all'inizio dell'asta.
Problema con l'offerta
Le offerte sono contrattualmente vincolanti. Per tutelare l'utente, sono previste alcune regole nel caso in cui si ritenga che sia stato digitato in modo errato. Si prega di controllare e modificare quanto inserito.
