‘One of only four QXS left’

Craig snaps up a Japanese rarity

A good mate used to regale me with tales of how his dad was one of the few people in the UK who had bought a new Nissan Maxima QX, with a 2.0-litre V6, velour trim and a manual gearbox.

If ever there was a definition of depreciation, this car was it, right down to its Navy Blue paint. I love oddball cars, and told my friend, Paul, that if ever his dad wanted to part with his QX, I’d offer it a home. And that’s where the story takes a sad turn. Just after Christmas, Paul called me to tell me that the QX needed moving as his father had passed away, and as the only person he knew that would even give the thing a second glance, it fell to me to be its saviour.

So that’s what I did… we concocted a cunning plan that involved retrieving it from its base in Worthing and repatriating it to the Cambridgeshire Fens. N789 CWL has been loved and cherished throughout its life, and is pretty presentable, save for a rust scab on the passenger front wing, almost certainly a side effect of previous accident damage repairs, if the images of a minor RTA back in 2004 are anything to go by.

What its future holds, though, I’m not sure. I promised Paul I’d try and find an enthusiastic new home for it, as I’m overrun by other cars. It has a short MOT but shouldn’t need much – if anything – for its next one. Interested parties please get in touch via the magazine – a good home is more important than a good price.