The Nissan Skyline is a brand of car originally produced by the Prince Motor Company from 1957 and by Nissan after the two merged in 1966. After the merger the Skyline and the larger Gloria were sold in Japan through Nissan Prince Shop dealers. The car was largely designed and engineered by Shinichiro Sakurai from the beginning until his death in 2011.
Nissan Skyline at a glance
| Introduced | 24 April 1957, by Prince |
|---|---|
| First model | ALSI-1 |
| First engine | 1.5-litre GA-30, 60 hp |
| First top speed | 140 km/h |
| First weight | about 1,300 kg |
| Rear suspension | de Dion tube |
| Bodies | coupé, saloon, wagon, crossover, convertible and pickup over the years |
| Drive | rear-wheel drive; part-time four-wheel drive from the R32 |
| GT-R versions | 1969–1973 and 1989–2002 |
| Export as | Infiniti G35, G37 and EX |
based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Nissan Skyline.
History of the Nissan Skyline
ALSI-1 (1957)
The first Skyline was introduced on 24 April 1957 at the Takarazuka Theater in Hibiya, Tokyo, for Fuji Precision Industries, and marketed as a luxury car. It used the 1.5-litre GA-30 engine of 60 hp, previously seen in the prototype Subaru 1500, a de Dion tube rear suspension and could reach 140 km/h. It weighed about 1,300 kg and came as a four-door saloon or five-door wagon in ALSIS-1 standard and ALSID-1 Deluxe forms. Its look followed 1950s American cars, with tail fins, chrome moulding and two-tone paint, and at European shows it was accused of copying the Simca Ariane. It was sold in the United States from 1959 but hardly at all; a 1960 left-hand-drive car turned up in an Idaho junkyard in 2020.
A Prince design
The Skyline was designed by Shinichiro Sakurai, who stayed its chief influence until 2011. From the third-generation C10 to the tenth-generation R34 the chassis, suspension and some engines were shared with the longer-wheelbase Nissan Laurel. When the former Prince factory at Musashimurayama closed in 2002, the same year the Laurel ended, the Skyline moved to the new FM platform shared with the 350Z from the V35 generation.
GT-R and export
A high-performance GT-R version was built from 1969 to 1973 and again from 1989 to 2002. The V35 of 2002 was a turning point: it dropped the straight-six for a V6, turbocharging returned only with the V37, and the GT-R eventually became a separate model. The V35 was also the first Skyline exported to North America, sold there by Infiniti as the G35 in 2002, and the V36 and J50 were sold in Europe, North America, South Korea, Taiwan and the Middle East as the Infiniti G37 and EX. As of 2024 the Skyline is the only saloon left in Nissan’s Japanese range.
Design and features
- Prince origins: designed before Nissan bought Prince and sold by both.
- Sakurai’s car: one engineer shaped the line for more than fifty years.
- Laurel link: shared chassis and engines with the Laurel for eight generations.
- GT-R: the performance version built in two periods before becoming a model of its own.
Nissan Skyline versions
- Prince Skyline ALSI-1 (1957–): the original luxury saloon.
- Skyline GT-R (1969–1973, 1989–2002): the high-performance version.
- Skyline V35 (2002–): the FM platform and V6 engine.
- Infiniti G35, G37 and EX: the export versions.
The Skyline is the parent of the GT-R and shared its platform with the Laurel and 350Z. More cars are in the Nissan collection.
Video: Nissan Skyline – HUGE FLAMES
Video by YouTube on YouTube.
Sources
- Nissan Skyline, English Wikipedia: first generation, Sakurai, Laurel link, GT-R periods, Infiniti export
