Nissan Skyline

The Nissan Skyline (Japanese: 日産・スカイライン Nissan Sukairain) is a line of compact cars, sports cars and compact executive cars originally produced by the Prince Motor Company starting in 1955, and then by Nissan after the two companies merged in 1966. After the merger, the Skyline and its larger counterpart, the Nissan Gloria, were sold in Japan at dealership sales channels called Nissan Prince Shop.

The Skyline was largely designed and engineered by Shinichiro Sakurai from inception, and he remained a chief influence of the car until his death in 2011.

Skylines are available in either coupé, or sedan body styles, plus station wagon, crossover, convertible and pickup/sedan delivery body styles. The later models are most commonly known by their trademark round brake and tail lights (as of 1972). While not distributed in the United States until its importation as the Infiniti G, the Skyline's prominence in video games, movies and magazines resulted in many such cars being imported there from 1989 to late 2005 via Motorex.^[1] The majority of Skyline models are rear-wheel drive, with four-wheel drive being available since the eighth-generation's debut.

The 11th-generation Skyline (V35) was another major turning point for the nameplate, as it dropped some of the previous generation Skyline's trademark characteristics such as the straight-6 engine (replaced with a V6) and turbocharging, and eventually separated the GT-R into its own line. Nissan decided to retain the Skyline for the luxury-sport market, while its platform-mate, the 350Z, revived the Z line of pure sports cars.^[2] The V35 was the first Skyline made for export to North America, being sold under Nissan's luxury marque Infiniti as the G35. The Skyline (V36/J50) is sold in Europe, North America, South Korea, Taiwan, and the Middle East as the Infiniti G37.

On April 11, 2010 a Guinness book of records event took place with 225 Skylines taking part in a parade lap at the ISTS at Silverstone UK which produced two World records the first being the most recorded Nissan Skylines at one meet at one time and another being the Most Nissan Skylines on a track at the same time.

Prince Skyline ALSID-1/ALSID-2/BLRA-3

ALSID-1

The first Skyline was introduced in April 1957,^[4] by the Prince Motor Company, and was marketed as a luxury car. It featured a 1.5 L (1,482 cc) GA-30 engine producing 44 kW (60 hp) at 4,400 rpm.It used a de Dion tube rear suspension and was capable of 140 km/h (87 mph). The car weighed around 1,300 kg (2,900 lb). Skylines were produced as four-door sedans and five-door station wagons. Its appearance seems to be influenced^{[citation needed]} by the contemporary Oldsmobile 88. Reflecting popular features found in North America, the Skyline used Dagmars on the front bumper.
The Skyline also spawned a pickup truck and a delivery van marketed as the Skyway.

ALSID-2

The Skyline was updated with quadruple headlights for 1958, and was again facelifted in February 1960.
This model was powered by a slightly altered 1,484 cc (90.6 cu in) OHV engine known as the GA-4 of about 70 PS (51 kW) at 4,800 rpm and was produced through 1961. An 1,862 cc (113.6 cu in) engine was also available in the Skyline 1900 (BLSID-3/BLSIS-3), delivering 91 PS (67 kW) at 4,800 rpm. This version was introduced in May 1961 and continued in production until the introduction of the second generation Skyline in 1963 In 1962, this model was restyled as the S21D/S series.

Prince Skyline ALSI-2

BLRA-3 (R21A/B)

Prince Skyline Sport BLRA-3

The Skyline Sport featured hand-built Michelotti bodies in stylish coupe (R21A) and convertible (R21B) versions. These cars used the 1.9 L (1,862 cc/113 cu in) GB-30 engine, producing 96 hp (72 kW) and 113.5 ft·lbf (154 Nm). While only a few hundred were built, Prince Motors had a very aggressive product placement group and they can be seen (along the company's mainstream models) in many Toho films of the early 1960s.