Classic cars: Nissan Skyline 1500 Deluxe, direct ancestor of the Nissan GT-R

The first car to carry the name Skyline was this small car launched by Nissan in 1957, which paved the way for later generations of Skyline, up to the imposing Nissan GT-R. Of course, the two have absolutely nothing in common, and the Skyline 1500 Deluxe was not even a model that pretended to be a sports car. Only a few years later did Nissan launch a version of this Skyline with sporting ambitions, the moment Nissan realised that the Skyline could become something more than a quiet saloon.

The Skyline 1500 Deluxe was nothing to boast about. It was simply a saloon built under the constraints imposed on Japan during the postwar years. It had a small 1.5-litre engine that produced no more than around 60 horsepower. Over time, the original Skyline gained more power and even a convertible. In 1962 it took on coupé form (although it looked like a mini American car), and later it went on to receive oddities such as an estate model within its range.

Just over 30 years after this little utility car first saw the light of day, one of the most iconic Skylines hit the market, and in my opinion the clearly distinguished EL sports car of Nissan in the 1980s: the R32 GT-R. It went through several variants and rumours of its discontinuation, which led to later models, including a similar version under Infiniti. Finally, the Nissan GT-R (R35), with which Nissan regained a huge amount of lost ground against its direct rivals among sports cars.

Who would have thought that the 1500 Deluxe would, over the years, become the predecessor (if only in name) of one of the most coveted cars in the world?

Source | Hemmings Auto Blog

More information | JBCar Pages