Prince Skyline History

The Prince Skyline debuted on April 24, 1957, unveiled at the Takarazuka Theater in Tokyo as the successor to the Prince Sedan. The first generation (ALSI/BLSI, 1957–1963) was a four-door luxury sedan powered by a 1.5-litre GA-30 inline-four producing 60 hp, with a sophisticated De Dion tube rear suspension — advanced engineering for Japan at the time. American late-1950s styling cues, including tail fins and two-tone paint, gave it prestige-car appeal.

The second generation (S50 series, from September 1963) was more compact and modern, still four-cylinder but with improved performance. The pivotal moment came in 1964 with the S54 GT variant: to compete in the Japanese Grand Prix, Prince grafted the Gloria's 2.0-litre G7 SOHC inline-six into the lighter Skyline body, creating Japan's first serious performance sedan. The S54B triple-carburettor version produced 125 PS and only 100 were built, making it one of the most sought-after Prince collectibles.

The Skyline did not win the 1964 race — the Porsche 904s were quicker — but the engineering ambition was undeniable. After Prince merged into Nissan in August 1966, the Skyline continued as the Nissan Skyline, eventually evolving into the GT-R supercar that made the nameplate globally famous.