Skyline, a history in 12 generations: Gen 1
I haven’t done a pictorial series since the last Days of Ferrari, but Nissan has opened its archives and given us access to the last 43 years of Skyline development. From its debut as the Fuji Precision Machinery-built ALSI-D1 Skyline, to the Godzilla era, culminating in the first North American Skyline, the R35 GT-R, we have the chance to look back at an iconic Japanese performance brand.
Hand-in-hand with this blogs feature, I’ll be developing a historical story for Sports & Exotic Car. That piece will be include a more comprehensive historical overview, so if the eye candy here doesn’t ring your bell, watch your quality local newsstand for the paper version. Both, however, will start with the ALSI.
If you’re a student of Japanese cars, you think of the Skyline as A), a Datsun/Nissan product, and B), a sports car. And while the Skyline became both of those in short order, it started out as a 59hp sedan.
The first-generation Skyline was launched in April 1957 with a GA30 1,484CC OHV inline-four. It made the aforementioned 59hp (60PS) at 4,400 RPM, and would hit about 78 MPH. I won’t say it was sporty, exactly, but it had double wishbones and coil springs up front, with a De Dion rear. Nissan lists it at almost 2,900 pounds, but I find that hard to believe.
1957 Prince Skyline 1500 Deluxe ALSI-S1
1960 Prince Skyline 1500 ALSI-D2
In 1960, however, it had shed it’s half-a-Chevy (or Opel Rekord) look for something much sportier, including a Michelotti-designed Sport Coupe and Convertible with an available 80hp 1.9-liter engine. Alas, only 60 were produced.
1962 Prince Skyline sport coupe BLRA-3
1960 also saw the model line diversify in the opposite direction, with the Skyway van (wagon). This three-seater bad boy ditched the De Dion rear for a full leaf spring setup, but it also got a 68hp version of the 1.5 engine in compensation. I smell engine swap.
1960 Prince Skyway ALVG-2
SPECS
1957 Prince Skyline 1500 sedan
Overall length / width / height | 168.5/66/60.5 inches |
| Wheelbase | 99.8 inches |
| Tread (front/rear) | 52.75/54.3 inches |
| Curb weight | 2,888 pounds |
| Engine | OHV GA30 inline-four |
| Displacement | 1,484CC |
| Max. power, Hp @ RPM | 59 @ 4,400 |
| Max. torque, lbs.ft. @ RPM | 77.4 @ 3,200 |
| Tires | 6.40-14-6PR |
| Top speed | 77.7 MPH |
SPECS
1960 Prince Skyway ALVG-2 wagon
| Overall length / width / height | 174/66.1/62.6 inches |
| Wheelbase | 99.8 inches |
| Tread (front/rear) | 52.75/54.3 inches |
| Curb weight | 3,109 pounds |
| Engine | OHV GA30 inline-four |
| Max. power, Hp @ RPM | 68 @ 4,800 |
| Max. torque, lbs.ft. @ RPM | 83 @ 3,600 |
| Suspension(front) | Double wishbone |
| (rear) | Parallel semi-elliptic leaf |
| Tires | 6.00-14-4PR (rear: 6PR) |
| Seating capacity / Max. load capacity | 3 (6) / 1102 lbs. |
SPECS
1962 Prince Skyline sport coupe (convertible) BLRA-3
| Overall length / width | 183/66.7 inches |
| Overall height | 54.5 inches (55.5 inches) |
| Wheelbase | 99.8 inches |
| Tread (front/rear) | 54.6/54.1 inches |
| Curb weight | 2,976 pounds (2,954 pounds) |
| Engine | OHV GB4 inline-four |
| Displacement | 1,862CC |
| Max. power, Hp @ RPM | 92.5 @ 4,800 |
| Max. torque, lbs.ft. @ RPM | 112.8 @ 3,600 |
| Tires | 5.90-15-4PR |
| Top speed | 92 MPH |
For more Skylinery, visit the JBCar pages and Skyliner Owners Forum (home of over 1.2 million posts. Yikes.)