1972 Nissan Skyline GT-R 'Hakosuka'

Beginning as a luxury car introduced in 1957 by Japan’s Prince Motor Company, the Skyline 2000GT made its debut to qualify for GT-II at the 1964 Japanese Grand Prix. Relentless development by “Mr. Skyline” Shin’ichiro Sakurai resulted in a sweep of 2nd through 6th places. Following Prince’s 1966 merger with Nissan, the “C10” Skyline of 1968 begat the 2000GT-X and 2000GT-R, which were introduced in February 1969 and won the JAF Grand Prix. Having proved its point, Nissan ended GT-R production in the early 1970s and did not revisit the concept until the 1980s.

This GT-R “Hakosuka” (Japanese for “boxy skyline”) was acquired in Yokohama, Japan, in 2015 following an extensive search and subsequently completely restored by Restauraciones Clasicas in Costa Rica. After complete disassembly, the original paint color was found and matched. The body panels were in great shape, and the only rust found was a couple of spots on the rockers, necessitating minimal bodywork. Brakes, steering, and suspension were disassembled and restored as well, while the engine and gearbox were found to be in good condition, requiring only cleaning, painting, and refreshing. The original interior was simply cleaned and preserved, while the console and top dash surface were restored using correctly grained plastic. Other highlights include cad-plated metal parts, new body gaskets, and emblems. As offered, this rare race-bred performer is ready to go.