It’s not every day that we host a marque for the first time on CC, especially one that made great cars on an industrial scale, as opposed to some obscure artisan-type outfit (don’t get me wrong, I love those too.) Let’s look at one of Japanese automobile history’s milestones: the very last Prince model that was still badged as such, the S57 Skyline.
We don’t talk much about religion on this website, which is a good thing. But assuming you are of a monotheistic background like a good many English-speakers, Japanese religious beliefs are about as exotic as they come. They mix three belief systems that don’t quite intersect but co-exist alongside each other: take a form of State religion (Shinto), add a healthy dose of Buddhism and spice it up with a cornucopia of ancient animist gods (the God of rice, the God of the river, etc.). Important things need to be appeased and thanked for their bounty. Is there a God of classic cars? If there is, I need to make a donation. Finding a pristine ‘60s Skyline – the last and best of its kind, as I now understand – sitting alone in a parking lot felt like some sort of divine intervention.
OK, I may be pushing it a bit. Maybe I should set a higher bar for “divine intervention” than a 50-year-old Skyline. Still, that car was just planted there in the open, making it an exceptionally easy subject to photograph. That in itself is not half remarkable – how many times were my efforts thwarted by boxed-in beauties in poorly-lit surroundings, or spotted too late driving away? CC hunting can be a frustrating sport. In this case, there were no chain-link fences or hedges to contend with, no blinding sun or pouring rain to ruin the occasion, no suspicious onlooker wondering what this foreigner I was up to. Guess I got really lucky…
It would take me a little while to untangle the mysteries of the whole Prince saga, so here’s the deal about just the Skyline. We’ll get to the bigger picture some other time – perhaps in a Japanese edition of the Deadly Sins, if I find the energy to plough through that much terra incognita. The Skyline saloon was launched in April 1957. This first iteration had a 1.5 litre 4-cyl. engine producing 60 PS and a rather sophisticated suspension: double wishbones and coils at the front, leaf-sprung De Dion at the rear. In 1959, the Skyway wagon variant appeared; in 1960, the Skyline was given quad headlamps and big rear fins (top right), as well as the Gloria’s 1862cc 4-cyl. The headlamps were lowered into the grille for the first generation’s final facelift (bottom left) in 1962. That year, a Michelotti-designed Skyline Sport coupé and cabriolet was briefly (hand-)made by Allemano in Turin, but it was soon abandoned for being a bit too pricey for the JDM.
In November 1963, a completely new Skyline arrived. Known as the S50, it kept its predecessor’s suspension, but was a full monocoque (Japan’s first), thanks to which it shed over 300 kg. The 1.5 litre engine returned (producing 70 PS) and a 1.9 litre Diesel became available. In mid-‘60s Japan’s burgeoning 1.5 litre mid-sized saloon market, the Prince Skyline rapidly became the car to beat. One of the S50’s most celebrated aspects was its low maintenance cost: a contemporary Corona or a Bluebird chassis had to be greased every 3-4000 km, whereas the Prince only needed that service every 30,000 km. The engine was also under a 40,000 km / 2-year warranty, more than double the competition. The Skyline was also the quickest, had the best ride and was the darling of the Japanese film and TV directors, thanks to Prince’s appetite for free publicity.
Fuji Speedway, 3 May 1964: the birth of the Skyline’s racing pedigree
But Prince wanted even more recognition for their cars – something like racing cred, for instance. To that end, they lengthened the Skyline’s nose by 20cm (8 in.) and shoved the Gloria’s OHC 6-cyl. in there, along with disc brakes, thereby creating the S54 Skyline 2000GT. The long nose really didn’t do much for the car’s esthetics, but the point was to make sure the longer engine would be (mostly) within the wheelbase for better handling. Prince entered a clutch of souped-up S54s into the 1964 Japan Grand Prix, where they performed beautifully, taking 2nd to 6th place behind a Porsche 904.
The S54 Skyline (1964-68) – above: early 2000GT; below: post-‘66 facelift GT-B and AUS/NZ export
The 6-cyl. Skyline was quite successful within Japan, but was also exported, just like the S50, though sometimes under a different name. Australia and New Zealand got the bigger Skyline as the PMC A200 GT, while Europe got the smaller one as the PMC-Mikado A150. Another mystery of Japanese automotive branding. On the JDM, the 6-cyl. model was available in two rates of tune – the 2000GT-A and 2000GT-B. The latter, which arrived in late 1965, got a triple-carbureted 125 hp engine, a 5-speed gearbox and a limited-slip diff. Even as Nissan assumed control of Prince in late 1966, the S54 got a slight facelift with a new grille, revised taillights and C-pillar vents.
Although Prince Motor Co. were being digested by Nissan, there were new designs in the pipeline that still got the green light. After all, Nissan were just fine with adding the Skyline and Gloria to their expanding empire, though major technical changes would come in due course. In September 1967, the S57 Skyline was launched. The 4-cyl. engine had been completely revised with an overhead camshaft and a host of other modifications, pushing the output to 88 PS (87 hp), making this ultimate iteration of the “small” Skyline the fastest of the breed – and of its class on the JDM. A red “88” badge was installed on the front grille, as well as a small “OHC” script on the rear panel. Revised front fascia and taillights, as well as discreet Nissan badges, completed the look.
Armed with this plethora of insignia and its peppy engine, the Skyline was ready to become Japan’s answer to BMW and Alfa Romeo, its real competitors on the global market. But I’m not sure the global market took any notice, as I do not think these were widely exported. I did find one recently at the Jesada Technik Museum in Thailand, so some of these late 4-cyl. Princes did go abroad. But I doubt they went as far as Milan or Munich.
If there is one aspect where the Prince shows its age, it’s the interior. The design of this cabin looks far more 1958 than 1968, certainly compared to the aforementioned BMW or Alfa saloons. The long floor-mounted gearstick entails a 4-speed manual – the only transmission available on this model, I believe. The lesser S50 could get that too, but it came standard with a 3-speed or could be provided with a 2-speed auto, both mounted on the steering column.
The Skyway wagon was discontinued in 1967, so the S57 was only available as a saloon. I’m not sure who penned the car’s lines, but it was a fine job. Chrome accents are plentiful but not overwrought, the greenhouse is still slightly tinged with wraparound glass, the proportions are pretty much sport on. The front grille has a bit of a ’64 Impala feel to it, but the (much) narrower Prince body only makes that a fleeting resemblance. For some reason, as I photographed it, I kept thinking it had some ’64-’65 Studebaker as well.
Although it’s a very good design, in my view, there is something off about the Skyline’s wheels and overall height. Good ground clearance was still pretty important in Japan in those days, when paved roads were still not universal. I get that. But the fact remains that this car looks like it’s sitting up on stilts. It’s just perched up on those tyres, looking ever so slightly gangly and awkward. I’m not a fan of lowered suspensions in general, but in this case and in my personal opinion, reducing the gap between the body and the wheels would work wonders for this car’s stance.
The Skyline is still with us today and it has continued being Nissan’s a sporty little number, just as it was for Prince before it – an admirable and rare example of longevity. One of the only durable styling features of the bloodline are the round taillights. And the 2nd generation had them, at least in the beginning. For some reason, i.e. because it was a facelift year, the 1967-68 Skylines do not have that distinctive trait. In a way, this is a shame. In another way, it just makes this Skyline all the more unique.
Another unusual feature of the Skyline – and an important factor in the nameplate’s survival – is that they were overseen for decades by the same person. Automotive engineer Shinichiro Sakurai (1929-2011) was put in charge of the Skyline project from the beginning, in the mid-‘50s, and remained the model’s “showrunner” well into the present century, even after he was made president of Nissan subsidiary Autech in the mid-‘80s. It was Sakurai who pushed for dropping the 6-cyl. into the Prince Skyline to create a hot car, creating an enduring subculture of Japanese RWD sports saloons.
In August 1968, the last S57 Skylines left Prince’s Murayama factory in Western Tokyo. The model had barely lasted a year. The A30 Gloria had already been re-baptized as a Nissan in mid-1967; now a new generation Skyline was to enter production, without Prince badges. Just like the A30 Gloria, the C10 Skyline was a 90% Prince design – the Nissan influence was chiefly limited to the suspension, which reverted to a live rear axle, but the brilliant 1.5 litre OHC engine was carried over. Subsequent generations merged with the Nissan Laurel and lost the Prince heritage, which was probably inevitable, but managed to keep some of the original model’s spirit.
The C10 Skyline is a more attractive car in many ways. It has a lot going for it esthetically and was a tremendous success on the JDM. Hopefully, I’ll catch one of those and feature it here one day. But the S57 Skyline’s very short production life, unique styling and last-of-the-Mohicans nature makes it a more important car, historically. I’m struggling to find detailed production data for the 2nd generation Skyline, but it seems Prince made about 115,000 of them – whether that’s all models together or just the S50 is unclear. Still, the 1st generation (1957-63) barely broke 30,000 units, so it looks like the S50/S54/S57 was something of a hit. The name Prince survived in the “Prince Store” network of Nissan dealerships, where Skylines are still sold. Prince is dead, long live the Skyline!
Related posts:
Curbside Classic Outtake: Late ‘60’s/Early ‘70’s Duo; Nissan Skyline GT (C10) and Mercedes 250 CE (W114) – Parking, Tokyo Style, by Jim Brophy
Car Show Capsule: 1973 Nissan Skyline C110 GT-R – Delectable, Rare Wagyu, by William Stopford
Curbside Capsule: 1986-90 Nissan Pintara/Skyline – The Boxes Enter The Ring, by William Stopford
Great! I remember seeing these Skylines in Australia when I was a kid. Well, the S50s and S54s anyway, but not this facelift version. Never as common around Melbourne as Toyotas, but there were probably as many Princes on the road in the mid sixties as there were Nissan Bluebirds. The six cylinder models did indeed carve out a name for itself in racing, and they still do well in historic racing. I don’t recall them ever being sold as PMCs though; that’s the first I’ve heard of that name.
And yes, CC-in-scale has an S54. I just finished a C10 a few months back too, but that’s for another day.
Excellent model as always, Pete.
I wondered about that PMC thing too. I’ve seen a couple Australian ads where they call them that, but there doesn’t seem to be any corresponding badging – they’re just Prince.
Was that name trademarked by some other automotive company for the Aussie / NZ market (Lucas, for instance ?)
I don’t know about trademarks, I was fairly young at the time. Road tests in the newspaper and ads in Reader’s Digest called it Prince, and the cars I saw said Prince. I think in those days PMC would have been confused with BMC which was very much an active entity on the Australian car market in the mid-sixties. Maybe they were going to call it PMC, but BMC objected, so they ran with Prince after all?
The Skyline was much more common than the Gloria; that was a beautiful car. There was one of those in my neighbourhood until the early eighties.
Here in New Zealand, they were just badged as Prince, though some adverts reference PMC (Prince Motor Company), which was probably more a case of the same advertising material being used in a number of countries with the specs and local Importer/dealer details changed to suit. The PMC name was used in place of Prince on the Skyline and Gloria that made it to Norway, so guess it may have been used for the European market.
For New Zealand, the Gloria was far more common than the Skyline, with the Gloria being assembled here in 1965/66, the only country outside of Japan to ever assemble Prince vehicles. First generation Skylines were sold in NZ from September 1962.
This car immediately reminds me of the 1967 Fiat 125, a car I’ve always admired, and the side view pics echo the style line over the rear wheel arch of the original ’62 Chevy Nova. The trim detailing is very finely done, an intriguing car indeed! I agree finding a grand car standing alone in the right setting is an alignment-of-the-planets moment!
Good call on the Nova. It’s not just the rear wheelarch, either. Even the front end looks like a quad-eyed Nova.
What I thought also – a combination of a lot of 60’s Italian sedans, Fiats or maybe Alfas, and the Chevy II.
This led me to looking it up: they were called Chevy II at first. The Nova was the bucket seat sporty model. By 1969 they had dropped the Chevy II name and called all of them Nova.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Chevy_II_/_Nova
We got the four and the sixes from ’64 through to ’68 with later ones being Nissan Prince Skylines (and all actually ’67’s). Apparently Australia was the only place these Skylines were officially exported to. Only about 300 of the sixes sold, with a few racing unsuccessfully at our “big” annual event at Mt Panorama, Bathurst. A grey one just like this more modest 1500 lived nearby into the ‘8o’s. I was a snob then, and not much interested in this old Jap rubbish.
If I’d been honest, I liked the looks, and do still, despite the gangles. You may well have a point about the wheel clearance thing: the brochure pics seems to want to hide it. Note esp the rear wheel in the white car 4 photos down when compared to your real one.
My thought is that the failing you notice is a cumulative product: all the cues across the styling lead to the expectation of a wider car, compounded by lots of “tumbleunder” at the sill and lower quarter, plus the ride height.
I do agree that the long-nosed sixes aren’t better looking, somehow giving the impression the driver is sitting in the back. Can’t win at Bathurst from there.
The Skyways and Skylines were sold new in NZ from 57 onwards basically the first Japanese cars to arrive some still exist along with a lot of early Glorias which were assembled here in Christchurch.
The Datsun Bluebird was the first Japanese car to be sold in NZ arriving in May 1962, with the Prince Skyline following a few months later in late September. Fifty Skyline Deluxe sedans were initially imported, with the NZ importers having licence to import 300 in 1963. These 300 were a mixture of standard and deluxe trim Skyline sedans and Skyway station wagons. Only 3 of the 1962 Skylines are known to still exist, and possibly two 1963 Skyline sedans, and two Skyway wagons. It would seem the NZ importers switched to importing an unknown number of Gloria sedans in 1964 instead of Skylines, with NZ Gloria assembly beginning in July 1965. A handful of Skyline GT sedans were imported during 1965/66/67..
It makes me too think of the Studebaker’s from the end of production in the silhouette and some of the styling details.
The grille looks to have taken inspiration from the ’61 Lincoln, ’61-’63 Thunderbird. Otherwise it looks like a shrunken Chevy Nova. Prince, if they ever tried the U.S market, didn’t get very far.
I actually see Chevy Nova in the front end too; imagine if a Nova had four headlights … the arching around the lights is very Nova-like. Along with the rear wheel arches and C pillar shape and angke, the resemblance is uncanny.
T87, I do have to wonder exactly how far do you walk every day to randomly locate some of these spectacular finds? Japan isn’t all that large, I suspect you may have fallen off the ends more than one time by now. If someone over here located one of these, within days there’d be half a dozen more seen by “the effect”. Somehow I don’t see that happening with this one.
I find this to be an extremely handsome car with wonderful detailing. The color suits it to a T(87?) as well. Very well done, both in regard to the car as well as the finding of it.
What a fabulous little car. This may be my favorite of your JDM smorgasbord so far.
Yup, me too:
That line above the rear wheel opening survived all the way to 1981.
That line is almost identical on the Triumph 1300 too:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triumph_1300#/media/File:1300fwd20.jpg
And to the extend, pre-facelifted Mercedes-Benz W212 E-Class, too.
And here you were thinking you wouldn’t see many old cars there…
A delightful find and I look forward to your inevitable full history of Prince!
I’m sure a few of these did make it to certain Scandinavian countries, Norway or Sweden maybe?
The PMC A200 GT was also sold in the Netherlands and the brochure I have has the same cover as right bottom in this picture but only the name Prince is omitted:
https://i2.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/1964-68_Skyline_2000_S54-copy.jpg
As the A200 GT pictured is LHD I would assume this is a brochure from another European country where it was sold. (Norway or Finland?)
To me, the later Skylines shown look as if they were the direct forebearers of the Datsun 510 – similar greenhouse; similar profile at front and back. Am I crazy or did Nissan cop the design for the 510?