It’s always complicated when an automobile doubles as an investment, with the kind of numbers involved having the power to surprise one and condemn the vehicle to indoor life. Let’s take the 1973 Nissan Skyline GT-R, which is now way into the six-figure range mostly thanks to its rarity. For many owners, that would bring about the dreaded garage queen treatment, but it looks like this particular GT-R has a different tale.
Japanese vehicles of the time were heavily influenced by American cars and while this second-generation Skyline GT-R inherited the 160 hp 2L straight-six from its “Hakosuka” predecessor (the rest of the car was heavily reworked, though), this still went down in a similar fashion to American muscle when the oil crisis hit—if that sounds like a bummer, perhaps this NASCAR V8-gifted Hakosuka drift car can ease the feeling.
Not only did the issue keep the second-gen Skyline GT-R from enjoying the racing success of its forbearer (it never even got to enjoy the chequered flag), but it also meant production stopped after just one year.
And with just 197 units of the KPG110-codenamed Nissan being produced, it’s not difficult to see why collectors would pay new supercar money for one of these RWD toys today (in mint condition).
The unit parked on our screens today was caught on camera over in its home country and while one might imagine that an owner would wish to keep the thing in mint condition and under key, this is an unrestored piece being brought to a car show.
Especially on the roof and the rear spoiler, the paint shows its age, while various other bits, such as the engine, might also need a bit of attention. Don’t get us wrong, though, we’re always glad to check out such a patina queen.
Now, while YouTuber Daniel O’Grady (aka WasabiCars), who is responsible for the camera work, didn’t directly talk to the owner of the Skyline GT-R, one of his friends did and the story of how the man came to own the vehicle is not your usual path to GT-R ownership.
Sure, this means we have to take the tale with a pinch of salt, but the driver reportedly used to obsess over the GT-R, owning a Skyline GT of the said generation and collecting genuine GT-R parts to build a replica. His fate apparently changed when he came across this particular car on the road and somehow managed to convince the owner to sell it to him.
The car is mostly original
With that out of the way, we can return to the state of the vehicle, which has had the exhaust, headers included, replaced with custom hardware from R Factory—you’ll be able to sample the resulting soundtrack in the first part of the clip below, which shows the Nissan leaving the said event.
Now, one might wonder why the Gen II Skyline GT-R is affectionately called Kenmeri. It’s all related to a series of commercials Nissan ran for the coupe back in the 70s—not just the GT-R—that portrayed a young couple (Ken and Mary) enjoying their life with the machine. And, for the good old retro taste, you’ll find these ads in the second vid below.
