When we think of the first GT-R, our minds usually go to the lovely KPGC-10 Skyline GT-R two-door coupe but the original car to wear the fabled badges was its four-door version that was launched in 1969.
Codenamed PGC-10, the four-door Nissan Skyline GT-R was built in just 832 examples, making it extremely rare. A lot of them went into racing and that left even fewer survivors today. It is estimated that only two of these are currently in the US.
The first Nissan Skyline GT-R was essentially a stripped version of the normal Skyline ready to race, coming out of the factory even without a heater.
Power came from a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter inline-six engine producing 160hp and mated to a close-ratio five-speed manual gearbox. This specific example runs on 45mm Weber carburetors and features racing cams and a different header, making in total around 200hp.
Unlike the heavy all-wheel drive GT-Rs that followed, the original Hakosuka was a pure, lightweight rear-drive coupe built to win races. Its small naturally aspirated six-cylinder engine sounds incredible, especially for 1969 standards.
You don’t have to be an avid JDM fan to appreciate the engineering details of a truly beautiful car. Especially one that gave birth to the legend of the GT-R badge. Jay Leno gets a visit from the original Skyline GT-R on the video that follows.