HAKOSUKA: THE BIRTH OF THE "GT-R"

The Nissan Hakosuka (ハコスカ) is a Japanese sports car that was produced by Nissan from 1970 to 1978. It is also known as the Nissan Skyline GT-R (スカイラインGT-R) and is considered to be a classic among car enthusiasts.

The Hakosuka was the first generation of the Nissan Skyline GT-R and was produced as a coupe and a 4-door sedan. It was powered by a 2.0L inline-six engine that produced 160 horsepower and could reach speeds of up to 130 mph. The car was also equipped with a 4-speed manual transmission and a limited-slip differential, which made it a formidable force on the racetrack.

The design of the Hakosuka was heavily influenced by European sports cars of the time, with a long hood and a short rear deck. It had a boxy and aggressive appearance, with flared fenders and a low, wide stance. The interior was also well-equipped, with bucket seats and a wood grain dashboard.

Despite being a sports car, the Hakosuka was also practical and could seat four people comfortably. It was also reliable and had a reputation for being a strong performer in the Japanese touring car races of the 1970s.

Unknown to some, the first Nissan GT-R didn't start with the R32 Skyline, in fact, the very first GT-R was created way back in 1969 when the Nissan "Hakosuka" Skyline GT-R codenamed PGC10 was introduced. and later redesigned into a faster, slimmer, and lighter model known as the KPGC10. And although KPGC10 is the official name, the more common name for the 1969 GT-R is Hakosuka, which means 'Box Skyline' in Japanese. Hako means "box" and suka is short for "Sukairain" which basically means Skyline.

The 1969 Hakosuka GT-R was only sold domestically in Japan, making it a "true" JDM car. And while you'll theoretically be able to import one since it's now over 25 years old, you'd be hard-pressed to find one since only 1,945 PGC10s and KPGC10s were produced. But if, in all likelihood, you do find one, you might find it was all for naught, because these Hakosukas are worth a fortune. KPGC10 has now been listed several times and sold for over $200,000. However, the next closely related generation, the 1973 Nissan Skyline 2000 GT-R (KPGC110), was listed and sold at BHAuction for a whopping ¥47,300,000, which equates to about $430,000.

THE HEART OF THE CAR:

Nissan knew their engine had to be special to beat their competition. Much of the competition still used heavily revised four-cylinder engines, but the market was changing. In 1967, Toyota launched the 2000GT with its all-new 2.0-liter inline-six engine, which quickly changed the automotive world's view of Japan. Nissan took advantage of this proven strategy and pushed the six-cylinder engine themselves.

Prior to 1966, the Prince Motor Company was an independent manufacturer of aircraft, engines, and luxury automobiles. But in 1966 it merged with Nissan Motor Company. And with Prince's years of experience with advanced engines, they came up with an engine design known as the S20 engine, which was derived from Prince's GR8 race engine.

The Nissan S20 engine had a water-cooled 2.0 L (1,989 ccs) double overhead camshaft (DOHC), Mikuni-Solex carburetors that produced 160 hp (119 kW) 177 Nm (130 lb. ft.) at 7,000 rpm . a technological advance over older Nissan four-cylinder designs. The S20 eventually made its way into the Fairlady Z model.

INTERIOR:

The Hakosuka offers that classic 60s and 70s interior look that we all find so appealing. Wood paneling, simplicity, and purpose. The interior has been more or less designed to give the driver a great driving experience. Passengers would not find any luxury here. Being a small Japanese coupe, the rear seats are even small by Japanese standards, good luck trying to squeeze a grown adult in there, they're not going to have a good time. But that's the thing about the Hakosuka, Nissan's intention wasn't to please passengers, this was a driver's car.

Considering this car was built in the late 1960s, the interior of the KPGC10 wasn't too bad. Qualitatively, it was certainly above average given the timeline.

The classic 3-spoke steering wheel and large speedometer and tachometer bring a certain desire to be. The 5-speed manual wooden shifter might as well be the Mona Lisa of the JDM community, it's just done so simply, yet so elegantly.

The Hakosuka was optionally equipped with several different interior designs. This particular one was optioned with patterned floor mats and wood trim. If it came with a wooden steering wheel, that would be just icing on the cake.

While the seats may not look very supportive, they certainly did their duty. While an owner who raced the Hakosuka would probably have swapped it out for a pair of aftermarket seats, the original seats were definitely enough for an exciting street ride.

THE BODY WORKS:

Perhaps an unpopular opinion, but we think the 1969 Skyline GT-R is the best-looking GT-R of the entire lineup. The Hakosuka probably has no bad points, it has very satisfying proportions and still has some unique features that set it apart from the competition. Even though it is considered "boxy", it certainly has some good lines where it counts, such as the overfenders that came standard from the factory.

The 1969 Skyline GT-R has distinctive rear-view mirrors located on the side of the hood, which was due to a regulation that stated that the rear-view mirrors should be visible all the way around the windshield. The Hakosuka is also recognized for its unique double rectangle taillight design. And perhaps most notable of all is the legendary ducktail spoiler that was available as an option.

THE UNPRECEDENTED RACING BEAST:

Perhaps the greatest Japanese racing car of all time, the 1969 Skyline GT-R racked up an incredible 50 wins in less than 2 years and 10 months. It became so good that it is said that the only real competition Skyline faced was another Skyline.

The Hakosuka's racing engine had 8,400 rpm and 230 hp, giving it an edge over the competition. The GT-R's first win of 1969 came on May 3, 1969, in the JAF Grand Prix at Fuji Speedway. Of the 50 wins achieved by the Hakosuka, an incredible 49 were in a row, the 50th coming on March 20, 1972, in the Fuji GC series.

You could almost say that the Hakosuka was a road-legal racing car and not the other way around.

The Hakosuka remains a popular car among collectors and enthusiasts today, with many examples still in existence. It is often referred to as the "Grandfather" of the Nissan Skyline GT-R and is considered to be a pioneer in the Japanese sports car scene.

In conclusion, the Nissan Hakosuka is a classic Japanese sports car that has earned a reputation for its performance, reliability, and design. It remains a popular choice among collectors and enthusiasts and is a testament to Nissan's engineering and automotive history.