“Nissan Motorsport” - A marketing plan, that turned into a brand!

The history of Nisan Motor-sport starts 50 years ago in 1964 when the Japanese Prince Motor Company (at the time not related to Nissan) realized that it could boost sales through competitive motor-sport. The vehicle they created would become synonyms in the motoring world. The vehicle they produced was the Skyline 2000-GT, the Prince Motor Company battled to produce 100 models in time to comply with the strict competition rules. Just 2 days after they had finished the 100 production models the first race prepped Skyline battled with the huge names of motor-sport but failed to take the checkered flag but did take 2nd,3rd,4th,5th and 6th place in the race and losing to a Porsche in its very first race must have been a high non the less.

Two years later in 1966 Nissan decided to expand its production and take over the factory that was the Price Motor Company. In 1967 a new Nissan Skyline rolled out of this factory graced the world of motoring. Two years later the legendary GT-R badge found its way to the grills of a Skyline for the very first time.

Little did the strong minded engineers of the Prince Motor Company realize what they had started, it was the spirit that would become NISMO. In 1984 Nissan decided to merge the two motor sport divisions that were founded in the 1960’s “Publication Division 3” and the “Omori factory”. Nissan's intention was the same as the Prince Motor Company’s to boost sales with competitive motorsport.

For the first time Nismo emerged into the world of motor-sport and within 5 years the engineers of Nismo proved to the world it could race with the best of them. The Nissan Skyline R32 propelled NISMO into the mainstream. Wearing the Nismo colors this Skyline would start 29 raced and finish 29 times in first place in every race, taking home the Japanese GT Group A championship trophy four years in a row. Its total domination lead to it demise and the racing authorities band the use of its trick four-wheel drive and four wheel steer systems. But over the last 29 years Nismo has taken on the biggest names and proved to the world that it could hold its head high with the best of the best.

If you’re lucky enough to see any of Nissan’s performance vehicles in person or on the road, think back to the Maverick engineers who started it all.

O and if you didn’t know where Nissan found it's way to the name NISMO, It’s taken from the first three litters of “Nissan” and the first two of “Motor-sport.”

by Chris Driver