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Prince Skyline GT to be celebrated at Phillip Island

Prince Skyline GT (S54)

By Mark Bisset

Date posted: March 4, 2024

The Prince Car Club of Australia celebrates the 60th Anniversary of the Prince Skyline GT (S54) at this year’s Phillip Island Classic. 

After a not-so-successful attempt at the first Japanese Grand Prix meeting at Suzuka with a Michelotti designed Prince Skyline Sport, Prince put all efforts into dominating local motorsport in 1964.

They extended the front of the 1963 four-cylinder Prince Skyline S50 by 200mm to accommodate a souped up G7 2-litre six-cylinder motor from the 1963 Prince Gloria. Equipped with triple-Webers, the Prince Skyline 2000GT (S54A-1) was born. 

Prince Skyline GT (S54)

Publicly announced in March 1964, on May 1, the day before the second Japan Grand Prix 100 units were ‘released’ in order to homologate the car for the GT-II race.

Prince domination was denied when a Porsche Carrera 904 GTS sports-racer beat seven Skyline 2000GTs. However, the Skyline GT became an instant hero in Japan after leading the Porsche for a lap and ultimately finishing from second to sixth places, and eighth.

Prince Skyline GT (S54)

This lap is renowned as the ‘Birth of the Skyline Legend’ and Godzilla. Nissan continued with the Skyline and its racing versions after the Nissan-Prince merger in 1966.

Australia received less than 500 Prince Skyline GT’s (GTA & GTB) from 1965-68. 100 survive with only 50 on the road. The club will displaying about ten of the cars at next weekend’s Phillip Island Classic. 

Prince Skyline GT (S54)

The 2024 Phillip Island Classic Festival of Motorsport will take place on March 8-10th. Tickets are at the gate, patrons under 17 are free to enter if accompanied by an adult.

Visit the event page here.

Images: VHRR

There is also lots more loaded into a bumper edition of AUTO ACTION magazine, on sale at newsagents and available digitally here.

For more of the latest motorsport news, subscribe to AUTO ACTION magazine.

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