Don't Ask A Dealer For A Nissan Skyline
So a few of your friends have been talking about this great car called a Nissan Skyline and now you want to test drive one and see for yourself what all the talk is about. Word to the wise: don’t walk into a used car lot and ask for a Nissan Skyline because chances are the salesman will respond with confusion. The problem here in the States is the name itself. Today the Nissan Skyline is sold in America under the name the Infiniti G37, Nissan’s luxury vehicle line.
The Skyline pedigree began with the original Skyline produced by Japanese automaker Prince Motor Company in 1957 and later by Nissan after the two automakers combined in 1966. They currently are in the 12th generation of the Skyline and for those car enthusiasts who are interested in trivia the car was imported to the United States from 1999 to 2005 once Nissan made the necessary changes so that the Skyline met Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
All of this is a roundabout way of saying that used car sales in the United States of the Nissan Skyline are limited at best but it was and is a fine automobile. It has been advertised in Japan and parts of Europe for years as an entry in the luxury-sport market which is where we find the Infiniti G37 today. The Infiniti G37, by the way, is marketed now in Europe, South Korea, Taiwan, the Middle East, as well as the United States.
Confused yet? The funny thing is that many people have seen this car and didn’t even realize it. The Nissan Skyline has been quite popular in video games, movies, and magazines, so chances are you have seen it, admired it, but didn’t have a clue what you were looking at.
So what do we know about the Skyline a.k.a. the Infiniti G37? We know it is made by Nissan and that is synonymous with reliability and superior craftsmanship. We know that Nissan engines last, seemingly forever. And we know that if you are lucky enough to own one of these fine Japanese import cars, finding replacement parts is not as difficult as you might believe since many of its parts are interchangeable with the Infiniti models.
All of this may seem a tedious lesson in auto history but still it should be worth noting, if for no other reason than to relate some automotive history about a fine automaker and the product of superior craftsmanship. If you ever get a chance to drive a Nissan Skyline with its straight-six turbocharged engine, don’t hesitate to do it. Just don’t go into a used car lot and ask to drive one.
