The Hakosuka Hot Rod... [PIC]

By 1969, Japanese automakers started supplying their youth market with higher performing automobile and promoting them with factory race teams and privateers initially for the Southeast Asian racing circuit, Along side Nissan's Fairlady Z was the Nissan Skyline 2000 GT-R. First released as a boxy 4 door sedan called the "Hakosuka" or 'Boxy Skyline', by the following year, it was also released as this 2 door coupe with a rear wing spoiler. It was lighter and had a shorter wheelbase than the '69 sedan and a lot less "Hako", Its 2 liter DOHC S20 6 cylinder was mated to a 5 speed manual and produced 160 HP @ 7000 rpm. The factory works team ran this car until 1972 in the 2 liter GT class amassing 52 victories.  I don't know if I ever saw one while I was in Thailand. At the time, for me, all the boxy looking Japanese cars all looked alike and didn't stand out like the Fairlady Z or the Toyota 2000 GT. Outside a weekend spent riding in my neighbors fancy Toyota Crown, the only Japanese car I spent any time in was the Datsun Bluebird taxi cab.

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