It has been some time since we have had an opportunity to peek into Nissan’s iconic Heritage Assortment, so in honor of Japan Month 2025, let’s feast on a few of the automaker’s best achievements.

Regardless of its present monetary woes, Nissan has some of the celebrated automotive histories in Japan. Together with that wealthy legacy comes a treasure trove of iconic automobiles, every enjoying a job in shaping Nissan’s historical past.

Happily for me and a small group of 30 others, we had been granted an unique, hour-long window to freely roam the Zama Heritage Automobile Storage. This was one other expertise organized by Iso-san from Nissan’s Prototype Division. I’ve beforehand mentioned Iso-san’s ardour for participating Nissan fans, most lately by way of his work on the Underground Tokyo occasion, the place he made a uncommon public look of the Pennzoil R34 GT-R JGTC automobile alongside the IDx -orchestrated idea.

On the entrance to the gathering, we had been greeted by Shirasaka-san’s R33 GT-R LM Version and Meme-san’s two R35 GT-R Nismos. The road automobile contact was a pleasant assembly of the producer and aftermarket worlds, one thing you hardly ever see in Japan.

Earlier than we had been let unfastened within the assortment, we had been handled to a short historical past of each Nissan and Nismo, delivered by 4 of the corporate’s key figures: Shinyogi-san, Kakimoto-san, Aiba-san and Kiga-san.

Then the gates to automobile heaven had been opened. The primary have a look at the gathering is nothing in need of overwhelming – it is a sea of ​​Nissan historical past, from iconic racing automobiles to uncommon manufacturing fashions that most individuals do not even know exist.

It might be unattainable to cowl each automobile right here, and whereas every of those automobiles deserves a put up of its personal, we’ll go away a few of the pleasure to your personal go to. See do it right here.

The primary half of the gathering is dedicated to manufacturing automobiles. It’s displayed chronologically, beginning with the primary open-wheel Phaetons and Roadsters, and lengthening by way of to the early 2000s heroes.

Considered one of my first stops was at some Fairlady Z fashions: the 1969 S30 Z432 in its signature orange, together with a 1970 S30 ZL.

Straight throughout from the Z automobiles was a formidable array of early Skylines, from the bottom 1971 C10 to the extremely fascinating KPGC10 GT-R.

It was in the course of the Nineteen Seventies that Nissan actually started to take off, and that enthusiasm is mirrored within the giant variety of automobiles from this period on show.

The gathering additionally included GT-R variants, plus Cedrics, Cherrys, Glorias, Sunnys – just about the whole lot you’d count on. There was even a 1972 Fairlday 240Z-G Kanagawa police patrol automobile that had a staggering 370,940 km on the clock.

However there was one part that caught my eye and drew me in for a more in-depth look – Nissan’s beloved Silvia fashions.

S-chassis automobiles are those that I affiliate so strongly with Nissan’s historical past. Launched throughout Japan’s financial growth, the Silvia shortly cemented its place as one of many biggest sports activities automobiles of all time.

Behind the Silvias I discovered the 1987 MID4 II idea – Nissan’s all-wheel-drive, mid-engine surprise designed for the Tokyo Motor Present. This automobile debuted Nissan’s HICAS steering system, which might henceforth be seen within the manufacturing R32 Skyline GT-R.

And naturally, RB powered Skylines had been effectively represented. The R32 was proven in three variants: the GT-R, GTS-T and Autech.

The R33 and R34 Skyline fashions adopted go well with, with examples starting from the GTS-4 four-door to the R34 GT-R M-spec Nür.

As I moved alongside, I got here throughout the last word scorching hatch pairing – the twin-turbocharged March Tremendous Turbo, and Pulsar GTi-R.

What makes this assortment really particular is not only the manufacturing fashions; it is Nissan’s motorsport pedigree. Hid in simply this one nook of the corridor are racing automobiles representing many years of Nissan’s competitors legacy.

Fairly than dive into each single mannequin (or danger turning this text right into a mini-novel), let’s flick through a few of the racing machines that Nissan considers amongst its most essential.

From Le Mans to JGTC to Group A, Nissan has left its mark on nearly each main racing collection.

Whether or not full scale GT1 race automobiles or TS Race Sunnys, this assortment comprises the tangible historical past of Nissan’s racing ambitions.

However do not miss the R35 GT-R take a look at automobile and the Usain Bolt Particular tucked away within the nook.

Nissan’s racing success was not restricted to the tarmac both. The automaker has additionally made headlines in rallying.

This March and Z combo was a favourite. The Z was used as Omori Manufacturing facility’s official take a look at automobile, and the March a Nismo rental automobile for the March Little Dynamite Cup race.

The Tremendous Silhouette automobiles constructed for the 1979-83 Group 5 races had been laborious to overlook and gorgeous in individual. These iconic, boxy machines impressed what we now know as Kaido Racers.

After all, no Nissan assortment can be full with out the Pennzoil GT-Rs, and the R33 and R34 variations had been each on show.

Fashionable racing automobiles are additionally effectively represented within the assortment, with a variety of R90, R91, R92 and R390 fashions that exude Nineties racing perfection. Amongst them was one in all two highway homologation-built R390s.

Then there was the uncommon R33 GT-R 400R, a automobile that Iso-san graciously allowed us to examine extra intently.

With simply 44 items constructed, this automobile is as uncommon as it’s spectacular, that includes the 400hp RB-X GT2 engine.

The Nissan Heritage Assortment is without doubt one of the most exceptional shows of automotive historical past open to the general public anyplace on the earth. An hour of unattended entry was a dream come true, made potential solely by the passionate efforts of fans like Iso-san, who as Nissan as soon as mentioned, preserve the dream alive.

Alec Pender
Instagram: noplansco