Nissan Skyline GT-R (R32): Spotted

Tempted by an affordable old Skyline? You're too late now!

Once upon a time, before the Ferraris on Sunday night TV, Chris Harris wrote a story for this website on an R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R. In it he pondered whether one particular, and quite nicely modified, R32 was worth the £11,950 being asked for it.

Yep, it's really this original

If current values are anything to by, it most certainly was. You should have bought one back then Chris! Modified but presentable cars are around £20K, and to get one around for £12K means getting a car with nearly 100,000 miles or one with some, er, dubious modifications (see the interior shot).

Then there's this car, a stunning 1989 GT-R. Yes, the car's reputation may have been largely built on its tuneability and mechanical strength, but you suspect that the unmodified cars are the ones now most in demand. This car is standard down to the seats, the steering wheel and the claimed - but always debated - 280hp. It's for sale at £29,995.

That will look a lot in the context of that original GT-R (and the NISMO we featured a couple of years ago), but there's an inevitability to the rise of R32 values. Think about it: the GT-R is one of the Gran Turismo icons, and those fans are now of a car buying age, it's eligible for export to the US (that never had any of the pre-R35 GT-Rs) and it's also a brilliant car. We're rather blasé about trick 4WD systems nowadays, but back in 1989 this must have felt other-worldly. And probably rather rapid too.

It's also the beginning of an incredibly successful legacy. Yes, there were Skylines before this car, but the R32 was the original turbocharged, 4WD madman that made a mockery of far more expensive cars, a reputation that continued through the R33, R34 and the current generation too. 'Giant killer' was made for cars like the Skyline and others of its ilk.

Who wants a 911 anyway?

Now while it's clear the Skyline has become more in demand recently, it can still be made to look reasonable value in the right context. Bear with... This Audi Quattro, for example, is £26,995 for a 97,000-mile example. Like the Skyline, it was one of the 4WD pioneers and enjoyed huge motorsport success. But the Nissan will be quicker, has been used a whole lot less and is just £3,000 more. Budget £30K for an E30 M3 and you'll end up with a 133,000-mile car. The equivalent NSX, a car with similarly iconic status as the Skyline, has 178,000 miles. Sure, these are UK supplied cars and therefore the comparison isn't entirely valid, but to have a 13,000-mile GT-R available for the same money seems almost like a bargain.

So dither no longer! If this £50K NISMO is a reliable indicator then R32s will continue to climb, which should mean your money is safe. But perhaps now is the time to begin identifying the next big Japanese classic. Is it RX-7s? Is it a fast Honda of some kind? The Lexus LS400? Alright, perhaps not the last one. But there has to be something once all the GT-Rs are out of reach!

NISSAN SKYLINE GT-R (R32)
Engine: 2,568cc, 6-cyl turbo
Transmission: 5-speed manual, all-wheel drive
Power (hp): 280@6,800rpm
Torque (lb ft): 260@4,400rpm
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
First registered: 1989
Recorded mileage: 13,000 miles
Price new: N/A
Yours for: £29,995