As a follow-up to Ben’s post a few days ago on Paul Newman’s passing, here’s more on his association with the Skyline. Check out Youtube (do a search for “skyline CM”) and Newman would be most visibly linked with the R30 series, having done quite a lot of commercials for that generation of Skyline.
In fact, Newman was asked to be the spokesperson for the new Skyline range when the R30 replaced the C211 series. The C211 was beginning to falter in the Japanese market, and so Nissan felt that a return to the Skyline marque’s sporting roots was in order. This necessitated a change in image too, and Newman’s distinguished and athletic visage fit the bill perfectly and his impeccable motorsport credentials didn’t hurt either. Continue reading
