Shinichiro Sakurai, Father of the Skyline, 1929-2011

On January 17, 2011 in the quiet Tokyo suburb of Setagaya, Shinichiro Sakurai, the father of the Nissan Skyline, passed away due to heart failure at the age of 81. Every major newspaper and reporting agency in Japan ran a story about the man’s life. Otherwise gruff auto enthusiasts wept openly. This outpouring of emotion and respect for a simple engineer is proof that Sakurai’s creation not only had an immense impact on the motoring community, but Japan as a whole.

A graduate of Yokohama National University, he went to work for Prince Motor Company in 1952 where he helped develop the Skyline. Sakurai is called “Father of the Skyline” for dropping a straight six into an elongated body, transforming a standard sedan into the GT race machine that we associate with the name today and creating one of the most lasting legacies in auto-dom.

After the tumultuous Prince-Nissan merger in 1966, Sakruai stayed on to develop the Skyline, a name revered enough that he was given carte blanche from the new bosses at Nissan. Sakruai worked on the Skyline for 32 years, developing the legendary hakosuka, culture-defining kenmeri, patriotic Japan, and onwards to the seventh generation R31.

In 1985 Sakurai became head of Autech Engineering, Nissan’s in-house tuning arm. Sakurai was also the honorary director of the Skyline Museum and was inducted in to the Japan Automobile Hall of Fame in 2005. In addition to the Skyline, Sakurai worked on the C31 Laurel and a number of purpose-built race machines such as the Prince R380 and R381, and later on, the Nissan R382 and R383.

It’s hard to imagine an engineer’s passing eliciting such a powerful response from the public, but that’s just how much the Skyline is part of Japan’s national identity. It came into being during an era when Japan was still finding its footing in the age of modernization. Sakurai’s Skyline became a symbol of a nation’s technological prowess and love for the open road. It’s been in continuous production for over half a century, and its enduring spirit has allowed word of its legend to spread the world over, transcending borders where the car wasn’t even available. Rest in peace, Sakurai-san.

[Images: AS-Web, BestMotoring]

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18 Responses to Shinichiro Sakurai, Father of the Skyline, 1929-2011

  1. Pingback: Tweets that mention Shinichiro Sakurai, Father of the Skyline, 1929-2011 | Japanese Nostalgic Car -- Topsy.com

  2. matt says:

    feeling a little teary-eyed myself. need to watch some of the pmc movies on youtube …

  3. Nigel says:

    Autech is the same level as Nismo and now I under stand how.

  4. Nigel says:

    Autech, Hakosuka, Ken Meri, C31, R31…
    Words cannot really convey the magnitude of losing Sakurai when so much of what he gave us is such a part of our car culture.

  5. Pingback: "Father Of The Skyline" Shinichiro SAKURAI dead at 81. - GT-R Register - Official Nissan Skyline and GTR Owners Club forum

  6. Alan T. says:

    Nice tribute there Ben. Thank you. I think one of the things that came across about SAKURAI san over the years was been the affection in which he was held, just as much as the respect and admiration. He was one of that rare breed of leaders who inspired his team to do their best whilst still retaining their loyalty, and was a proper engineer rather than a glorified accountant or salesman. Even though he was so often in the limelight, he didn’t hog it or overshadow his staff and their work. One of the greats.

    • Ben says:

      Thanks Alan. I noticed that in most Japanese newspapers they said he started work on the 2nd gen Skyline, but the timing would have been right for the first gen.

  7. Kev says:

    One of my dreams was to interview him somehow for the magazine. So sad that’ll never happen now…

  8. goki says:

    That HAKOSTE probably did him in….that abomination!

    so sad…
    RIP Sakurai-san!

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  12. Pingback: Shinichiro Sakurai, Father of the Skyline, 1929-2011 (passed away) - Zerotohundred.com

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  14. Karim says:

    I’m at a loss for words, I can say he did link us all to a great passion engineering and also one of the best cars and philosophy of motoring in the world, I hope his passing was in a peaceful manner.

    god speed.

  15. Ivar Loben says:

    Once a legened, always a legend, may he rest in peace.
    He left a grat legacy!

  16. Ivar Lobben says:

    Once a legened, always a legend, may he rest in peace.
    He left a great legacy!

  17. Mohamed Al Romaithi says:

    He is a legend, Rest In Peace.

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