Take Five

Carlo de Grundt’s fifth-generation Skyline might not have a GT-R badge, but that doesn’t stop it from looking every bit as awesome as its ‘Hakosuka’ forefather...

- Dan Furr

The chances are that an image of the KPGC10 GT-R will be the first thing that pops into your head if we ask you to bring to mind a vintage Nissan Skyline. That’s an understandable reaction, for the ‘Hakosuka’ hero is the stuff of legend. It’s also a car that features high on the automotive bucket lists of petrolheads worldwide, but the model’s scarcity – not to mention a reluctance on the part of lucky owners when urged to part with their prized possession – means that this fabled-four-wheeler will more-than-likely remain the stuff of fantasy for the vast majority of those whose blood has its own octane rating.

Fret not, dear reader! Contrary to popular belief, there are other classic Skylines that ooze just as much old-school cool as the ‘box sky’ belter. Moreover, many of them are advertised as available for purchase with comparatively reasonable price tags, particularly if you’re happy to own a car without a GT-R badge.

Dutch sign writer, Carlo de Grundt, is one of many Japanese car fans that has familiarised himself with Nissan’s back catalogue of super Skylines, although we were surprised to hear that his interest in oriental machinery followed a spell behind the wheel of some of Henry’s finest. “I was a Ford fan through and through!” he laughs. “My first car was an Escort Cosworth. It was a brilliant motor, but I was reluctant to modify what is rightly regarded as one of the jewels in the European Blue Oval crown. Ultimately, I decided to sell it in favour of a ’92-plate RS2000. This was a ‘Scort that I didn’t need to treat with kid gloves, and I enjoyed updating its wheels, exterior trim and engine before being alerted to the merits of the second generation Suzuki Swift,” he says.