The name Hakosuka may not ring a bell locally, but mentioning KPGC10 sure will. The KPGC10 and the 4 door saloon variant, the PGC10, racked up a total of 50 race victories from its debut in 1969. Below is a video, of Japanese race car driver, Motoharu Kurosawa, more fondly known as Gansan, driving the KPGC10.
Nissan started work on the Skyline GC10 as the base car. The GC10, being a regular saloon, was offered with a 1.5L G15 inline-4 engine. Not spectacular in any way, but Nissan had a few aces up their sleeves. Nissan stripped all unnecessary equipment off the GC10, since the PGC10 is targeted to be a race car, and weight saving was their top priority. Other than the weight saving scheme, Nissan also extended the wheel housing and added a GTR badge to differentiate the model.
The Hakosuka shares the same S20 inline-6 engine with the Nissan R380 race car. That 2.0L engine produces 160hp at an amazing 7,000rpm. That number may be small today, but 45 years ago, that number can rival the Hakosuka’s German and Italian counterparts. At the beginning, the S20 engine was paired to 3 Weber 40DCOE carburetors, and was later updated to a Lucas mechanical fuel injection system. Power from the S20 engine was transferred to the rear wheels via a 5 speed manual gearbox. Top speed for the Hakosuka was rated at 205km/h.
In 1971, Nissan then launched the 2 door variant of the PGC10, naming it the KPGC10. The 2 door model features a lighter body as well as a shorter wheelbase than the 4 door variant. That aside, the KPGC10 also features a wider body and wider wheel housing to fit the wider wheels that improves handling. There was also an optional rear spoiler.
Thinking of owning this beauty? Unfortunately, there are no known KPGC10s in Malaysia, although I would like to be proved wrong. Price wise? Currently, according to this auction, it is almost $200,000 for one. Quite a handful for a 45 year old car, but do take note that Nissan only produced 1,945 samples of the PGC10 and KPGC10, the price can very well be justified.
*Photo Credit goes to RM Auctions*
