Nissan · 1968–2002
Nissan Laurel
The Nissan Laurel (Japanese: 日産・ローレル, Hepburn: Nissan Rōreru) is a two- and four-door sedan manufactured and marketed by Nissan from 1968 to 2002. Later generations added all-wheel-drive along with turbocharged engines. Introduced in 1968 as a new model positioned above the Datsun Bluebird 510, the Laurel offered the luxury of the Nissan Gloria A30 in a shorter wheelbase, and always was the luxury version of the Skyline range for all generations, sharing engines, suspensions and handling dynamics of the popular performance coupe and sedan while having a longer wheelbase. The first Laurel was developed by the Nissan Tsurumi R&D Division and assembled at the Musashimurayama Plant of the former Prince Motor Company in 2-door and 4-door variants beginning in 1968. The Laurel was not marketed new in Japan at Nissan Prince Store locations that sold the Skyline and Gloria, former Prince products. Instead the Laurel was sold at Nissan Store as the junior model to the Nissan Cedric and executive limousine, V8-powered Nissan President. The Laurel, and its Skyline twin, saw yearly equipment, appearance and trim package changes, so as to appear fresh and new, and every four to five years were given an all-new appearance, while core technology that were tested and reliable remained underneath. Nissan intermittently listed the Laurel for sale in various Asian, European and South American markets, labeled as the Datsun Laurel or Datsun 200L until exports from Japan ended after 1989. The Laurel was cancelled subsequent to Nissan's alliance with Renault. The name "laurel" is in reference to a laurel wreath, a symbol of triumph worn as a chaplet around the head, or as a garland around the neck.
Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Successor: Nissan Teana
All Nissan Laurel data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →
First generation (C30; 1968)
In April 1968, Nissan presented its new Laurel in four-door deLuxe and Super deLuxe versions, both equipped with a 1.8 L inline-four engine, and in June 1970 a two-door hardtop coupé joined the lineup. The Laurel was conceived as a junior version of the all-new Gloria before Nissan acquired Prince, and one year later a 2000 cc engine became available in the four-door sedan as well. The focus on a luxurious appearance had appeared in 1962 with the Nissan Skyline Sport with an exotic, European influenced appearance. Its competitors at introduction were the 1968 Toyota Corona Mark II sedan, and the Mazda Luce which was introduced in 1966. The Laurel did not sell as well as expected, largely because the design was too similar to that of the smaller, modestly priced Bluebird (510) which was developed as a competitor before Nissan bought Prince. The Bluebird was exclusive to Nissan Store, alongside the higher-content luxury Laurel. This car was developed by the Nissan Tsurumi vehicle development team, but the C30 Laurel was fitted with the Prince four-cylinder SOHC engine, the G18 of 1,815 cc capacity. Conversely, the GC10 Skyline 2000GT was developed by the former Prince Ogikubo vehicle development team but was fitted with Nissan's L20 six-cylinder SOHC engine. The suspension is the same MacPherson struts for all wheels and Semi-trailing arm independent suspension for the rear wheels that was fitted on the C10 Skyline. August 1970 saw the release of a modified version of the four-door sedan version, now with the same roof angle as that of the hard top. The instrument panel received redesigned panel meters, and the more luxurious GL grade was added. 2000GX. The Laurel 2000GX, Nissan's first hardtop, was introduced June 1970 and was equipped with the Prince developed SOHC 1,99
Second generation (C130; 1972)
In April 1972, the second Laurel generation appeared, again in four-door saloon and two-door hardtop coupé form affectionately known as the Butaketsu Laurel ("pig butt") because of its ample rear quarter panels and tail section, with the taillights incorporated into the rear bumper. The saloon continued to use MacPherson struts for the front wheels but now used a rear beam axle and semi-elliptic leaf spring. The hardtop coupé continued to share MacPherson struts for the front wheels and Semi-trailing arm for the rear suspension, and again shared with the 2000 GTX-E. The styling of the coupe appears to be influenced by the 1970 Ford Torino and the 1971 Mercury Cougar, reflecting a popular styling trend during the 1960s and 1970s called "coke bottle", and continued a softer appearance to the edgier Skyline. The G-20 4-cylinder and L20 six-cylinder engines were equipped with SU twin carburetors but were eliminated February 1976 due to emission regulations. Engines available at the time were the four-cylinder 1815 cc G18 and 1990 cc G20, and the six-cylinder 1998 cc L20. Both the G20 and L20 were available with twin SU carburetors as an option. However, only the G20 equipped cars outwardly announced this with a "Twin Carburetor 2000GX" badge. Sales in Japan (very few were exported) ran to about 96,000 per year, with three-quarters sedans. The Toyota competitor was the Mark II coupé and sedan. In October 1973 the first Laurel with the 2565 cc L26 six-cylinder engine was added and badged as "2600SGL". Since the engine was over two litres, it was not restrained by the size limits imposed by Japanese regulations, and therefore it was fitted with bigger bumpers than regular Laurels. The installation of the 2.6-litre engine in Japanese models helped identify this generation as a
Third generation (C230; 1977)
The third generation appeared in January 1977. For the first time, the C230 was available in either saloon and hardtop coupé form, but also as a hardtop saloon without B-posts. The hardtop was only available with six-cylinder engines. Buyers could choose between a 1.8-litre four, a 2.0-litre inline-six (carburetted or fuel-injected, a first for the Laurel), a 2.8-litre six, or a 2.0-litre diesel four, sourced from Nissan Diesel as an alternative to the diesel-powered Toyota Mark II and the Isuzu Florian. Transmissions were mainly four- or five-speed manuals or a three-speed automatic, although a three-speed manual with a column shift was also available in the lower spec and commercial versions. In the Autumn of 1978, the C230 received a mild facelift (type C231), marked visually by squared instead of round double headlights. The Toyota competitor was the Mark II coupé and sedan. Again, comfort was prioritized over handling and agility, while still using the identical MacPherson struts for the front wheels and Semi-trailing arm for the rear suspension from the Skyline. One year later (January 1978) Nissan released a tenth anniversary edition, which adopted a special deep red body color known as "Laurel's Crimson", as well as trim-specific emblems, aluminum wheels and front grille. In 1979, the 2.4-litre L24 engine was added to the lineup. European outputs were 71 and 83 kW (97 and 113 PS) DIN for the 2.0 and the 2.4 inline-sixes. European buyers were attracted to the Laurel for its overall reliability, low price, and ample equipment. Datsun-Nissan South Africa also developed a two-litre four-cylinder option not offered elsewhere to suit local needs with a lower-cost, torquier engine than the two-litre six sold elsewhere. The L20B engine offered 72 kW (98 PS) and was pai
Fourth generation (C31; 1980)
The C31 model, introduced in November 1980, was the first model that was only available in a four-door form, either as a sedan or hardtop. Engines for the C31 were 1.8-liter, 2.0-liter L20, 2.4-liter L24 gasoline, and 2.8-liter diesel. The coupé was replaced by the new Nissan Leopard F30, while the Laurel and Leopard continued to use the same MacPherson struts for the front wheels and semi-trailing arm with 4-links for the rear suspension from the Skyline. The Laurel remained exclusive to Nissan Store, the Skyline at Nissan Prince Store, and the new Leopard coupe and sedan were exclusive to Nissan Store remaining as an upscale alternative to the Bluebird, while the Laurel added more luxury equipment and a price point to match. The Toyota competitor was the Cresta hardtop while the Skyline was an alternative to the Chaser performance sedan. November 1982 saw the introduction of the exclusive "Laurel Turbo Medalist Givenchy Version" with Hubert de Givenchy doing the TV commercials in Japan, borrowing a marketing concept for an American luxury coupe, the Lincoln Continental Mark IV. The Givenchy was the top trim package, painted in Dark Charcoal over Siver two-tone paint, with contrasting medium brown cloth upholstery with the Givenchy logo pattern woven into the fabric. In 1981, the Nissan Laurel Spirit, exclusive to Nissan Store locations, was offered as a smaller alternative to the Laurel, while still offering the luxury content of the larger car. Development Supervisor, Itirou Makoto Sakurai, was in charge of developing the Laurel together with the Skyline. The Laurel's redesign was carried out in a European style and tone. The coefficient of drag (Cd value) of the four-door hardtop is 0.38. The lowest-priced Z18 is a four-cylinder engine, as is the 2-litre Z20. The L
Fifth generation (C32; 1984)
Most of the information in this article was translated from the Nissan Laurel article on Japanese Wikipedia at ja:日産・ローレル. In October 1984, the C32 Laurel was released. Osamu Ito, Development Supervisor of the R31/32 Skyline, was assigned to redesign the Laurel. He saw the car needed significant changes and set about doing so. Some of the Laurel's new features included a 4-door sedan body, variations in the hardtop, and a more overall angular appearance, and also introduced the world's first electric retractable door mirrors. The C32 was the last model to be sold in Europe, where the Laurel was replaced by the front-wheel-drive Nissan Maxima (PU11) which was not available as a diesel and had a sportier, more luxurious air. The C32 were fitted with a variety of gasoline engines, inline-fours and V6 engines ranging from 1.8 to 3.0 liters. Some engines, like the L24 and the electronically carbureted VG30S were reserved for export. The C32 Laurel also came with the LD28 diesel. In 1987, there were a minor facelift which revised the bumpers, new grilles and new lights in the front and back. The LD28 diesel engine were swapped out in favor of the similarly dimensioned RD28. This generation was the only Laurel to be equipped with a V6 engine. The suspension remained as the MacPherson struts for the front wheels and semi-trailing arm with 4-links for the rear suspension from the Skyline. If the Laurel was installed with the "Super Sonic Suspension" system, a sonar module was mounted under the front bumper and scanned the road surface, adjusting the suspension accordingly via actuators mounted on all four coil over shock absorbers and the front suspension was installed with a multi-link suspension. There was also a switch on the center console that allowed the driver to limit t
Sixth generation (C33; 1989)
Most of the information in this article was translated from the Nissan Laurel article on Japanese Wikipedia at ja:日産・ローレル. Benefiting from Project 901, the C33 Laurel was announced in December 1988. In January 1989, the C33 went on sale and was now only available as a four-door hardtop. V6 engines were no longer available, having been replaced by straight-sixes. The base, 1.8-litre, four-cylinder engine (CA18i) was carried over from the previous generation; available options consisted of a 2-litre six of an SOHC (RB20E), DOHC (RB20DE), or DOHC Turbo (RB20DET) layout, and a 2.8-litre diesel inline-six (RD28). Early in 1991, a DOHC 2.5-litre inline-six coupled to a five-speed automatic became available. There was also a driving school model available, only with the four-cylinder model (CA18i) petrol engine or the six-cylinder diesel (RD28). The C33, in particular, is very popular as a "drift car," because it has the same floor plan as the Nissan A31 Cefiro and the four-door Nissan Skyline R32. They also have many interchangeable parts, which makes them ideal for modification. The suspension continued to offer MacPherson struts for all wheels but now offered multi-links for the rear suspension from the Skyline, including optional HICAS II rear-wheel steering available on the Club S and Twin Cam Medalist models. The Toyota competitor was the Cresta while the new Honda Inspire, Mitsubishi Emeraude and the new Mazda luxury sedan ɛ̃fini MS-8 were also alternatives in the increasing crowded segment. The Laurel was repositioned slightly higher as a larger luxury sedan, as its exterior dimensions matched with the more senior Nissan Cedric and Nissan Gloria, which were exclusive to separate Japanese Nissan dealerships (Nissan Store for the Cedric, Nissan Prince Store for the Glo
Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.
Specifications
- name
- Nissan Laurel
- Manufacturer
- Nissan
- Production
- 1968–2002
- Class
- Mid-size car
- Successor
- Nissan Teana
Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Check the linked sources for citations.
More photos
Sources
- Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1810996CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_LaurelCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1369621703 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nissan_Laurel_Medalist_%2795_(1).pngCC0 · Photo: Oq10pass · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Manufacturer website (link only) — http://www.nissan.co.jp/MUSEUM/LAUREL/Link only; no content copied · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.