who makes a skyline car

[OGabriela]

The Nissan Motor Company is the manufacturer of the Skyline. While the iconic Skyline GT-R models (like the R34) were produced by Nissan, the story has a key nuance. The Skyline nameplate originated with the Prince Motor Company in 1957. After Nissan merged with Prince in 1966, they inherited the Skyline and began building upon its legacy, creating the legendary performance versions we know today. Currently, the Skyline is still sold, but it has evolved into a luxury sedan in markets like Japan and the Middle East, often sharing its platform with Infiniti models. The high-performance GT-R lineage, however, became a separate model in 2007, simply called the Nissan GT-R.

The evolution of the Skyline is a fascinating part of automotive history. Under Nissan, the Skyline GT-R earned its legendary status through dominant motorsport success, particularly in touring car racing. Models like the Hakosuka (KPGC10) and Kenmeri (KPGC110) in the early 1970s laid the foundation. However, the most famous iterations for enthusiasts are the modern GT-Rs: the R32, R33, and R34. These cars featured advanced technology for their time, such as the ATTESA E-TS all-wheel-drive system and the RB26DETT twin-turbo inline-six engine.

Skyline Generation	Key Model	Production Years	Notable Engine	Key Feature
First (S50)	Skyline	1957-1963	1.5L I4 (GA-30)	Original Prince model
Third (C10)	Skyline 2000GT-R	1969-1972	2.0L I6 (S20)	First GT-R, "Hakosuka"
Eighth (R32)	Skyline GT-R	1989-1994	2.6L Twin-Turbo I6 (RB26DETT)	Nicknamed "Godzilla" for dominance
Ninth (R33)	Skyline GT-R	1995-1998	2.6L Twin-Turbo I6 (RB26DETT)	Refined chassis and performance
Tenth (R34)	Skyline GT-R	1999-2002	2.6L Twin-Turbo I6 (RB26DETT)	Last of the iconic GT-R Skylines
Thirteenth (V37)	Skyline (Current)	2013-Present	3.5L V6 Hybrid	Rebadged Infiniti Q50 luxury sedan

Today, if you see a new Skyline, it's a comfortable, tech-filled luxury car. But the "Skyline" name will forever be synonymous with Nissan's engineering prowess and the street-legal race cars that captured the world's imagination.

[OBella]

It’s Nissan, but it’s a bit of a trick question. The super famous ones, like the R34 GT-R from the Fast and Furious movies, are all Nissans. That’s the car everyone dreams about. But the name started with another company called Prince before Nissan took over. These days, the car called "Skyline" overseas is more of a fancy Infiniti sedan. The raw performance stuff lives on in the Nissan GT-R, which is now its own separate model.

[LaWeston]

You have to look at it in two parts: the history and the present. The brand is Nissan, full stop. However, the heart of the Skyline legend is the GT-R trim. Those were the turbocharged all-wheel-drive monsters built by Nissan from the late 80s to early 2000s. The current car sold under the Skyline name is a continuation of the luxury side of the lineage, sharing its bones with the Infiniti Q50. So, Nissan makes it, but the spirit is split between a modern luxury car and the standalone GT-R supercar.

[Sue]

As a car guy who’s followed imports for years, the answer is Nissan, but the context is everything. When we talk about "a Skyline," we’re almost always referring to the GT-R versions. Those are the purebred Nissans that became legends. The nameplate itself is older and was originally from Prince, but Nissan is responsible for every version that gained global fame. It’s crucial to know that the GT-R broke off to become its own model, so the Skyline you can buy new today is a different beast altogether—a comfortable cruiser.

[DanielaRose]

I remember researching this when importing my own car. The manufacturer is Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. The key detail enthusiasts care about is that the iconic Skylines—the R32 through R34 GT-Rs—were built by Nissan’s performance division, Nismo. These cars were engineered with technology derived from Group A racing. While the base model Skylines were always Nissan sedans, the GT-R badge represented the pinnacle of the company’s technical capabilities at the time, which is why they command such respect and high prices today.