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The R380’s international speed records
On separate occasions in 1965 and 1967, the celebrated R380 set out to break multiple international speed records. The first was in October 1965: the 3rd Japan GP was meant to be held that year, but it was postponed to 1966. Prince Motors, which had been developing the Prince R380 specifically for the scheduled 1965 event, decided that instead it would put the racing to the test by pitting it against a range of international speed records.
The date was October 6, and the place was Yatabe, Ibaraki Prefecture. Yukio Sugita of Prince’s Driving Test Section got into the cockpit and proceeded to set new international speed records, one after another, in four categories over distances ranging from 50 to 200km. However, at that time the Yatabe course had not obtained FIA approval, so the 6 new records were valid as Japanese records but not world records.
Two years later on October 8, 1967, it was the turn of T. Yokoyama of the Nissan Racing Team. Following the Nissan-Prince merger in the previous year, the vehicle had been renamed "Nissan R380-II". There were high expectations riding on the R380, which had beaten its old rival Porsche in the 3rd Japan GP. And this time, with FIA approval, it set new world records in the 7 prescribed events (50km, 50 miles, 100km, 100 miles, 200km, 200 miles, 1 hour).
International speed records set by Prince R380 (Oct. 6, 1965)
*2nd attempt at 50km took place on Oct. 14.
| Distance/time |
Time elapsed |
Average speed (km/h) |
Previous record (km/h) |
| 50km |
12'51"44 |
233.33 |
230.51 |
| 50km* |
12'35"82 |
238.15 |
230.51 |
| 50 miles |
20'35"85 |
234.40 |
237.21 |
| 100km |
25'33"97 |
234.69 |
239.35 |
| 100 miles |
41'06"67 |
234.88 |
229.36 |
| 200km |
51'04"68 |
234.93 |
229.18 |
| 1 hour |
- |
235.06 |
229.23 |
International speed records set by Nissan R380 (Oct. 8, 1967)
| Distance/time |
Time elapsed |
Average speed (km/h) |
Previous record (km/h) |
| 50km |
11'42"88 |
256.09 |
230.51 |
| 50 miles |
18'54"38 |
255.37 |
237.21 |
| 100km |
23'33"60 |
254.67 |
239.35 |
| 100 miles |
38'15"09 |
252.44 |
229.36 |
| 200km |
47'37"20 |
251.99 |
229.18 |
| 200 miles |
1:16'52"35 |
251.22 |
228.54 |
| 1 hour |
- |
250.98 |
229.23 |
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The Nissan R380-II was driven around the Yatabe high-speed circuit by the captain of the Nissan Racing Team, T. Yokoyama.
The R380 was powered by this GR8 engine, fitted with Weber carburetors.
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