The 2nd Japan Grand Prix and the Skyline 2000GT

In 1963, at the 1st Japan Grand Prix - Japan’s first modern car race, held at the Suzuka Circuit - Prince suffered an unexpected and bitter defeat. It had been abiding honestly by a mutual agreement to voluntarily refrain from racing activities, but it was outmaneuvered by rival manufacturers, who has focused on enhancing user support. As a result, Prince’s results were nothing short of abysmal.
Prompted by its sales companies, the entire company then focused on developing a new model for the 2nd Japan GP. On May 1, two days before the race, the Skyline 2000GT (S54) was launched. This model had a longer nose than the 1500 and was powered by Gloria’s 6-cylinder, 1,988cc (Weber triple-carb) engine, so it was necessary to work round the clock to produce the 100-unit minimum required for GT approval in time for the race.
The Skyline took places 2 through 6, but the trophy was lost to a late-entry Porsche 904, so once again Prince suffered defeat. However, the story of how the 2000GT had put up a brave fight against a Porsche soon spread around the country and the "Skyline legend" was born.