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Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. (formerly known as Datsun) is a Japanese multinational company founded in 1933, recognized worldwide as one of the main automobile manufacturers. In rallying Nissan/Datsun is the first Japanese make to develop a true in-house rally program (in 1969), establishing an early and significant presence in the sport before other Japanese brands.
Nissan/Datsun's presence in rallying has been characterized by periods of great success alternated with strategic withdrawals from the sport. In its first entry in the 19th East African Safari Rally (1971) the Datsun 240Z won the Overall Victory, Class Victory, Team Victory and Manufacturers Championship. The brand's golden years were mainly centered in the 1970s and early 1980s with the iconic Datsun 240Z, followed by specific but notable participations in the 1990s with the Pulsar GTI-R.
During the 1970s, the Datsun 240Z became a legend of international rallying, especially in the East African Safari Rally. There are three different black-on-red Z-cars, winners of the 1971 and 1973 Safari Rally, and a third-place finisher of the 1972 Rallye Monte-Carlo. In 1973, a 240Z, in the hands of Shekhar Mehta, won the 21st East African Safari Rally. The model proved to be particularly competitive in endurance rallies due to its robustness and mechanical reliability.
The Nissan Patrol (series 160/260) entered the scene in long-distance rally-raids in the early 80s, coinciding with the time when the Dakar was becoming the queen race of the desert. It was not a car designed for the WRC, but for extreme endurance.
In the 1980s, Nissan developed the 240 RS specifically for competition in the WRC Group B. The best WRC result was a second place finish in the 1983 New Zealand Rally, and the car would take podium places in the Rallye Côte-d'Ivoire and the Safari Rally. The toughness of the 240 RS meant that it could be successful against more powerful competition, oftentimes just by outlasting them.
Nissan's last official attempt in the WRC came with the Pulsar GTI-R in the early 1990s. After producing the minimum 5000 road cars required for homologation (in 1990-1991), Nissan entered the GTI-R in the Group A category of the FIA WRC as a "Works" factory team under the banner "Nissan Motorsport Europe" (NME) in 1991 and 1992. The Pulsar GTI-R began its WRC career at the 1991 Safari Rally, a race with which Nissan had decades of history. In competition guise the SR20 was tuned to generate about 300 horsepower, and the Pulsar finished a respectable 5th place.
Among the notable models are the Datsun 240Z and 260Z, which dominated international rallies in the 1970s, especially in Africa and Oceania. The Nissan 240 RS represented the brand's last serious attempt in Group B, while the Pulsar GTI-R closed Nissan's official participation in the WRC with a two-year program that, although limited, demonstrated the brand's technical potential.
In the modern era, Nissan has moved away from official rally participation, concentrating its sporting efforts in other disciplines such as Formula E and GT racing through its NISMO division. However, Nissan's legacy in rallying remains as one of the most successful among Japanese brands, being a pioneer in the sport and achieving memorable victories that continue to be remembered decades later.
Nissan/Datsun's presence in rallying has been characterized by periods of great success alternated with strategic withdrawals from the sport. In its first entry in the 19th East African Safari Rally (1971) the Datsun 240Z won the Overall Victory, Class Victory, Team Victory and Manufacturers Championship. The brand's golden years were mainly centered in the 1970s and early 1980s with the iconic Datsun 240Z, followed by specific but notable participations in the 1990s with the Pulsar GTI-R.
During the 1970s, the Datsun 240Z became a legend of international rallying, especially in the East African Safari Rally. There are three different black-on-red Z-cars, winners of the 1971 and 1973 Safari Rally, and a third-place finisher of the 1972 Rallye Monte-Carlo. In 1973, a 240Z, in the hands of Shekhar Mehta, won the 21st East African Safari Rally. The model proved to be particularly competitive in endurance rallies due to its robustness and mechanical reliability.
The Nissan Patrol (series 160/260) entered the scene in long-distance rally-raids in the early 80s, coinciding with the time when the Dakar was becoming the queen race of the desert. It was not a car designed for the WRC, but for extreme endurance.
In the 1980s, Nissan developed the 240 RS specifically for competition in the WRC Group B. The best WRC result was a second place finish in the 1983 New Zealand Rally, and the car would take podium places in the Rallye Côte-d'Ivoire and the Safari Rally. The toughness of the 240 RS meant that it could be successful against more powerful competition, oftentimes just by outlasting them.
Nissan's last official attempt in the WRC came with the Pulsar GTI-R in the early 1990s. After producing the minimum 5000 road cars required for homologation (in 1990-1991), Nissan entered the GTI-R in the Group A category of the FIA WRC as a "Works" factory team under the banner "Nissan Motorsport Europe" (NME) in 1991 and 1992. The Pulsar GTI-R began its WRC career at the 1991 Safari Rally, a race with which Nissan had decades of history. In competition guise the SR20 was tuned to generate about 300 horsepower, and the Pulsar finished a respectable 5th place.
Among the notable models are the Datsun 240Z and 260Z, which dominated international rallies in the 1970s, especially in Africa and Oceania. The Nissan 240 RS represented the brand's last serious attempt in Group B, while the Pulsar GTI-R closed Nissan's official participation in the WRC with a two-year program that, although limited, demonstrated the brand's technical potential.
In the modern era, Nissan has moved away from official rally participation, concentrating its sporting efforts in other disciplines such as Formula E and GT racing through its NISMO division. However, Nissan's legacy in rallying remains as one of the most successful among Japanese brands, being a pioneer in the sport and achieving memorable victories that continue to be remembered decades later.