LOT 167 Ω
1984 Nissan Skyline RS Turbo 'Type DR30' Gr. A Touring Car Chassis no. DR30-000069
Sold for US$52,640 inc. premiumLot to be sold without reserve
Lot 167Ω
A rare, Factory Group A Skyline, Championship winner of the 1986 Group A Season
1984 Nissan Skyline RS Turbo 'Type DR30' Gr. A Touring Car
1984 Nissan Skyline RS Turbo 'Type DR30' Gr. A Touring Car
1984 Nissan Skyline RS Turbo 'Type DR30' Gr. A Touring Car
Chassis no. DR30-000069
Chassis no. DR30-000069
1990cc FJ20ET DOHC Turbocharged I-4 Engine
Fuel Injection with LINK ECU
300bhp at 7,400rpm
5-Speed Manual Transmission
McPherson Strut Front, Semi-Trailing Arm Rear Suspension
4-Wheel AP Disc Brakes
*A rare 'Iron Mask' Skyline Group A racing car
*1986 All Japan Touring Car Championship series champion
*Raced in period by Takao Wada and Aguri Suzuki
*Mechanical restoration to 'as-raced' condition
*Presented in its original livery
*Offered from 20 years of single ownership
*Said to be the only known surviving Nismo Factory RS Turbo touring car
THE NISSAN SKYLINE
The sixth generation Skyline, internally designated 'R30', debuted in 1981 with a dizzying 26 variants available. For folks like us, the high-performance models matter most – namely the RS Turbo, with its powerful 2-liter, inline-four equipped with an aluminum 16-valve cylinder head (one of the first such production engines in Japan), electronic fuel injection, and a turbocharger. Intercooled versions of the FJ20ET engine made 200 horsepower in road trim, with plenty more available for competition – upwards of 600bhp! Somewhat confusingly, the internal designation changed to 'DR30' to denote the dual overhead cam engine.
Complementing the sophisticated drivetrain was a handsomely styled 2-door coupe body, with thin pillars and crisp lines. The grill-less front-end was a hallmark of the design, earning it the nickname Tekkamen or "Iron Mask." A natural for racing, the rear-drive RS-Turbo was at the forefront of NISMO's race program, butting heads with BMW in the Australian Touring Car Championship, dominating the 1986 All Japan Touring Car Championship, and forming the basis of the legendary Tomica-liveried KDR30 Super Silhouette racer.
THE CAR OFFERED
Chassis DR30-000069 is no ordinary Skyline RS-Turbo, not that any RS-Turbo could be accused of being ordinary. Built to Group A specifications, this car was constructed by Nismo for the 1986 All Japan Touring Car Championship season. The subject of a comprehensive, historic restoration completed in July 2024; this is an extraordinary early Group A racer with fascinating history.
Following a development year, the DR30 hit its stride for the 1986 season. Stripped down to the essentials and fully prepared to Japanese Group A rules, chassis 000069 tips the scales at 1045kg, while the FJ20ET is cranked up to produce 300 horsepower. In the hands of two legendary drivers, Takao Wada, and future F1 driver/team owner Aguri Suzuki, this chassis never finished lower than 4th in six rounds of competition. Starting at Nishi-Nihon Circuit, 000069 – in its official Nissan colors of white with red and blue accents – qualified on pole and won the race, while the remaining five rounds unfolded as follows:
• Round 2 Sports Land Sugo – Quali 7th, 1st in Race
• Round 3 Tsukuba Circuit – Quali 5th, 2nd in Race
• Round 4 Nishi-Sendai Hiland Raceway – Quali 3rd, 2nd in Race
• Round 5 Fuji Speedway (Inter-Tec race) – Quali 10th, 4th in Race
• Round 6 Suzuka Circuit – Quali 3rd, 1st in Race
With such a record, it should be no surprise that its intrepid pilots, Takao Wada and Aguri Suzuki were crowned series champions. After retirement, 000069 survived exceptionally well. The current owner acquired this car twenty years ago, keeping it in his extensive private collection. Recently, it received a comprehensive, yet sympathetic restoration to return it to its former glory. It is reported that the exterior bodywork was in superb order, allowing the original livery to be carefully preserved, while the car's interior and underbody were repainted in white. The 2-liter twin-cam, 16-valve engine was reportedly rebuilt by a NISMO engineer in 2020, and major components including the AP brakes, gearbox, dampers, and fuel system were overhauled. Additionally, it got a new alloy fuel cell, a LINK ECU, new hydraulic cylinders, and plumbing, with the goal of returning the car to track-ready condition, while staying as true as possible to its as-raced 1986 specification.
On July 16th, 2024, the consignor organized an event at Fuji Speedway, reuniting Takao Wada with the restored DR30 RS Turbo for the first time in 38 years. Wada picked up where he left off, turning joyful laps in his faithful steed, despite soggy conditions. As offered, the car is reported to be ready for historic racing, although thorough a tech inspection should be performed before any outing. As historic Group A touring cars become increasingly collectible, this rare, faithfully restored Nissan will undoubtedly stand out on any starting grid or in any serious collection of JDM classics.
Footnotes
Offered on Bill of Sale
Additional information
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