The Nissan Laurel was introduced by Nissan in 1968 as the new model between the 1968 Bluebird 510 & the Nissan Cedric. The first Laurel was developed by the Prince Motor Company, consisting of both 2-door and 4-door variants. It was released as a Nissan after Prince merged with Nissan. Laurels shared many components and architectures with the Skyline range.
The Nissan Laurel came in several different models. The C31 model, introduced in 1981, was the first model that was only available in a four-door form, either as a sedan or hardtop. The C32 was the last model to be sold outside Japan.
Though the car is not very powerful (125 hp), it is fairly dynamic. On a highway you can easily take it up to 180km/h, and it will feel as if it was 100 km/h. Along the set course, it performs very well. However, it does not do very well during sharp maneuvering, as it begins tilting due to a mild suspension. On a high speed you don’t feel the road bumps; they are all absorbed by the suspension. Nissan could have considered giving the car a more rigid suspension.
The Laurel is one of the few Nissan vehicles which still use the rear wheel drive layout. Some of the later models featured sophistications such as Nissan's 4-wheel steering (HICAS) and 4-wheel drive (ATTESA) systems, which were based on the Skyline models. The last of the Nissan Laurel range was the C35 model. Today, the Laurel is no longer being sold.
