• POA

1988 Nissan Skyline GTS-R Group A Australian Touring Car - Fred Gibson Motorsport - Factory Nissan Works Car - 4th Bathurst 1000 1989 - George Fury / Terry Shiel

"The unsung hero of Nissan's first ATCC victory." ......A title bestowed upon this remarkable machine by many of Australia's leading motoring journalists.

We are incredibly proud to present what is undoubtedly one of the most historically significant Japanese competition cars ever offered to the public this genuine Fred Gibson Motorsport (GMS) factory Nissan Skyline HR31 GTS-R Group A Touring Car, campaigned during the 1988 and 1989 Australian Touring Car Championship and driven by George Fury, Terry Shiel, Anders Olofsson, Win Percy and Jim Richards during one of the most fiercely contested eras in Australian motorsport.

This very car achieved an outstanding 4th outright at the 1989 Tooheys 1000 Bathurst, driven by George Fury and Terry Shiel, finishing as part of Nissan's famous 3rd and 4th formation finish behind the dominant Ford Sierra RS500s, while Jim Richards and Mark Skaife piloted the sister GMS Skyline to third place. It remains one of the defining cars that laid the foundations for Nissan's eventual domination of Australian Touring Cars and Bathurst in the years that followed.

The HR31 Skyline GTS-R was conceived as a pure homologation special, built specifically to satisfy FIA Group A regulations. Released in August 1987, only 800 road-going examples were ever produced, making it one of Nissan's rarest performance models. Beneath its purposeful aerodynamic bodywork lay Nissan's legendary RB20DET-R, a turbocharged 2.0-litre DOHC inline-six engine driving through a close-ratio five-speed transmission, with independent suspension providing exceptional balance and handling.

The HR31 succeeded the highly successful DR30 Skyline within Fred Gibson Motorsport's programme. While the DR30 had narrowly missed Australian Touring Car Championship victories in both 1986 and 1987, Nissan's ambitions intensified with the arrival of the HR31. Fred Gibson and his engineering team developed what many regarded as the fastest HR31 Skylines ever built.

Former Nissan European Motorsport Manager Alan Heaphy, who worked alongside Gibson Motor Sport during the Skyline programme before joining the team full-time, has often spoken of the extraordinary engineering and continual development that made the HR31 one of the most capable touring cars of its era.

For the 1989 season, Fred Gibson secured the services of multiple Australian Touring Car Champion Jim Richards, whose speed and consistency immediately elevated the team. Although the all-conquering Ford Sierra RS500 remained the benchmark in outright pace, the Nissan programme continued to evolve rapidly.

This particular Skyline enjoyed several significant competition highlights throughout its career. During the 1989 Australian Touring Car Championship, George Fury utilised his legendary car control to claim victory at a rain-soaked Winton Raceway, demonstrating both the capability of the HR31 and the exceptional skill of one of Australia's finest touring car drivers.

At the endurance events, Nissan's momentum continued to build. Jim Richards and rising star Mark Skaife claimed victory at the 1989 Sandown 500 in the sister Skyline after several Sierra teams encountered mechanical failures, firmly establishing Nissan as Ford's greatest challenger heading towards Bathurst.

Reflecting on the HR31, Jim Richards famously said:

"The Skyline was like a bigger, more powerful BMW M3. It was two-wheel drive, it had another 130 horsepower, a five-speed gearbox, independent suspension and it was fantastic to drive. You could drive the wheels off it all day."

Despite carrying approximately 60 kilograms more than the minimum homologated Group A weight due to its larger platform, the HR31 remained remarkably competitive against the lighter and more powerful Sierra RS500s.

This particular chassis also has an extraordinary story beyond its race results.

During the 1989 Wellington 500 street race in New Zealand, British Touring Car legend Win Percy crashed the car while leading comfortably and preparing to make a scheduled pit stop. Following its retirement from frontline competition, the car was purchased directly from Fred Gibson Motorsport by Jim Richards around 1994 with the intention of restoring it.

The dismantled chassis and running gear remained in storage until respected race car builder and designer John Smallman acquired the project. Smallman, who had originally designed the iconic Winfield Nissan livery and had built numerous race and rally cars throughout Australia, embarked upon what would become one of the most meticulous restorations of any Australian touring car.

Locating original components became an extraordinary quest. The original race engine was eventually discovered hidden amongst a collection of Nissan competition engines in Thomastown before being inspected by former Gibson Motor Sport engine specialist Eric Schiefelbein, who confirmed it remained in exceptional internal condition.

The restoration continued with painstaking attention to authenticity. New brake components were cast to original specification, bespoke turbochargers were reproduced in Japan using the original hybrid design, a correct Hollinger five-speed gearbox was sourced and rebuilt, an original rear windscreen was located through a drag racing contact, and new fibreglass aerodynamic panels were recreated after the original moulds were traced to Sydney.

The result is one of the most authentic and beautifully restored Group A touring cars in existence.

By modern standards the HR31 appears refreshingly simple lightweight, purposeful and free from electronic intervention but beneath its minimalist construction lies one of the most significant competition cars of Australia's Group A era. In period, only the mighty Ford Sierra RS500 consistently held the outright advantage, yet in the hands of drivers such as Jim Richards and George Fury, the Skyline proved devastatingly competitive and became the platform that ultimately launched Nissan's domination of Australian touring car racing.

Following its painstaking restoration, this remarkable Skyline has resided within two of Australia's most respected private collections and is now offered publicly for the first time, presenting an exceptionally rare opportunity to acquire a genuine factory Nissan works touring car with unquestionable provenance.

For collectors of significant competition machinery, Japanese performance icons or Australian motorsport history, opportunities of this calibre are extraordinarily rare. This is far more than simply a race car it is an irreplaceable piece of Australian and Nissan motorsport history, representing one of the most important stepping stones in Nissan's journey to becoming a Bathurst-winning powerhouse.

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As a dealership, we pride ourselves on delivering a highly personalised and professional buying experience and therefore operate strictly by appointment only, ensuring every client receives the highest level of service and discretion.

Thank you for taking the time to consider this extraordinary Fred Gibson Motorsport Nissan Skyline HR31 GTS-R Group A Touring Car. For genuine enquiries, we invite you to contact one of our experienced team members at your earliest convenience.

We are a family-owned and operated business and proud VACC Dealer Member, specialising in significant, collectible and investment-grade motor vehicles, backed by over 130 years of combined experience at the highest levels of the automotive industry.

We would be honoured to assist you in acquiring this remarkable piece of Australian motorsport history. Should you be searching for another significant collector vehicle, please don't hesitate to ask we may already have your next acquisition on its way.

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We Are..........Passion Driven.