Japan’s Rarest, Sexiest Race Car Is Coming Out of Hiding This Weekend

In 1966 at the Fuji Speedway, the legendary Skyline GT was poised to dominate the second annual Japanese Grand Prix. And while the boxy little punks made a run for it along the Porsche 906s, the victory went instead to the Prince’s R380 driven by Yoshikazu Sunako. He just beat out Hideo Oishi’s second place R380.

At the previous race in ‘64, the Prince lost out by a mere sliver to a Porsche 904. But determined to be on top, the manufacturer set out to create Japan’s first purpose-built race cars, and the Prince R380 was born.

Considered to be Japan’s original builder of premium automobiles, Prince’s legacy can be traced to Infiniti Motor Company and its current model line.

“The Prince R380 is a very important race car, and we are eager to share it with automotive fans from all over the world attending the Amelia Island Concours,” said Alfonso Albaisa, executive design director for INFINITI. “Prince Motor Company, during its short time, definitely made history, and its engineering and design legacy continues to live on.”

Coming out of hiding for its first public debut, the one-of-a-kind ride will make an appearance in the States at this year’s Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance.