Rare Car Archive

Makes › Prince Japan › R380 (R380A-I) · Factory competition · 1965 Ultra Rare

Prince
R380 (R380A-I)

Prince's first purpose-built prototype racer (Brabham BT8-based chassis, GR8 engine); won the 1966 Japan GP and set speed records

Prince R380 (R380A-I) (Wikimedia Commons search)
Prince R380 (R380A-I) (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: Mytho88 · CC BY-SA 3.0
4BuiltFactory reported
0Chassis documentedin this archive
1SurvivingFactory reported
Contents
  1. 01Overview
  2. 02Production & history
  3. 03Specifications
  4. 04Colours & options
  5. 05Individual cars
  6. 06Reference

01Overview

At a glance

Built
4 Built
Years
1965
Engine
Inline six, rear-mounted (mid-engine) · 1,996 cc / 2.0 LFactory: 1,996 cc
Power
149 kW / 203 PSFactory: 200 hp · converted
Top speed
270 km/hFactory: 270 km/h
Body
Not yet verified
Designer
Shinichiro Sakurai (Prince Motor Company head of engineering)
In this archive
Not yet verified
Surviving
1 (factory reported)

Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.

Why it matters

The R380 was Prince's first purpose-built racing prototype and one of the first purpose-built Japanese race cars. It won the 1966 Japanese Grand Prix outright, ahead of a Porsche 906, and set several class speed records in 1965 on the Yatabe test track.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Model rarityUltra Rare 4 · Built1
Specification rarityNot yet assessed
Colour rarityNot yet assessed
Individual rarityNot yet assessed
Historical rarityNot yet assessed
Survival rarityNot yet assessed 1 · Surviving1

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

02Production & history

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

What is countedFigureBasisStatus
Total model productionR380s believed to survive, the 1966 Japanese Grand Prix winner (stated by Nissan/Infiniti 2017) 11 Surviving examples Factory reported
Total model productionR380s built by Prince 41 Factory production Factory reported

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

Prince lost the 1964 Japanese Grand Prix to a Porsche 904 with a modified Skyline GT and decided to build its own prototype. Shinichiro Sakurai, head of Prince engineering, bought a bare Brabham BT8 chassis and designed new aluminium bodywork and a new twin-cam engine, the GR-8, for it. Four R380s were built.

The 1965 Japanese Grand Prix was cancelled, so the cars were used for aerodynamic work and for record runs at Yatabe. At the 1966 race at Fuji, the R380s took first and second place against Porsche 906s. The car was redesigned for 1967 as the R380-II, by which time Prince had merged into Nissan.

Variants

How each version differs from the standard R380 (R380A-I).

No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.

03Specifications

Technical specifications

Engine

Engine familyNot yet verified
Engine codeGR-81
LayoutInline six, rear-mounted (mid-engine)1 Independently researched
Cylinders61
Displacement 1,996 cc / 2.0 LFactory: 1,996 cc1
Bore 82 mmFactory: 82 mm2 Independently researched
Stroke 63 mmFactory: 63 mm2 Independently researched
Compression ratio11:13 Independently researched
ValvetrainDouble overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, alloy crossflow head2 Independently researched
Fuel systemThree Weber 42DCOE dual-throat side-draught carburettors2 Independently researched
Power 149 kW / 203 PSFactory: 200 hp · converted1 Independently researched
Power at 8,000 rpm2 Independently researched
TorqueNot yet verified

Transmission & drivetrain

ManufacturerHewland2 Independently researched
GearboxHewland 5-speed transaxle, floor change2 Independently researched
Gears51
Driven wheelsNot yet verified

Chassis, body & dimensions

ChassisBrabham BT8 chassis1
Front suspensionNot yet verified
Rear suspensionNot yet verified
BrakesNot yet verified
SteeringNot yet verified
Body constructionLight alloy panelwork, low-slung two-door rear-engined coupe2 Independently researched
Wheelbase 2,360 mmFactory: 2,360 mm2 Independently researched
Length 3,930 mmFactory: 3,930 mm2 Independently researched
Width 1,580 mmFactory: 1,580 mm2 Independently researched
Height 1,035 mmFactory: 1,035 mm2 Independently researched
Front trackNot yet verified
Rear trackNot yet verified
Kerb weight 660 kgFactory: 660 kg2 Independently researchedSource lists it simply as "Weight".
Dry weightNot yet verified

Performance

Maximum speed 270 km/hFactory: 270 km/h2 Independently researched
0–100 km/hNot yet verified
Fuel tankNot yet verified

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

04Colours & options

Factory colours & interiors

Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Factory options & codes

Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

05Individual cars

Chassis register

Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Competition history

Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Auction & sale history

Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

See one in person

Museums where an example of this car can be seen.

No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.

06Reference

Identification guide

How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.

The R380 is a low rear-engined two-door coupe on a Brabham BT8 chassis, with light alloy bodywork and the GR-8 engine: 1996 cc, double overhead cam, four valves per cylinder and triple Weber 42DCOE carburettors, behind a Hewland five-speed transaxle. The R380-I of 1965-66 has the original body; the R380-II of 1967 has a completely changed, sleeker body and fuel injection in place of the carburettors. Only one R380 is believed to survive, the 1966 Japanese Grand Prix winner.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

  1. 1
    INFINITI to show Prince R380 at 2017 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance Level A Nissan Online Newsroom (web archive copy)
    • the four R380s they built
    • believed to be the only surviving R380 in existence
    • Known as the GR-8
    • mid-engine chassis ... inline, six-cylinder engine
    • inline, six-cylinder engine
    • 1996 cubic centimeter, inline six-cylinder engine
    • produced 200-horsepower
    • mated to a 5-speed racing gearbox
    • Built upon a Brabham BT8 mid-engine chassis
    Accessed 2026-11-13
  2. 2
    Prince R380 Level D earlydatsun.com (web archive copy)
    • internal dimensions of 82mmx63mm
    • alloy double overhead cam, four valve per cylinder, crossflow cylinder head
    • triple 42DCOE Weber dual throat side draught
    • Power - 200hp@8000rpm
    • a Hewland 5 speed transaxle
    • Hewland 5 speed Floor change
    • light weight alloy panelwork
    • Wheelbase - 2360mm
    • Length - 3930mm
    • Width - 1580mm
    • Height - 1035mm
    • Weight - 660kg
    • Top speed - 270kph
    Accessed 2026-11-13
  3. 3
    Nissan R380-II Level D earlydatsun.com (web archive copy)
    • compression ratio was also increased from 11:1 to 11.9:1
    Accessed 2026-11-13

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