Nissan Gloria — BrandWiki

Nissan Gloria

Overview

Prince Gloria (S40)

model code	S40/S41/S44
related	Prince Skyline
production	1962–1967
engine	1.9 L G-2 I4 (S40/V40, through 1966) 2.0 L G-7 I6 (S41/V41/W41) 2.5 L G-11 I6 (S44)
transmission	4-speed manual
length	4650 mm
width	1695 mm
height	1480 mm
layout	FR layout
assembly	Japan: Musashimurayama New Zealand: Christchurch (Steel Brothers Addington)‡R1R‡
body style	4-door sedan 5-door wagon (W40)‡R2R‡
weight	1295 kg
designer	Takuya Himura
wheelbase	2680 mm
aka	Prince B200/B250 PMC B200/B250 Mikado‡R3R‡

The Gloria is a large luxury car made from 1959 by the Prince Motor Company, and later by Nissan Motors since its merger with the former — hence being originally marketed as Prince Gloria and later as Nissan Gloria. Initially based on the smaller Prince Skyline, the Gloria line was merged with Nissan Cedric starting with 1971 models and both continued until 2004, when they were both replaced by Nissan Fuga.

After Nissan assumed Prince's operations, the now Nissan-badged Glorias were sold along with the Nissan Skyline. They were marketed through the Nissan Prince Shop network, composed of dealerships that were formerly affiliated with the Prince company. The Prince G engine was used in the Gloria until 1969.

Its name was inspired by the Latin word "Glory".

First generation (BLSI; 1959)

The Prince Automobile Manufacturers, previously known as Fuji Precision Industry, released a modification of their Prince Skyline with a more luxurious approach, and modified exterior sheet metal, at the All Japan Automobile Show, after the Tokyo Motor Show and the Skyline 1900 exhibition, in October 1958. In February 1959 the BLSIP Gloria was released with the 80 PS 1.9-liter GB-30 OHV four-cylinder engine. The Gloria mimicked popular appearances found in North America, the Gloria used a styling feature on the front bumper, called "

Second generation (S40; 1962)

Later in 1962, Prince introduced the second generation, "S40" Gloria. It was the first six-cylinder Prince, while also offering an updated straight-four, the 94 hp (70 kW) 1.9 L G-2. In June 1963, the first mass-produced Japanese SOHC six-cylinder engine was introduced, known as the G-7, and was installed in the new Gloria Super 6, model S41. The same engine was used in the Gloria 6 Estate and in a commercial delivery van called "Gloria 6 Wagon". This new engine produces 106 PS at 5,400 rpm, with a new SOHC head.[3] The Gloria has an independent suspension in front and a de Dion tube in the back.

A prototype of the second generation Gloria had many design similarities to the Chevrolet Corvair, and Hino Contessa, but the production version was completely redesigned. The production Gloria shows some visual similarities to the 1959 Buick LeSabre, Invicta, and Electra, as evidenced in the strong character/beltline that encompasses the car, the wrap-around windshield and rear window, and the rear roof extension over the rear window. This Gloria also made it into export markets, for instance going on sale in Finland in April 1965.[3]

In October 1962, at the 9th All-Japan Auto show, the 2.5-liter G-11 engine was presented – although it was not immediately installed in any car. In May 1964, the Grand Gloria S44P was released, its introduction preceding the 1964 Summer Olympics held later in October. This vehicle included electric power windows and the new 2.5 L engine, producing 130 PS. This was the first Gloria that was no longer regarded as a compact sedan under Japanese vehicle classification regulations due to the engine displacement exceeding two litres.

The second Japan Grand Prix saw the G7B-R Gloria Super 6 engine win the T-VI class race, albeit installed in a lighter Skyline.

In 1966 the S41-2 series was introduced. The exterior remained the same from the S40-1 models, except the grille which had bigger rectangular slots. At the same time Prince merged with Nissan and because of this the badges were changed. In non-Asian markets the cars were sold as the Prince B200. Many cars featured a small "Nissan" badge on the back. The data tag in the engine compartment mentioned both Prince and Nissan. In some European markets the Gloria was sold as the PMC-Mikado Gloria 6. The Super Gloria was sold in export markets as the Prince B250. The S41-2 series continued to use the low compression version of the G-7 engine and the S44-2 continued to use the G-11 engine. The four cylinder engine was dropped.

The Gloria was the first Prince to be assembled outside Japan when New Zealand importer Croyden Motors contracted Steel Brothers Addington to assemble an initial 300 units from CKD kits at a new 1,000-unit factory specially built for the job.[1]

Third generation (A30; 1967)

April 1967 saw a restyle of the bodywork, and all Prince vehicles were now known as Nissan (but the A30 Gloria was officially registered as "Prince" to the Government). The former Prince company, now integrated into Nissan operations, was given the task of designing the Nissan Prince Royal, to be used by the Imperial Household, and thus presented a special version of the Gloria which had a similar appearance to the previous Prince Royal. The styling of this generation (namely, the stacked headlights) appears to have been inspired by contemporary Cadillacs and Pontiacs, while the side mimicked Ford Galaxies of the day. The car also adopted some styling cues from the Nissan Prince Royal, built exclusively for the Emperor of Japan. Vehicles designated as the Super Deluxe, the Super 6 and Van Deluxe had the 6-cylinder engine, whereas the Standard and Van Standard used the 4-cylinder engine. Later the Super Deluxe GL became the top trim level. Due to the Gloria and Cedric being combined to save on production costs, the De Dion axle previously used by the Prince Gloria was downgraded to a solid rear axle with leaf springs.

The original model was the PA30 sedan and VPA30 wagon, originally fitted with Prince's own G7 six-cylinder engine.[4] The four-cylinder version, with Nissan's H20 engine, was called A30 or VA30.[5] In November 1969 Prince's six-cylinder motor was swapped for Nissan's L20 unit; from now on the chassis code is HA30. Disc brakes for the front wheels were added to the options list.

With the introduction of the fourth generation in 1971, the Gloria model was merged with its former competitor, the Nissan Cedric, to become the Nissan Gloria. This name was also used in some export markets instead of the Cedric or 260C moniker. The Prince dealership network that sold the Gloria was renamed Nissan Prince Store, and the Gloria took the top level vehicle offered at Nissan Prince, while the Nissan Skyline became the junior model.

This generation of Prince was also assembled in New Zealand by Steel Brothers in Christchurch but was now badged as a Nissan Gloria though it was still imported by Croyden Motors, a separate company to Datsun importer Nissan-Datsun NZ Ltd. A total of 900 Prince and Nissan Glorias were built in NZ,[1] which corresponded to the annual low-volume import licence allocation of 300 CKD units a year under government policy of the time. Following the merger of Prince and Nissan in Japan, the Gloria in NZ effectively was replaced by Nissan-Datsun imports of Japanese-assembled Datsun 2300 Personal Six sedans and, later, imported 240C and locally assembled 260C sedans.

Seventh generation (Y30; 1983)

Most of the information in this article was translated from the Nissan Gloria article on Japanese Wikipedia at ja:日産・グロリア.

June 22, 1983 saw a major restyle of the previous generation for all versions of the Gloria. Sedans used for taxi service utilized four round headlights whereas other versions upgraded to European style halogen headlights. The straight-six engine, which had been used for many years, was upgraded to an all new V6-design, called the VG series engine which made its debut in the Cedric/Gloria. This was the first mass production V6 engine built in Japan.[7] The VG range uses fuel injection rather than carburetors for fuel delivery. The VG20ET was turbocharged, for better performance while staying within the Japanese tax parameters for a compact car. The twin-carbureted four-cylinder CA20S engine was fitted to the lowest-spec versions (standard, De Luxe).[8] This four-cylinder engine was also available in a version built to run on LPG fuel, meant to be used for taxi service and other professional usage. From February 1984 there was also a six-cylinder L20P, which also ran on LPG. In June 1984 the powerful 3-litre VG30ET turbo V6 was introduced.

Trim levels offered were the Brougham, SGL, Grand Edition, GL Grand Edition, GL and the Standard. In June 1984 the Brougham VIP appeared as the top level car. The Jack Nicklaus special edition, introduced with the previous edition, was a sales success for the company and continued to be offered as a hardtop and only with a turbocharged engine.

Beginning June 1985, Nissan offered a self-levelling suspension for the rear wheels on hardtop and sedan top trim packages. They also introduced "Super Sonic Suspension" system, which featured a sonar module mounted under the front bumper that scanned the road surface and adjusted the suspension accordingly via actuators mounted on all four MacPherson strut towers.[9] There was also a switch next to the steering wheel that allowed the driver to change between "Auto", "Soft", "Medium" and "Hard" settings. The speed-sensitive rack-and-pinion power steering could also be separately reduced for a sporting feeling, and the suspension setting would modify both the steering feel and the shift points on the automatic transmission. The feature was only installed on V30 Turbo Brougham VIP sedans and hardtops.

To enhance rear passenger comfort and convenience, the four-door hardtop front driver and passenger seat belt shoulder strap was connected at the top to the ceiling, however, the upper portion could be detached, with the shoulder strap emerging from the side door support, resting on the driver's and passenger's shoulder. This provided rear passengers an unobstructed view from the rear seat without the seat belt hanging from the ceiling when the windows were retracted. The upper part would then swing up to the ceiling and could be fastened into place. All sedan and hardtop trim packages designated as Brougham also provided a fold down footrest for rear seat passengers opposite the driver where the lower half of the front seatback would fold down to the passenger, like a tray table, whereby it would accommodate the passengers legs and feet while the rear passenger seat could further extend and recline. Nissan introduced a PIN activated keyless entry feature on the front exterior door handles. The doors could be unlocked, trunk opened and all windows retracted, as well as rolling up the windows and locking the vehicle.

June 1985 saw mild exterior changes, with the biggest mechanical change being a variable nozzle for the VG20ET turbocharged engine. The diesel straight-six engine LD28 was also upgraded to the RD28 Straight-6 engine.[10]

Export versions usually received the diesel sixes or the three-litre six-cylinder engines, although there was also a version with the four-cylinder 2.3-litre SD23 engine, producing 74 PS (SAE net).[6] With nearly exactly the same specifications as the Japanese market engine, the fuel-injected three-litre six claimed 166 PS or 155 PS in export, as opposed to 180 PS in Japan. There was also a carbureted version available in some markets such as the Middle East (VG30S), with 148 PS at a lowly 4,800 rpm.[11]

Eighth generation (Y31; 1987)

Most of the information in this article was translated from the Nissan Gloria article on Japanese Wikipedia at ja:日産・グロリア.

The Y31 sedan was introduced in 1987. The Y30 hardtop was replaced by the succeeding Y32, and the Y30 Wagon/Van version was not replaced. After this generation, Glorias were only available to private customers in four-door hardtop guise. Engines available continue to be the newly developed VG series engine as a result of Project 901, with the VG20DET adding DOHC, another first for Nissan. June 1987 saw a special edition Gloria intended for parade usage, removing the roof structure from the hardtop body style. "Super Sonic Suspension" was no longer offered and instead the MacPherson struts were optionally installed with internal air chambers combined with trailing lower control arms, while the standard suspension consisted of MacPherson struts for the front wheels, and coil springs and shock absorbers for the rear suspension; cars thus equipped carry an "A" in their chassis code (PAY31 rather than PY31). The four-speed automatic transmission is now computer controlled for smoother shifts. The transmission now exclusively uses a floor-mounted gear shifter, and a five-speed manual transmission was still available. The rear suspension was upgraded to multi-link independent setup. Trim levels are standard, Custom, Super Custom, Classic, Classic SV, Gran Turismo, and Brougham VIP. There was also a long wheelbase model built by Autech called the Royal Limousine. The Gran Turismo received more sport-oriented styling, adding a youthful appearance, which found new, younger, buyers. The sporty GranTurismo SV version had short bumpers with a body kit, and was powered by the turbo twin cam VG20DET engine. The sedan version of the Y31 was facelifted at the launch of the Y32; it was kept in production for professional use and as a more traditional, lower cost alternative to the hardtop-only succeeding generations. The Gloria is mechanically related to the Crew, although the former is larger.

The Gloria competed for buyers with related Nissan vehicles that shared platforms used for the Gloria, specifically, the Nissan Cima, Nissan Leopard and the Nissan Cedric, as well as other sport-oriented vehicles, such as the Nissan Cefiro, Nissan Skyline and Nissan Laurel. The Gloria Y31 can be distinguished from its sibling, the Cedric Y31 by the taillights.

The 4-speed automatic transmission is now computer controlled for smoother shifts. The transmission now exclusively uses a floor mounted gear shifter, and a 5-speed manual transmission is still available. The rear suspension was upgraded to multi-link independent setup. Trim levels start with the VIP Brougham, Gran Tourismo, Classic SV, Classic and Super Custom. The Gran Turismo received more sport-oriented styling, adding a youthful appearance, which found new, younger, buyers. To enhance rear passenger comfort and convenience, the four-door hardtop front driver and passenger seat belt shoulder strap was connected at the top to the ceiling, however, the upper portion could be detached, with the shoulder strap emerging from the side door support, resting on the driver's and passenger's shoulder. This provided rear passengers an unobstructed view from the rear seat without the seat belt hanging from the ceiling when the windows were retracted. The upper part would then swing up to the ceiling and could be fastened into place.

In June 1998 the Gloria sedan (still sold for either private or professional uses) was updated. Equipment levels were improved, now featuring standard double airbags up front (private cars only), a redesigned dashboard and interior for private cars and higher-end professional models, and other minor changes such as replacing the conventional antenna at the rear with one integrated into the rear windshield.[12] The facelifted version of the Y31 Gloria was discontinued in July 1999 and merged into the Cedric Sedan lineup, which continued to be produced until 2014 for taxi sales.[13][14]

Professional use Gloria sedans received lower powered engines, typically powered by LPG or (less popularly) diesel engines. Lower end models received the four-cylinder NA20P while better equipped versions like the Classic, Classic SV, and Brougham used the six-cylinder RB20P. The NA20P produces 82 PS; power increased to 85 PS at the time of the June 1998 updates.[12] Autech also offered an LPG-powered version of the VG20 engine (called the VG20LPG; when later built officially by Nissan, this engine became the VG20P), only in Brougham trim with a four-speed automatic and intended for police or special purpose uses.[15]