Nissan Laurel

Nissan Laurel
Nissan Laurel Club S
Overview
Manufacturer	Nissan
Production	1968–2002
Body and chassis
Class	Mid-size car
Chronology
Successor	Nissan Teana

The Nissan Laurel (Japanese: 日産・ローレル, Hepburn: Nissan Rōreru) is a two- and four-door sedan manufactured and marketed by Nissan from 1968 to 2002. Later generations added all-wheel-drive along with turbocharged engines. Introduced in 1968 as a new model positioned above the Datsun Bluebird 510, the Laurel offered the luxury of the Nissan Gloria A30 in a shorter wheelbase, and always was the luxury version of the Skyline range for all generations, sharing engines, suspensions and handling dynamics of the popular performance coupe and sedan while having a longer wheelbase.

The first Laurel was developed by the Nissan Tsurumi R&D Division and assembled at the Musashimurayama Plant of the former Prince Motor Company in 2-door and 4-door variants beginning in 1968. The Laurel was not marketed new in Japan at Nissan Prince Store locations that sold the Skyline and Gloria, former Prince products. Instead the Laurel was sold at Nissan Store as the junior model to the Nissan Cedric and executive limousine, V8-powered Nissan President.

The Laurel, and its Skyline twin, saw yearly equipment, appearance and trim package changes, so as to appear fresh and new, and every four to five years were given an all-new appearance, while core technology that were tested and reliable remained underneath.

Nissan intermittently listed the Laurel for sale in various Asian, European and South American markets, labeled as the Datsun Laurel or Datsun 200L until exports from Japan ended after 1989. The Laurel was cancelled subsequent to Nissan's alliance with Renault.

The name "laurel" is in reference to a laurel wreath, a symbol of triumph and is worn as a chaplet around the head, or as a garland around the neck.