Historic “Godzilla” stolen in brazen theft
Nissan’s historic GT-R, worth more than $250,000 has been stolen from the company.
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It’s a theft that feels like the royal family losing their Crown Jewels, a legendary 1991 Nissan GT-R, affectionately known as “Godzilla”, has been stolen.
The legendary car, valued at more than $250,000, is understood to be stolen this morning from Nissan Corporation.
A Nissan Australia spokeswoman confirmed that “Unfortunately our original R32 GT-R has been stolen and is now subject to a police investigation”.
It’s not clear how the vehicle was stolen but Victoria Police are investigating the matter and news.com.au is awaiting a comment about the status of the investigation.
The stolen vehicle has a Victorian registration of GTR 091.
Understandably, the theft is a devastating blow to Nissan and car enthusiasts around Australia as the GT-R was not just a car but an icon.
The 1991 Nissan GT-R, one of a handful originally sold in Australia, was part of the manufacturer’s historic vehicle collection.
It was nicknamed “Godzilla” after earning its legendary status for dominating the motorsport scene.
The irreplaceable model has close ties to Nissan Skyline GT-Rs that won the Bathurst 1000 in 1991 and 1992.
In 1991, Mark Skaife and Jim Richards piloted the R32 GT-R to a victory.
The duo qualified for pole position at Mount Panorama.
Their overall race time of 6 hours, 19 minutes set a record that stood until 2010.
In 1992, the GT-R repeated its success but the win came with some controversy.
The race endured downpour late in the afternoon which caused a series of crashes and the race was red-flagged.
Regardless of the controversy, the GT-R’s finish cemented the vehicle in Bathurst history as a racing icon and truly deserve the name “Godzilla”, as the four-wheel drive, turbocharged engine was unstoppable and dominated everything in its path.
If anyone has information that may assist in its recovery, please contact Victoria Police 1800 333 000 or Nissan on 1800 035 035 or email csc@nissan.com.au.
Originally published as Historic “Godzilla” stolen in brazen theft
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