Rare R32 Skyline GT-R Stolen From Nissan’s Australian Headquarters

Godzilla has gone AWOL Down Under. Earlier this week, a 1991 Nissan R32 Skyline GT-R was stolen in Australia — taken, in fact, directly from Nissan’s Australian national headquarters. Details of the theft are few, but local police are investigating the matter, according to Australian news outlet News.com.au.

“Unfortunately our original R32 GT-R has been stolen and is now subject to a police investigation,” a Nissan Australia spokeswoman told the publication. The car was part of the Nissan heritage collection and, was stored at the Nissan Headquarters in Mulgrave, a suburb of the capital of Melbourne.

The red sports car (seen above), which wears registration plate GTR 091, is one of a small number of GT-R models that were imported into the country by the automaker. The theft comes just days after Nissan Australia commemorated the R32 GT-R's rise to fame by winning the Bathurst 1000 in 1991 and 1992.

Motorsports wins, such as those Bathurst 1000 victories in '91 and '92, are how the GT-R earned its “Godzilla” nickname, as the cars proved as nearly unbeatable as the Japanese monster of cinematic fame. During the 1991 Shell Australian Touring Car Championship, for example, the GT-R won seven of the nine races; there were a total of 425 racing laps in the nine races, and the Nissans led 337 of them.

The stolen car is said to have an estimated value of about $250,000 AUD, or about $170,00. But the car has more than just a monetary value, and naturally, Nissan is hoping for its safe return. They are asking for anyone that has information that may assist in its recovery, to either contact Victoria Police or Nissan Australia, the latter by emailing csc@nissan.com.au.

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