1991 Nissan R91CP

Nissan started making Group C cars in 1985. At first a Nissan engine would be mounted in a foreign-made chassis (March Engineering or Lola Cars International), and entered in the WEC (World Endurance Championship) and Japan’s own endurance series. The R91CP, however, was entirely Nissan-made, and – driven by Masahiro Hasemi, K. Hoshino, and Toshio Suzuki – it captured the title in the 1992 Daytona 24 Hours, the first time that a Japanese team or Japanese car had done so.

In the 1991 season, K. Hoshino and Toshio Suzuki (Calsonic) easily won the Driver’s Championship with 5 wins in 7 races. In 1992, the same team notched up 5 wins in 6 races (the other going to YHP) in a splendid defense of their throne. This is what led to Nissan taking the double title – Constructor’s and Driver’s Championships – for three years in a row, a glorious achievement.