A 1983 running update to the C31 Laurel quietly introduced a world first: electrically retractable door mirrors.
Lead trim: 2.0 L20 I6 carburetted (Europe) · up to 125 hp
Nissan Laurel C31C31 · 1980–1984
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Nissan Laurel C31 yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactA 1983 running update to the C31 Laurel quietly introduced a world first: electrically retractable door mirrors.
Introduced in November 1980 as the first Laurel available only in four-door form, as a sedan or hardtop, sharing its MacPherson-strut front suspension with the new Leopard F30 that replaced the coupé. Engines included the 1.8-litre, 2.0 L20, 2.4 L24 petrol and a 2.8-litre diesel, with a turbocharged L20ET added in the Japanese Turbo Medalist. Because Japanese cars were not popular with private buyers in Europe, the diesel took the lion's share of sales there, mainly as taxis.
Collectors Spotted in the Nissan Laurel Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Nissan Laurel yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
4 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0 L20 I6 carburetted (Europe) | 1980–1984 | 2.0 L Inline-6 | 96 hp | 116 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 2.4 L24 I6 carburetted (Europe) | 1980–1984 | 2.4 L Inline-6 | 118 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
| 2.4 L24 I6 fuel-injected (export) | 1982–1984 | 2.4 L Inline-6 | 125 hp | 133 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 2.8 LD28 diesel I6 (Europe) | 1980–1984 | 2.8 L Inline-6 | 81 hp | 125 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
Stricter side-impact rules killed the Laurel's signature look -- the C34 was the first generation sold only as a regular pillared saloon, with no pillarless hardtop body.
Nissan sold the C33 Laurel as a dignified family sedan, but it shares its floorpan with the Skyline R32 — exactly why drifters quietly adopted it as a cheap, parts-compatible weapon.
The C32 Laurel introduced the world's first electric retractable door mirrors, folding them in automatically.
A 1983 running update to the C31 Laurel quietly introduced a world first: electrically retractable door mirrors.
Nissan built a hardtop Laurel with no B-pillars at all, but only offered it with six-cylinder engines.
Owners nicknamed the C130 the pig-butt Laurel for its wide rear quarters and bumper-mounted taillights.
Nissan built the Laurel as a junior Gloria before it even owned Prince, the company it would soon absorb.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
It briefly served as senior sibling to Marquette, a GM companion brand cancelled after just one year.
Nissan hired former BMW engineers to help develop the 510's suspension, which is why period reviewers frequently compared its handling to the BMW 1600/2002.
A Trabant 601 won its class at the 1970 Monte Carlo Rally, with a second 601 right behind it in second.
The 600 was a stopgap: the P50's body over the 601's mechanicals, and for a while its estate was built alongside the new 601 saloon.
The G80 Sport brought a 370 PS twin-turbo 3.3 V6, a mesh grille and copper-tinted chrome with copper stitching to match.
The Vigor was sold only with a five-cylinder engine, an unusual configuration Honda used to fit a longer engine transversely under a short hood.
The GS/E coupe earned the nickname "German Charger" for its long hood, short deck stance borrowed from Detroit muscle cars.
This DeVille/Fleetwood was the first production car anywhere to mount its V8 sideways, Cadillac's front-drive gamble on the new C-body.