1985 Nissan Silvia Turbo Coupe

The current owner bought the Silvia on a whim last year reminiscing about his past motoring memories. He describes it as an honest car: not perfect, but showing very well for a Japanese car of this age. It’s the desirable manual version of the Turbo, a rare car in the UK these days. It’s a pre-facelift car too, which many may consider to be a good thing as the ’86 mods centred on the thickening up of the side rubstrips and the substitution of the distinctive honeycomb grille with a full-width slatted one.  

First registered in November 1985 in Worcester, where it seems to have remained until now, and only 2 former owners - this car accumulated almost all of its 85,000-and-change miles prior between then and 1994 (confirmed by a 1993 MOT certificate showing 84,895 miles). At this point it appears to have been laid up. We’re assuming from the still-fresh look of the car that it was tucked away under cover during that time. 

After sitting dormant for many years, the Turbo was brought blinking into the light in 2012 when it was reconditioned for the road, but even after that it was hardly used. There’s a note in the file to say that it received a new turbo, petrol pump, cambelt kit and a service in late 2017.

The only totally rust-free examples of Japanese cars from the 1980s have probably spent most if not all of their lives in museums. With that in mind, this Silvia stands out as quite a survivor. 

If you come in close you’ll see evidence of the inevitable paint touchups, and not for the first time in automotive history rust is starting to show on the inside trailing edge of one door, the inside of the hatch and around the fuel cap (which has a cable-operated cap release), but the good news is that the rest of the car, including door bottoms and sills look very sound. 

The original white paint is thin in places but the model-correct multispoke alloys (including a full-size spare) have come through three decades of use in remarkably unscathed condition, and have recently been treated to a new full set of new tyres. The pop-up headlights that are a must-have for any 1980s performance car still function perfectly. Better yet, the rally-style headlight stone guards are both in place. 

Don't just take our word for it, why not arrange to view the car in person at its home in Worcester prior to the end of the auction.

1980s cabin plastics were, well, different – and that goes double for anything coming from Japan. The interior materials were more Formica than soft-touch, and the colours didn’t remind you much of anything you’d find in nature. This all makes for excellent conversation points at shows. Our Silvia’s steering wheel is even more fascinating as the pitiless ravages of the British Midlands sun have altered the colour of the top section in an unusual and interesting way.

The well-shaped and surprisingly comfy cloth seats, and the cloth/vinyl door cards, show little signs of wear. The driver’s seat appears to have a lumbar support knob and the carpets are unusually lush for a Japanese car of this era. There is a fairly heavy stain on the passenger side carpet (which has also worn through in two places), and whatever attacked that carpet has had a bit of a go in the boot too, but there are no visual or nose-related signs of damp. 

We’re told that the power windows operate properly and that the sunroof is leak-free. A full array of eight orange on black instruments is easily visible through the ‘empty top’ steering wheel to tell the driver everything they might want to know. As mentioned earlier, the dash and centre console plastics are not exactly luxurious, but they are correct for the period and pleasingly scratch-free. 

One good thing about the 1980s, apart from the music, is that rear parcel shelves in cars actually worked. This Silvia’s one has escaped the usual jigsaw attack for aftermarket speakers and is ideal for storing kids’ toys and/or more than a few copies of your favourite classic car magazine. The hinged luggage cover hides your more valuable stuff from view and the hydraulic hatch rams do their job.

Although the exhaust components and other predictable areas are showing the usual signs of browning we could see no obvious problems with the main underside structure of the car. Obviously you would need to satisfy yourself by examining it more closely, but the presence of an advisory-free MOT certificate from 2017 should be some source of mechanical reassurance. 

These CA18 Nissan engines are famously robust and easy to maintain. The very tidy engine bay looks to be free of oil leaks and general abuse.

We feel it is also worth mentioning that engines always sound more rattly in our videos than in reality!

Unfortunately there isn’t much paperwork with the car beyond the items described above, which we're assuming has been lost at some point in the past, and the MOT expired in November 2018, but the owner confirms that a new ticket will be put on for the next owner. As noted above, the last MOT in 2017 had no advisories. 

Having seen this Silvia, we believe it must have been cared for and probably regularly serviced for it to have survived this long in this condition. It genuinely feels very original and tight - as though this car has never been molested in any way or even taken apart.

1980s Japanese sporting coupes are attracting increasing attention, not just from  drivers who were around at the time but also from younger enthusiasts who relate to their retro appeal and who can recite whole chunks of Fast And Furious dialogue to anyone who is prepared to listen. 

The S12 coupe is certainly one of the more cleanly styled Silvias, with little to date it in a negative way. This particular example looks ready to provide a reliable and semi-sporting drive for its next owner, who will need to be ready to engage with interested and curious onlookers on its history and background. 

It’s not unreasonable to assume that the huge popularity and credibility of the later S13 Silvia in the Japanese domestic market will generate increasing interest in its immediate forebear. With only forty or so manual S12 Turbos currently licensed in the UK, and evidence of growing restoration interest in the model, a sound example could be a canny purchase for an investor with vision, which we estimate will sell for between £5,000 - £7,000.

Viewing is always encouraged. This car can be seen in Worcester: to arrange an appointment, please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make any observations in the Comments section below the pics, or you can try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

If needed, please remember that we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.