One to Buy: Triple race winning 1990 Nissan NPT-90
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Before its early-to-mid 90s crisis, the Prototype racing scene had been incredibly competitive with works teams from Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Porsche, Aston Martin, Peugeot, Nissan, Toyota and Mazda all variously competing for top honours in the World Sportscar Championship, IMSA GTP series and of course at the Le Mans 24 Hours.
During this period, one of the few companies to achieve sustained major success was Nissan thanks to its California-based IMSA GTP operation initially known as Electramotive and later Nissan Performance Technology Incorporated (NPTI).
Together, Electramotive and NPTI delivered a hat-trick of IMSA Driver and Constructor Championship clean sweeps between 1989 and 1991 along with the 1988 Drivers’ crown.
To replace the enormously impressive GTP ZX Turbo which had been around in one shape or another since 1985, Nissan developed the brand new NPT-90 which came on stream mid way through the 1990 season.
Currently on offer at the Canepa showroom in Scotts Valley, California, is the first car from that series.
Thanks to wins at Mid-Ohio, Sears Point and Road America in 1990 followed by no less than eleven podium finishes during the two seasons that followed, chassis 90-01, which was routinely updated to the latest and greatest specification throughout its career, played a key role in Nissan’s era-defining operation.
Today, 90-01 is presented with all its original components as raced, complete and in extremely well preserved condition.
