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The Kenmeri, Built with "All Right, I Understand"
Development of the fourth generation (Kenmeri) began right after the merger with Nissan, and the Skyline was even mocked as a burden. The third-generation Hakosuka had been highly rated, but the public saw it as "not a car to drive right after getting your license." The sales side strongly demanded a car with mass appeal rather than high performance, one that looked stylish and felt natural to people switching from Toyota. Sakurai said, "All right, I understand," and built the fourth generation consciously avoiding strong character. The Kenmeri sold 640,000 units, the most of any Skyline, but as an engineer it was not what he had wanted, and he says that, honestly, he did not much like its styling, which was too conscious of the mass market.
