The Prince Automobile Manufacturers, previously known as Fuji Precision Industry, released a modification of their Prince Skyline with a more luxurious approach, and modified exterior sheet metal, at the All Japan Automobile Show, after the Tokyo Motor Show and the Skyline 1900 exhibition, in October 1958.

The side trim was similar to the Skyline, except the chrome-framed painted strip ends at the rear door instead of the back of the car.

According to the article found in Japanese Wikipedia, the Gloria got its name as a tribute when the first series BLSI sedan was presented to the then Crown Prince Akihito, the future Emperor of Japan, and Princess Michiko as an anniversary gift after one year of marriage.

The Prince Automotive Industry was the official vehicle supplier to the Imperial Household Agency at that time, previously known as Fuji Precision Technology.

The suspension used double wishbone and coil springs in the front, and De Dion setup in the back.

In June 1963, the first mass-produced Japanese SOHC six-cylinder engine was introduced, known as the G-7, and was installed in the new Gloria Super 6, model S41.

A prototype of the second generation Gloria had many design similarities to the Chevrolet Corvair, and Hino Contessa, but the production version was completely redesigned.

This was the first Gloria that was no longer regarded as a compact sedan under Japanese vehicle classification regulations due to the engine displacement exceeding two litres.

The second Japan Grand Prix saw the G7B-R Gloria Super 6 engine win the T-VI class race, albeit installed in a lighter Skyline.

The styling of this generation (namely, the stacked headlights) appears to have been inspired by contemporary Cadillacs and Pontiacs, while the side mimicked Ford Galaxies of the day.

The car also adopted some styling cues from the Nissan Prince Royal, built exclusively for the Emperor of Japan.

[4] In November 1969 Prince's six-cylinder motor was swapped for a Nissan unit; from now on the chassis code is HA30.

This generation of Prince was also assembled in New Zealand by Steel Brothers in Christchurch but was now badged as a Nissan Gloria though it was still imported by Croyden Motors, a separate company to Datsun importer Nissan-Datsun NZ Ltd. A total of 900 Prince and Nissan Glorias were built in NZ [Assembly, Mark Webster, 2002, p144] which corresponds to the annual low-volume import licence allocation of 300 CKD units a year under government policy of the time.

This generation of the Gloria has been completely shared with the Cedric, essentially being the same vehicle, aside from changes in appearance.

Halogen headlights are introduced to the Gloria, along with both a 2-door and 4-door hardtop body style, in addition to a 4-door sedan.

The overhead valve H20 four-cylinder engine remained in use for the 4-door sedan for taxi usage, usually running on LPG fuel.

October 1975 saw the introduction of the 2000GL-E and the 2000SGL-E, with the "E" designation signifying fuel injection, which was included in the Nissan NAPS emission control technology package.. June 1976 saw cosmetic changes, with halogen headlights being used on all versions except the sedan used for taxi service.

October 1979, the 6-cylinder LD28 diesel was added with the automatic transmission selector moved from column shift to a floor-mounted system.

In April 1981 both models were facelifted, with redesigned front grille, headlamp cluster, tail lamp, and "C Pillar" trim.

[7] This four-cylinder engine was also available in a version built to run on LPG fuel, meant to be used for taxi service and other professional usage.

Beginning June 1985, Nissan offered a self-levelling suspension for the rear wheels on hardtop and sedan top trim packages.

[8] There was also a switch next to the steering wheel that allowed the driver to change between "Auto", "Soft", "Medium" and "Hard" settings.

Nissan introduced a PIN activated keyless entry feature on the front exterior door handles.

June 1987 saw a special edition Gloria intended for parade usage, removing the roof structure from the hardtop body style.

The Gran Turismo received more sport-oriented styling, adding a youthful appearance, which found new, younger, buyers.

The sporty GranTurismo SV version had short bumpers with a body kit, and was powered by the turbo twin cam VG20DET engine.

The sedan version of the Y31 was facelifted at the launch of the Y32; it was kept in production for professional use and as a more traditional, lower cost alternative to the hardtop-only succeeding generations.

The Gran Turismo received more sport-oriented styling, adding a youthful appearance, which found new, younger, buyers.

Equipment levels were improved, now featuring standard double airbags up front (private cars only), a redesigned dashboard and interior for private cars and higher-end professional models, and other minor changes such as replacing the conventional antenna at the rear with one integrated into the rear windshield.

[11] The facelifted version of the Y31 Gloria was discontinued in July 1999 and merged into the Cedric Sedan lineup, which continued to be produced until 2014 for taxi sales.