The Nissan Laurel was introduced by Nissan in 1968 as the new model to slot between the 1968 Bluebird 510 & the Nissan Cedric.

The first Laurel was developed by the Prince Motor Company, consisting of both 2-door and 4-door variants. It was released as a Nissan after Prince merged with Nissan. Laurels for years shared many components and architectures with the Skyline range.
The C31 model, introduced in 1981, was the first model that was only available in a four-door form, either as a sedan or hardtop. Engines for the C31 were 1.8 liter, 2.0 liter L20, 2.4 liter L24 gasoline, and 2.8 liter diesel.