was a Japanese engineer inducted into the Japan Automotive Hall of Fame

Japan Automotive Hall of Fame

-Concept:In the Western world, it is customary for those who have excelled in their chosen field - be it sports, art, medical research, industry, et cetera - to be held up and admired. Their achievements, more often than not, are recognized in a Hall of Fame...

 who originally worked for Prince Motor Company

Prince Motor Company

Prince Motor Company was a Japanese automobile manufacturer from 1952 until its merger with Nissan in 1966. Prince began as the Tachikawa Aircraft Company, a producer of the famous Japanese Zero fighter planes used in WWII...

 then later moved to Nissan. After graduating from Yokohama National University

Yokohama National University

, or is a national university in Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It offers Doctoral degrees in education as part of a coalition with Tokyo Gakugei University, Saitama University, and Chiba University. It is noted for its Business Administration program.-History:The predecessor...

, Sakurai joined Prince

Prince Motor Company

Prince Motor Company was a Japanese automobile manufacturer from 1952 until its merger with Nissan in 1966. Prince began as the Tachikawa Aircraft Company, a producer of the famous Japanese Zero fighter planes used in WWII...

 as a chassis engineer in 1952, and was heavily involved in the development of the first generation Prince Skyline

Nissan Skyline

The first Skyline was introduced in April 1957, by the Prince Motor Company, and was marketed as a luxury car. It featured a 1.5 L GA-30 engine producing 44 kW @ 4400 rpm. It used a de Dion tube rear suspension and was capable of 140 km/h . The car weighed around 1300 kg...

. He continued to head the Nissan Skyline

Nissan Skyline

The first Skyline was introduced in April 1957, by the Prince Motor Company, and was marketed as a luxury car. It featured a 1.5 L GA-30 engine producing 44 kW @ 4400 rpm. It used a de Dion tube rear suspension and was capable of 140 km/h . The car weighed around 1300 kg...

 project long after the Nissan takeover, headed the Nissan MID4

Nissan MID4

-History:First Unveiled at the 1985 Frankfurt Autoshow, the MID4 was a concept car designed by Nissan to originally go on sale in the mid-late 1980s. Nissan had aimed the MID4 to compete with European supercars from Porsche and Ferrari. The MID4 boasted a wide array of technology and features that...

 project, and was appointed President of Autech

Autech

, is a pro tuner of Nissan cars.Autech was founded in 1986 as a subsidiary of Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.. Nissan named Shinichiro Sakurai, the former general manager of Nissan's Advanced Vehicle Design Department, as president designate of the new subsidiary...

 (a Nissan subsidiary) in 1986. He continued to work in the automotive field up until his death.

Sakurai died of heart failure on January 17, 2011.

See also

• Prince
  Prince Motor Company
  Prince Motor Company was a Japanese automobile manufacturer from 1952 until its merger with Nissan in 1966. Prince began as the Tachikawa Aircraft Company, a producer of the famous Japanese Zero fighter planes used in WWII...
  
  
• Nissan
• Autech
  Autech
  , is a pro tuner of Nissan cars.Autech was founded in 1986 as a subsidiary of Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.. Nissan named Shinichiro Sakurai, the former general manager of Nissan's Advanced Vehicle Design Department, as president designate of the new subsidiary...
  
  
• Nissan Skyline
  Nissan Skyline
  The first Skyline was introduced in April 1957, by the Prince Motor Company, and was marketed as a luxury car. It featured a 1.5 L GA-30 engine producing 44 kW @ 4400 rpm. It used a de Dion tube rear suspension and was capable of 140 km/h . The car weighed around 1300 kg...
  
  
• Nissan MID4
  Nissan MID4
  -History:First Unveiled at the 1985 Frankfurt Autoshow, the MID4 was a concept car designed by Nissan to originally go on sale in the mid-late 1980s. Nissan had aimed the MID4 to compete with European supercars from Porsche and Ferrari. The MID4 boasted a wide array of technology and features that...