A four-year-old report about a man named Barry, who reportedly sold his Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 V-Spec II for a Nissan Leaf, continues to circulate, as the extraordinary claim still leaves people scratching their heads.
After all, the Skyline is almost every petrolhead’s wet dream, whereas the Leaf, an electric vehicle, is something many car enthusiasts would run a mile from. Not only that, the two-door, all-wheel-drive sports car costs nearly ten times more than the Leaf, so why would anyone do that deal anyway? The question is even more puzzling given the Skyline’s continued demand in the used car market.
Now, though, the story of Barry’s unusual trade has resurfaced on social media, showing him holding a key next to a Nissan Leaf while a blue Skyline was parked behind him.
But did Barry actually trade a car worth around $350,000 in the U.S. for another one that cost approximately $35,000, or was it a clever marketing tactic by a Nissan dealership?
Barry Gave Up His Skyline Due to Rising Fuel Prices
A post by Motorsport on Instagram brought Barry’s unusual trade back into the spotlight. It revealed how an Australian dealership, Eagers Nissan, first broke the news in September 2022, claiming Barry agreed to the swap because of rising fuel prices. The description read:
“Trading a Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 V-Spec II for a Nissan Leaf sounds almost unbelievable—but that’s exactly what one Australian dealership claimed happened
“According to the dealership, rising fuel costs convinced the owner to swap his iconic GT-R for an all-electric Leaf in a straight trade. The story quickly spread across the internet, with enthusiasts questioning the decision, especially considering the R34 GT-R’s legendary status and skyrocketing collector value.”
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Dealership Claimed a “Straight Swap,” but Many Remained Skeptical
Fortunately, Eagers Nissan has not deleted the Facebook post that first broke the news about the trade. While the dealership never admitted it was a publicity stunt, the deal appeared too far-fetched to be genuine.
The wording of the post also raised questions about its authenticity, especially since the Skyline appeared to be in showroom condition rather than looking like a car that had just been traded in. The post read:
“With rising fuel prices, Barry couldn’t justify keeping his R34 GT-R V Spec II any longer. Luckily for him, we were able to do a straight swap into a brand new fully electric Nissan LEAF. 🚗
“We hope you like your new ride Barry, happy motoring for what will be a green future. 😉🌱🔋”
According to a report by Carscoops, the Skyline displayed at the dealership was on loan from Street FX Motorsport. Eagers Nissan later promoted the car on Instagram as being available to view “for a limited time only,” and Street FX Motorsport shared videos encouraging followers to visit the dealership to see it.
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Many commenters believed the post about Barry’s swap was a clever marketing stunt aimed at generating attention for the Leaf. One user pointed out that the controversial claim helped the post go viral, which is why it continues to resurface years later. They wrote:
“And THIS is how you get a post to go viral in the car community 👌 A+++ to the marketing team. We all know who Eagers Nissan is now 👍🏻😂”
Another user wrote:
“Haha this is great click bait 👍😂 Very smart advertising”
One user questioned the post’s authenticity after noticing the condition of the Skyline. They wrote:
“So he dragged the GTR inside, had it fully detailed with tyre shine and all cleaned up the tyre marks on the ground just to take a pic. Nah mate, terrible post.”
Another user said:
“This has got to be rage bait but well done on the marketing strategy because 3 years later it’s still doing the rounds”
Was this a brilliant marketing campaign, or did the dealership go too far with its claim?