The Silvia nameplate dates to 1965, when Nissan introduced the handbuilt CSP311 coupe on the Datsun Fairlady platform, of which fewer than 600 were produced. Mass production arrived with the S10 in 1975 — the first volume Silvia — followed by the S110 (1979), the S12 (1983, winner of the 1988 Safari Rally in a four-wheel-drive variant), and finally the S13 in 1988.
The S13 launched with sleek fixed-headlight coupe bodywork in Japan — sold as the Silvia — alongside a pop-up-headlight liftback called the 180SX. Both shared the same platform, though the 180SX name continued in production until 1998, overlapping with its S14 successor. The North American market received the 240SX badge; European buyers saw the 200SX designation.
Japanese S13 engines were the CA18DE (1.8L naturally aspirated) and CA18DET (1.8L turbo) initially, followed by the SR20DE (2.0L naturally aspirated) and SR20DET (2.0L turbocharged, 205 PS). North American models received the KA24E single-cam 2.4-litre naturally aspirated engine, later updated to the dual-cam KA24DE (140–155 hp) — sourced from Nissan's pickup truck line and considered underpowered by much of the period automotive press. Curb weight was approximately 2,700 lbs (around 1,225 kg). The critical chassis development was Nissan's new multi-link rear suspension, which gave the S13 more predictable behaviour under lateral loading than the semi-trailing arms used on earlier models.
With Japan's drift movement growing in the early 1990s, the S13 offered the key attributes: a turbocharged rear-wheel-drive platform, a chassis that loaded progressively, and a price low enough for amateur competition. When drivers migrated from the AE86, the SR20DET provided substantially more power on the same forgiving chassis temperament. The S13 became the canonical drift car and the SR20DET the canonical drift engine.
The North American KA24DE powertrain created a secondary market. Because the 2.4-litre engine was naturally aspirated and slower-revving, an industry grew up around importing Japanese SR20DET engines and transplanting them into North American 240SX shells — one of the earliest large-scale JDM engine-swap economies in the United States. Hybrid body conversions were also popular: the Sileighty combined 180SX body panels with a Silvia front end, and the Onevia did the reverse.
The S14 arrived in 1993 and remained in production until 1998, sharing the SR20DET but with an updated NVCS variable valve timing system, a T28 turbo, and 217 hp. The S14 came in Zenki and Kouki visual variants. The S15 followed in 1999, producing 250 hp in Spec-R trim with a six-speed manual gearbox and a helical limited-slip differential; it was not officially sold in the United States or Canada. As of the mid-2020s, clean S13 examples in the United States traded for approximately USD 18,000–28,000, S14 Kouki for USD 22,000–32,000, and S15 Spec-R for USD 34,000–55,000 or above.
The S-chassis appears in Gran Turismo, Assetto Corsa, and other simulation titles. The S13 Silvia and the 240SX feature prominently in the Initial D franchise; the 180SX/Silvia body swap is a recurring plot element. The car's drifting pedigree also connects it to time-attack competition, with modified S-chassis variants remaining active in events such as the World Time Attack Challenge.