Own A Piece Of Automotive Brilliance – The Datsun 240Z
A look back through one of the greatest hits of classic sports cars and how it came to be.
There exists few cars that have had such an enormous impact on an industry and the way people look at a country’s cars. But the 240Z is absolutely one of those cars. What does the Z in 240Z mean? The answer is simple, Z is the last letter in the alphabet so it of course must mean that the 240Z is the last word in sports cars. The 240Z showcased what the sports in sports coupe really meant. This car was the swan song for Japanese sports cars, as I shall now explain.
Around the 1960’s there was already a general trend pertaining to cars of different nationalities. The Germans were known for their engineering prowess, the Italians were known for their flamboyance, and on the other hand, the Japanese were known for their reliable economy cars. While certainly not a bad thing, Datsun, Nissan’s export division, decided that this wasn’t the only thing they wanted to be known for.
Now you see, Datsun already had some experience building small sporty roadsters that were heavily influenced by the British roadsters, but what they needed was something very different; they needed a larger sportier coupe. Something to dish it out back to the Germans and Italians.
Happily enough it just so happened that Yamaha wanted to expand into making their own cars. So Yamaha and Nissan partnered up for a project by Nissan specifications. The result was the A550X prototype and it was powered by a 2.0L 4 cylinder engine built by Yamaha. However, Nissan did not like the car that came out of it. And from there they scrapped the entire project along with their relationship to Yamaha. Now this move certainly had its consequences, because after scrapping the project, Yamaha went over to Toyota with what they built. Toyota were so impressed they brought Yamaha over to make a car of their own design. That car turned out to be the 2000GT.
Now someone over at Nissan had seen the success of the 2000GT and other coupes, that person was Yutaka Katayama or more lovingly known as Mr.K, the father of the Z. He had seen the impact that the 2000GT and other coupes had on the world stage. Mr.K realised that the small roadsters that Datsun was churning out just wasn’t going to be enough to compete. So he got the people at Nissan to start working on a new project. One that would compete with other halo sports cars such as the Porsche 911, Ferrari 246 Dino and Chevrolet Corvette. That project was the Nissan Z. Using what they had learned from the partnership with Yamaha, they built the 240Z or as it was known in Japan the Fairlady Z. The entire premise of the car was to offer modern technology and amazing performance for a really low price. A price that around the time was $3,526 which in today’s money is approximately $26,500. With its throaty sounding inline 6, wonderfully stable handling, and being one of the most beautiful entry level sports cars on the road, the 240Z sold remarkably well.
The 240Z set up a platform for success that the S30 and other later Z’s also enjoyed. While they could never perfectly replicate the same recipe as the 240Z due to constricting emission standards they still pushed the agenda of what the Z was about.
Enthusiasts today love this car for the same reason as when they first set their eyes on the car in 1969. Even today this car remains just so beautiful and pleasant to the eye while still delivering a wonderful driving experience that still holds up to today’s small sports cars. Unlike a lot of newer cars today, the S30 Z remains so much more customisable and easier to modify. The Z also offers nimble handling and incredibly communicative steering feel, traits you’d be hard pressed to find in a modern coupe. Not to mention, and that remains the most amazing thing about this car, it was just that good for its time.
So maybe you’re in the market for your own 240Z. If so I’d recommend checking the Z that’s pictured above at nolemons.ae. Mind you its original engine was swapped for an RB25 DE, so it’s definitely worth a look.
Don’t miss out the auction ends Thursday 7th Jul 2022 at 9:00 PM (UAE time).
Recommend0 recommendationsPublished in Cars, Reviews
