The launch of the new Nissan Z has created an awful lot of hype. Many feel it is a real return to the original Datsun 240Z, in which it does actually take some design cues. Everyone loves the Datsun 240Z which debuted back in 1970.
Jason Cammisa has taken a look at the original Fairlady Z (the 240Z's Japanese market model name), for the Hagerty YouTube channel, and he talks about how this car changed the reputation and perception of Japan.
Sold As The Datsun 240Z
The 240Z was initially sold as a Datsun, which was the name that Nissan had when it was first founded. The Datsun brand name was used in the U.S. market right up into the early 1980s, at which point it transitioned to Nissan. Indeed, cars such as the 1983 280ZX had a badge that rear "Datsun 280ZX by Nissan" to ease the transition.
The first Datsun sports car, the original Fairlady 2000, was heavily influenced by British roadsters. And to sell the car's successor in America, Datsun changed it from a roadster to a coupe. The sports car was first developed with Yamaha as the A550X prototype, but it wouldn’t go beyond the prototype stage.
That Yamaha project then reappeared as the Toyota 2000GT, forcing Nissan to work on a new car — the Fairlady Z.
The First Fairlady Z Sports Car
Nissan bought the Prince Motors company, a high-end Japanese carmaker that was in trouble. Prince had the license to produce a Mercedes engine, and that straight-six engine license was then inherited by Nissan when they bought Prince. The Datsun 240Z took people's breath away by looking like a Jaguar XKE, yet it had the reliability, affordability and dependability of a Japanese car.
The car became a sensation, and the design for the car was all done in-house at Nissan.
Innovations Under The Skin
There is plenty to get excited about under the skin of the 240Z, such as its independent suspension, rear-wheel drive and the 151 hp from the straight-six. And at the time, the 240Z only cost around $3,500 compared to around $14,500 for a Dino Ferrari. No surprise that for all those reasons, the 240Z sold like hotcakes.
The Fairlady Z432, a Japan-only version, was the one 240Z version that didn’t really sell well. It was more powerful, making 160 hp at 7,500 rpm, thanks to having the engine from the R380 and original Skyline GT-R.
The sports car flavor of the original 240Z (as well as the similar 260Z and 280Z) might have slipped away with the softer, more gizmo-laden 280ZX that replaced it for 1979, but the 240Z changed how we all view Japanese cars. And it looks like with the latest Z, we are returning to those original glory days.
Source: Hagerty YouTube Channel