To the JDM boys out there, the Nissan Fairlady Z boasted an unconditional following. Popular to the folks of today as the Datsun 240Z, this nimble front-engined sports car came to market and stormed it, quite literally.

At the time, Nissan was busy with bread and butter offerings like sedans, estates, and pickups. In order to spruce things up, Nissan thought of introducing a sports car for the masses. One that’s cheap to run and inexpensive to build whilst having sporty dynamics.

Nissan went by the name Datsun in case the brand failed. Their first try came in the form of a Datsun Fairlady in 1959. Many wondered why Nissan would go with such a peculiar name, especially for a sports car.

In this discussion, we’ll be going over how the Fairlady Z got its name.

This Is How The Nissan Fairlady Z Got Its Name

Nissan Fairlady 240Z ‘432’ parked
Silodrome

There’s an interesting take on how the Datsun Fairlady’s name came to be. Nissan’s then-president was deeply in love with the hit Broadway musical, "My Fair Lady," and decided to name the car after it. Sadly, the Datsun Fairlady was a flop.

Then came the Datsun 240Z or Fairlady Z, that after an impressive rethink of their fun and inexpensive ethos, proved to be a hit. Nissan decided to stick with 240Z nametag as it appealed better to the US market. There’s a reason why Nissan gave it a “Z” in the end. It meant the last word in sports cars, further translated to, “it’s the best.” Although the musical-themed Datsun failed. Nissan gave birth to a sporting icon in 1969, the Fairlady Z whose legacy continues even to this day.

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Datsun 240Z: An Absolute Game Changer

Nissan 240Z
via Hemmings

One of the reasons why the 240Z became so popular was its attractive design coupled with impressive dynamics. Though the Mustang was a competitor for the Japanese sports car, the level of athleticism offered by the 240Z was unmatched for the time. The tiny Datsun came with a 2.4-liter inline-6 engine with 151 horsepower and had independent suspension on all four corners.

Compared to the Datsun, the Mustang was quite literally a boat. The nimble sports car was relatively cheap for its time. Starting at $3,600, the Datsun 240Z was an absolute value for money package. People adored the import car and many publications even went to praise the 240Z as the best affordable sports car of the time.

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The “Z” Evolved Over The Years

After the 240Z, Nissan brought the 260Z in 1974 and 280Z in 1975, the latter being a North America exclusive. However, Nissan decided to focus on the luxury side of things and slowly started transitioning the Z to a Grand Tourer. This took a huge toll on its performance and enthusiasts quickly turned against Nissan’s idea.

However, the Z got back on track with the 300ZX in 1984. Now officially a Nissan, the 300ZX showed promise with its more potent V6. Performance was given priority along with luxury and comfort. The Nissan 300ZX proved to be a great all-round package, however, it was a pricey offering.

In the early noughties, Nissan decided to re-introduce the Z-line with the new 350Z. Fundamentally, the highlight of the 350Z was that it stayed true to the original Fairlady Z’s ethos; fun, reliable, and relatively inexpensive. Its successor, the 370Z introduced in 2009 has been running for a while now and has started to show its age. That said, Nissan recently hinted at the new 400Z which according to reports could bring back a lot of its predecessor’s traits.

Sources: Nissan, YouTube

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