Vehicle Description
In the late 1960s, the Japanese auto industry had a new sense of
confidence as they finally found their stride with uniquely
designed and meticulously engineered cars. Earlier in the decade,
American buyers saw Japanese cars as novelties or oddballs, cars to
be avoided especially for those who still had WWII fresh in their
mind. The earliest Japanese sports cars borrowed heavily from their
two-wheeled counterparts, particularly Honda with its bike-engined
S600 coupe and roadsters. Nissan-Datsun took a slightly different
approach in the middle of the 1960s, with their take on the
traditional British sports car. The Datsun 1600 and 2000 Fairlady
roadsters were aimed squarely at the MGB, Triumph TR4 and Sunbeam
Alpine. Datsun held the upper hand thanks to its 5-speed gearbox
and beautiful 135hp overhead-cam engine. The British cars felt
positively agricultural in comparison. Combined with the
mechanically similar 510 sedan, Datusn enjoyed moderate success in
the US market, demonstrating the Japanese could build a very
capable competitor to the best of the British roadsters.
Enthusiasts and club racers knew the Datsun was the superior car,
though Japanese cars still struggled against the attitudes in the
US. When the Fairlady 2000 was due for replacement, Datsun decided
to go all out and design a sports car specifically for the critical
North American market. The basic formula for the new 240Z sports
car drew inspiration from Jaguar's E-Type. The elegant 2-seat coupe
body was designed in-house by Yoshihiko Matsuo at the Nissan sports
car studio. A 2.4 liter, overhead-cam inline-six was chosen along
with four wheel independent suspension and front disc brakes. The
240Z was very pretty, could punch above its weight in terms of
performance, and had a build quality unseen in its British rivals.
Yutaka Katayama (known to loyal Z-car fans as "Mr. K") was the
driving force responsible for marketing the Z in the North American
market. His effort to promote 240Z paid dividends for the Japanese
industry as a whole, whole he developed a cult following for his
sports car, Nissan, Toyota and Honda all benefitted from a newfound
respect and admiration for the quality of Japanese cars. In 1997,
with the 300ZX nearing the end of production and the 350Z still
several years off, Nissan sought to cash in on the still-vibrant
community of 240Z enthusiasts. They bought a handful of solid,
original 1970 and 1971 240Zs and handed them over one of three
carefully selected restoration shops to be fully restored from the
ground up, using as many factory parts as possible. The restored
cars were then sold "new" in select Nissan dealers around the
country. It was a brilliant move for Nissan, as they reignited the
passion for these wonderful cars and helped to boost the value and
interest in all other 240Zs. Our featured 1971 Datsun 240Z is one
of the finest examples we've ever encountered. This well-documented
California car has covered just 200 miles since a four-year,
obsessively detailed nut and bolt restoration by Les Cannaday's
Classic Datsun Motorsport, one of those select shops chosen by
Nissan to restore their own cars. While this car is not one of
Nissan's dealer cars, it is no less spectacularly restored to
exacting standards by a respected marque expert. Presented in its
original color of Orange (code 918) over black interior, it is a
stunning and thoroughly correct 240Z. The body fit and finish are
superlative, all trim is correct and in as-new condition and the
car rides on a set of classic slotted alloy wheels. The paint is
beautifully laid down and it even wears a set of the seldom seen
optional black stripes on the rockers, a wonderful period touch
that is often overlooked in lesser restorations. The black interior
is upholstered in factory correct materials and executed
beautifully. Likewise, the engine bay and undercarriage are fully
detailed with correct decals, tags, braided hoses, clamps and
gold-cadmium plated hardware. Rarely do we see 240Zs restored to
such a level of excellence and with such meticulous attention to
detail. Even the owner's manual is original to this car, down to
the matching warranty card. The trunk is properly detailed as well
with a full original tool kit including the original wheel chock.
The beloved Mr. K, who passed away in 2015 at 105 years old, put
his mark of approval on this restoration, in the form of his
signature on the glovebox. This is a concours-quality car that also
happens to be a fabulous thing to drive; we have tested it on some
of our favorite local roads and are happy to report it is simply a
joy. Clearly this was a cherished car from day one. As a basis for
restoration, this was a very solid, very original and sound example
with long-term California history, sold new by Varsity Datsun of
Davis, CA. It was never rotted or crashed and the results of the
restoration attest to that fact. For show or to drive, one would be
hard pressed to find a better 240Z available today. .
