In reverse: The A to Z
Billed as a luxuriously appointed high-performance sports car with a Gran Turismo feel, the original Datsun 240Z copied the long nose, raked windscreen and swooping profile of the Jaguar E-Type it emulated but at a fraction of the price, ushering in a new class of low-cost GT machinery.
Model: Nissan 240Z
Engine: Single-overhead cam 2.4-litre in-line six-cylinder (112kW/197Nm)
Claim to fame: Over the course of 56 years and seven different model generations, the Nissan Z has established itself as one of the world’s great sports cars at an attainable price.
The year 1969 will long be remembered as the year of the first moon landing, Jimi Hendrix shredding at Woodstock and the rise of the hippy counterculture. On the automotive front it was also the year that Japanese car maker Nissan signalled its ambition to go head-to-head with the best from Europe and the USA, releasing its dramatically styled Datsun 240Z sports car.
The former head of Nissan’s US division Yutaka Katayama is credited with having pushed his Japanese colleagues to develop the front-engine, rear-drive sports car as a halo product for the brand’s passenger-car line-up.
Billed as a “luxuriously appointed high-performance sports car with a Gran Turismo feel”, the eventual Datsun 240Z combined compact size, head-turning styling and great handling courtesy of a sophisticated all-independent suspension. It was also sharply priced, and delivered spirited performance courtesy of a single-overhead cam 2.4-litre in-line six-cylinder engine fed by twin Hitachi SU carburettors.
The engine’s outputs were a modest 112kW@5600rpm and 197Nm@4400rpm but with its relatively light weight and four speed manual gearbox the Datsun could cover the 0-100km/h dash in a respectable 7.8 seconds, on its way to a 200km/h top speed.
Featuring an aircraft-style cockpit, contoured sports seats, front disc brakes, excellent powerto- weight ratio, and such luxury features as an electric clock and autotune radio with power antenna, the 240Z became an instant hit in its home market and abroad.
It would take almost a year for the slinky coupe to reach our shores but by the time it did in September 1970 the 240Z had become the world’s best-selling sports car. Aussie enthusiasts warmly embraced the new player, and within a year of local launch, Australia had become the third-largest export market behind the USA and Canada.
The 240Z’s $4567 sticker price was more than you’d pay for contemporary local muscle cars like the Ford Falcon XW Phase I and Chrysler E38 Charger, but about the same as the British-built Triumph TR6 sports car, which the 240Z made seem instantly old hat.