There are two sports cars that come to mind when the name Nissan is mentioned; the Skyline GTR and the original performance GT machine, the 240Z. The Nissan 240Z, internally known as the Nissan S30 and sold in Japan as the Fairlady Z, is a grand touring sports car produced from the late 60s through the late 70s. President of Nissan Motor Corporation U.S.A., Yutaka Katayama conceived and lent a hand in designing the grand tourer that resulted in the first installment of Z cars to come. 

The 240Z was aimed directly at European sports cars like the MGB-GT and was initially priced within $200 of its competition. Quickly resonating with the public, the 240Z’s styling, performance, and price received positive press from both buyers and journalists alike. It also immediately generated long waiting lists. As a halo car for the brand, it broadened Japanese car-makers scope outside of just economy cars. 

All variants of the S30 came with  four-wheel independent suspension consisting of McPhearson struts in the front and Chapman struts in the rear. Stopping was accomplished through the use of disc brakes up front and drums in the rear. The 240Z made use of twin SU-style hibachi one-barrel side-draft carburetors for a total output of 151 hp. Which is nearly 50 hp more than its main rival, the MGB-GT

Given their relatively low price when new, Nissan 240Zs in good condition are few and far between. Going further, 240Z’s restored to a high standard are nearly impossible to come across. We believe that the market has yet to see the peak value of the 240Z, especially since they were so cheap when brand new, as well as the years following its initial release. Given their low initial pricing, many of these cars fell into disrepair or were modified to the point of no return, leaving original or restored examples containing all their factory-correct components highly desirable.  

The 1972 Datsun 240Z on offer here, chassis #HLS30-51707, is finished in Nissan’s Fire Red. Currently, the 5-digit odometer displays 16,623 indicated miles. This example underwent full mechanical and cosmetic refurbishment about 6 years ago. The entire car was stripped to bare metal, with the engine receiving a comprehensive rebuild as well as the interior being partially refreshed. As it sits today, the car is in wonderful shape. Each panel lines up nicely, the paint has really nice depth and shine, and the car runs great with the engine revving extremely freely. The previous owner performed various reliability updates over his ownership, such as an updated oil pump and feed tubes and a new clutch fan. There were also some additions done for correctness, with new rear hatch shocks, fresh OEM rubber bumper strips, and OEM tow hooks for the front of the vehicle being added. This car represents a rare opportunity to own a collector grade 240Z that has been lovingly and carefully restored to a high degree with careful and fastidious ownership since, leaving it in excellent condition and a pure blast to drive out on the road.  

This 240Z comes complete with a spare set of very hard-to-come-by aluminum rear drums, as well as a front and rear lip spoiler that are paint-matched for the car.  

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