1973 Datsun 240Z

Thanks to the vision of legendary automotive designer, Albrecht von Goertz, and the commercial determination of Nissan’s US-chief, Yutaka Katayama, the 240Z was first released to considerable acclaim on 22nd October 1969, aggressively positioned and priced to compete with the directly comparable Mercedes 280SL, Chevrolet Corvette, Porsche 911T and Jaguar E-Type. Over time it evolved in to the 260Z and latterly the 280Z, but it's the original 240Z that has always been the most desirable due to their purity of line and simplicity of design. The car put Datsun (now Nissan) firmly on the map in the States as a credible Japanese sports car in the early 1970s, and those early cars remain the most collectable.

Those early cars were powered by a lusty 2.4-litre, straight-six, overhead cam engine developing around 150bhp resulting in a 0-60 time of eight seconds and a top speed of 125mph. A 5-speed manual gearbox was standard, and the car featured independent suspension all round with MacPherson struts at the front and Chapman links at the rear which, when combined with rack and pinion power steering and front disc brakes, meant that the 240Z was a thoroughly modern package.

Having been identified as ‘best of breed’ due to its provenance, history file and apparently corrosion-free condition, this 240Z, finished in Datsun White (904) with a black interior, was chosen and imported into the UK from the dry state of California in June 2015 by a private individual and was immediately UK-registered for use on the road.

In early 2016, in accordance with the owner’s plans, the car was subjected to a professional, right-hand-drive conversion and treated to a full mechanical and cosmetic overhaul that saw the car transformed into the superb example on offer today. During its conversion to right-hand drive, it became apparent that the body structure was as good as our vendor had hoped, and required no chassis or bodywork repairs. The car was then subject to a carefully crafted deletion of many of the typical hallmarks of an average US-import. Gone are the ugly American bumpers, replaced by UK-specification items, professionally re-chromed and fitted with genuine Datsun rubbers on each corner. Removed are the rear side-repeater lamps and installed are UK-spec front indicators. The rear light assemblies, unsightly and unmistakeably from across the pond, have been discarded and replaced with the prettier UK-spec items. The silky-smooth 2,393cc in-line engine with original matching numbers has been stripped and rebuilt with hardened valve seats and refitted without any of the emission control systems that stifled the US-cars. It's mated to the original factory optional 5-speed manual gearbox to provide long-legged cruising and 21.6mph per 1,000rpm in top gear, making this car a delight to drive over here.

Most 240Zs suffer from the usual malaise of a tired and tatty interior, however in this case, the interior presents really well with the healthy looking original diamond-patterned vinyl trim being retained, and the seats have been reupholstered in black Ambla to provide beautiful-looking and supremely comfortable seating with genuine safety belts. The carpet set was renewed throughout and is fitted on to original-specification insulated floor-pan padding.

It’s also somewhat unusual for a US-import of this age to arrive with any paperwork of value, but within the history file you’ll find annual registration renewals over a number of years together with a raft of service and maintenance invoices, made out in the name of its keeper at the time, that appear to substantiate the indicated mileage of 66,307. The current owner has done a good deal of research in this regard and has no reason to suspect that the indicated mileage is not accurate, with just a handful of those miles covered in the eight years since the car arrived in the UK.

Add in adjustable dampers, new suspension bushing and a set of unmarked period Wolfrace wheels and you have an excellent example of Japan’s legendary sports car ready to be enjoyed as one of the ‘greats’ of the 20th Century.

Further images to follow.