History of the Z-Car

Zen-mobile
The first 240Z hit the showrooms in 1970, and it was an immediate success. Priced below the Corvette and Porsche 911, it was competitive with the Triumph TR-6, Opel GT and the new Porsche 914. There was no contest in the showrooms, as the 240Z easily outran all three challengers, as well as being more comfortable, better looking and more reliable. The press immediately fell in love with the Z-Car (as it was nicknamed), praising it in all the enthusiast magazines. Not surprisingly it was a highly competitive racer, winning its class in Sports Car Club of America racing from 1970 onwards.


The new Datsun was also befriended by the aftermarket industry, which came out with hundreds of performance and styling options for the new model. Priced at a remarkable $3,526, the 240Z was soon being sold at more than 4,000 cars per month. But nothing lasts forever, and increasingly stringent emission and safety regulations took their toll on the beloved Z-Car.

Multiple Choice
In 1974 the engine was enlarged to 2.6 liters to make the 260Z. Although horsepower was up from 151 to 162, weight was also increased and performance was not improved. A 2+2 model was added to the line the same year. The 260Z was built for only one year before it was replaced by the 280Z in 1975. While the 260 was saddled with troublesome emission-control carburetors, the 2.8-liter 280Z benefited from fuel injection, improving performance enough to surpass 240Z levels.


Unfortunately Datsun decided to scrap the classic Z-Car in 1978 and replace it with a "softer" model. The new 280ZX was a lackluster sedan in GT clothing, and although most sports car enthusiasts hated it, it sold well to those who would rather look sporty than be sporty.

Name Game
The 280ZX was followed by the restyled V-6 300ZX in 1984. In 1990 an all-new 300ZX with improved looks and performance was introduced, but it proved to be too expensive and was dropped from the U.S. market in 1996. During that time, the Datsun name was replaced with the Nissan moniker. Nissan also tried the 240SX, a sporty coupe that was intended to carry on the 240Z tradition, but it failed to generate much enthusiasm among diehard Z-Car fans.