1970 Nissan Fairlady Z 432

When it became time to replace the popular Datsun 1600 and 2000 roadster, Nissan began work on designing a new closed sports car. The project was overseen by Yutaka Katayama, the president of the Nissan Motor Corporation in the U.S. (known as 'Mr. K' and the 'Father of the Z-car'), the Nissan styling staff, and a German designer named Albrecht von Goertz. The styling staff created the initial design and Yamaha engineered the drivetrain and built the prototype. The prototype was called the Yamaha YX-30 but the project was later scrapped as Nissan realized that Yamaha's DOHC 2.0-liter engine did not meet their expectations. Yamaha later finished a prototype, and Toyota put it into production as the 2000GT.

Recognizing the importance an affordable sports car would have on the international community, Nissan continued developing the new car in-house. Chief Designer Yoshihiko Matsuo, along with Assistant Designer Akio Yoshido and their team, created the car known today as the 240Z. Introduced in October of 1969, it was an immediate success and quickly gained an enviable reputation for its performance, exceptional build quality, affordability, and graceful styling.

The Nissan Fairlady Z 432 was released only to the Japanese domestic market with the '432' portion of its name representing 4 valves per cylinder, 3 Mikuni carburetors, and 2 camshafts. Sports aficionados worldwide received the similarly styled Datsun 240Z, but apart from appearances, the two vehicles were different.

When Nissan merged with Prince, it gained the formidable S20 straight-six engine that had been designed by the former Prince engineers. The S20 engine from the twin-cam Skyline GT-R displaced 1,989cc, used three Mikuni-Solex 40PHH side-draft carburetors, had dual overhead camshafts, and developed 160 horsepower. Compared to the standard Z, the Z 432 had a 14 percent improvement in power-to-weight ratio. The engine was backed by a five-speed manual transmission, and stopping power was provided by the front disc and rear drum brakes. The suspension was independent all round with the front using MacPherson struts, coil springs, telescopic dampers, and an anti-roll bar. The rear had Chapman struts, lower wishbones, coil springs, telescopic dampers, and R192 limited-slip differential.

Just 420 examples of the Fairlady Z 432 were built.

by Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2022