1970 Datsun 240Z

The history of the Nissan brand stretches back to 1912, when a man named Masujiro Hashimoto created a car named DAT (after three family member's initials). By 1934, the cars were known as Datsun (Son of DAT) and the company was Nissan.

An engineer named Yutaka Katayama, who had been educated in America, advocated in the late-1950s for the use of racing to enhance the breed, and for a special vehicle for the very different roads and drivers in America. To help with the project, Katayama hired German designer Dr. Albrecht Graf von Goertz, who had been involved in the creation of both the BMW 507 and the Porsche 911. Von Goertz and the Nissan styling staff developed the design, while Yamaha would engineer the drivetrain and build the prototype. Unfortunately, Nissan and Yamaha were not able to agree on the engine design, so the project was shelved.

Nissan later decided to develop the new car in-house. Chief Designer Yoshihiko Matsuo and his team developed the car, which would become known as the 240Z, using both the Porsche 911 and the Jaguar E-Type as influences. It was introduced in 1969, the 240Z offered styling, performance, advanced specifications, an affordable price, and exceptional build quality. It was immediately successful and was placed among the top ranks of production sports cars of the period. The luxurious interior included reclining seats, an instrument binnacle, and a host of standard equipment and creature comforts that added to the appeal of the road car. Mechanical features included a single overhead cam engine, four-wheel independent suspension, and disc brakes.

The 1970 Datsun 240Z coupe had a base price of $3,500 and was powered by an overhead-cam six-cylinder (Model L24) engine with aluminum heads, seven main bearings, solid valve lifters, two SU-type carburetors, and offered 135 horsepower. The engine was backed by a four-speed all-synchro manual transmission, and disc brakes were in the front with drums at the rear. The suspension was independent with coil springs and MacPherson struts and the wheelbase measured 90.7 inches.

Standard equipment included radial tires, a wood steering wheel, and gearshift knob, bumper overriders, console box, driver footrest, door armrest, glove box with lock, drip moldings, coat hangers, radio, clock, steering lock, collapsible steering wheel, and three anchor seatbelts.

The first-generation Z-cars (240Z/260Z/280Z) were used successfully in various forms of racing. The S30-series won many races in SCCA/IMSA championship races and were quite successful in rally and Baja races. Brock Racing Enterprises developed the car to be a consistent winner on American shores with a variety of drivers, and finished in the familiar red, white and blue colors.

by Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2020