A Restored 1971 Datsun 240Z

It was the Datsun Z cars that brought people into it’s dealer showrooms in droves. This was the automobile that added pep to Datsun’s line of cars. The Datsun 240 Z had a new car price of about $3,500 and for that money you had a well built performance automobile. While Datsun liked to call their car a personal GT model, the 240 Z was a sports car and a really good one. The car featured in our article is a 1971 Datsun 240 Z. The 240 Z was built for four model years, 1970 through 1973.

Datsun and Nissan

Datsun is a brand owned by the Nissan Motor Company. While Datsun models began being produced in 1931, from 1958 to 1986, only the models exported by Nissan were named Datsun. In a way the names were interchangeable. In the U.S. during this time they were Datsuns.

What Made the Datsun 240 Z  A Big Winner

In short, the answer to this is quality plus a relatively low price. The people who purchased Datsun 240 Z’s generally were people who could not afford a Porsche or a Jaguar. The Datsun 240Z’s delivered competent engineering and styling and better than average performance. Add to that a low price of about $3,500 and you had a winning combination.

The original body shell of the 240 Z continued on with the 260 Z and 280 Z models although with larger displacement engines. Many will say that the handling of the 240 Z’s was much better than with the later two models that had heavy and clumsy bumpers due to new safety regulations which added weight to the car. Because of this power steering was almost mandatory.

Auto writers of the period gave thumbs up to the new Datsun 240 Z and this never hurts sales. The Datsun 240 Z was Japan’s answer to the British Jaguar.

Nissan Buys Old 1970’s Z Models