MOTORING Datsun 240Z

TopGear.com reviews this 1970's classic

How very dare you. This is one of the most important sports cars of all time: the Nissan 240Z. Or the Datsun Fairlady Z(ee), if you’re of an American persuasion. Nissan’s first Z-car didn’t just propel it from its status as an also-ran maker of worthy whitegoods to a renowned big player. It also gave the pompous Brits and lackadaisical Italians a bloody good kick up the arse in the school of ‘building everyday sports cars that don’t break down every time there’s a cloud in the sky’. Since the OG-Zed is now celebrating its 50th birthday, Top Gear’s given it the full review treatment, because this is one of those modern-feeling yet classic cars that really does live up to the billing. So, the basics. The 240Z is a front-engined, rear-wheel drive two-seater coupe. The 240 badging is derived from the engine's displacement: it's a 2.4-litre straightsix, basically a humdrum Nissan four-cylinder of the period with another pair of cylinders lobbed on the end to make it into something a bit more special. Outputs are modest – obviously, this arrived the same year as mankind landed on the Moon. But - and you know what’s coming here - 150-odd horsepower is plenty when you’ve got around 1,050kg to shove along – about the same as an Up GTI, which musters just 113bhp. The 240Z is not a big car – certainly not the size of the E-Type it’s pretending to be – and it’s a light one. Power goes through a five-speed manual, if your car is a non-US spec one – though plenty of American cars have made their way over to Europe, due to them being plentiful and, if from Arizona or Texas originally, less likely to have been exposed to rust-nurturing conditions. Nowadays, you can spend between £15k and £35k+ on a 240Z, depending on how much of a project you’d like. Ironically then, it’s priced to compete with its ‘modern’ ancestor, the gregarious but painfully ancient Nissan 370Z. But if you want a sports car for a Sunday blast, our money would be heading for the old-timer, and here’s why.

WHAT'S THE VERDICT?

“A compelling modern classic. Useable and huge fun, but doesn’t feel fragile” The Nissan – okay, Datsun 240Z – probably isn’t the first car that springs to mind when lusting after a 50-year old sporting GT. But its time is ripe now, because it’s a reliable, plentiful, and easy-to-drive classic. And all of the above means you’re more likely to use it than leave it

BUYING

As the 240Z’s popularity grows, you’ll find a vibrant owner’s scene brimmed with knowledge to help you find a good’un. Rust has killed off plenty by now, but the survivors – often imported from the US, where the car won so many friends and fans – will often have lived in drier states where the dreaded rot is less of a common issue. The base of windscreen, inner wheelarches and bonnet edges are particularly vulnerable, so keep a sharp eye. If you can, get your potential 240Z on a lift before purchase to check the floor is dry and there’s no sign of cheap and not-very-cheerful filler hiding dark, corroded secrets.

Photos taken at the private collection in São Brás de Alportel; 'Fábrica Móveis Beirão' where the family owners are happy to show off their fabulous collection. See our article in the February 2022 edition for more details, online at www.eastalgarvemag.com.

cowering in a garage in case you have to spend a week polishing a slatted fly out of its precious paintwork. And every time you use it, you’ll get the full satisfaction out of it, because this sweetly balanced little coupe loves to be opened up. It’s just as appealing now as when it conquered the world 50 years ago. Happy birthday, Zed.

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO DRIVE?

This is a very unintimidating classic car. Drive a Sixties Jaguar or Maserati or Alfa and there’s a sense that you’re using the best family China. That slight guilt of causing wear and tear to a beautiful and delicate object, that may crumble in your hands at any moment. It’s what’s usually known as ‘character’. What the 240Z does is give the sounds and smells and sensations of late Sixties motoring, but with a sense of inherent toughness. The engine makes up for in response what it lacks in torque, building from a stuttery idle to a barrel-chested mid-range that’s BMWish in its warble and perky enough to still feel quick. I’ll be totally honest and say that, out of mechanical sympathy I didn’t bounce this Nissan Heritage car off its rev limiter, but the mid-range is joyously characterful. Likewise, the gearbox is the same story. Instead of fingertip-toeing it around like the whole mechanism is made of glass, you can grab it by the scruff and manhandle it about, enjoying the long throw and pleasing heft of the whole action. It feels built to last, and built to be enjoyed. The steering’s less impressive – it’s feelsome of course, but rather heavy and rubbery feeling, but hey, it’s an elderly thing and we’ve had enough of twoturns-between-lock instafast, hyperlight steering. You listening, Ferrari? Oh. Titchy wheels and tyres give the car ride comfort that’s alien to all modern sports cars apart from an Alpine, but the body control is haphazard and you can feel the chassis flexing if you’re really leaning on it. Being a Japanese performance car with a big following in America, there are myriad tuning parts available, so you can easily stiffen the body up if you’re willing to get handy with the spanners – and compromise the originality.