DATSUN

240Z

A total of 168,000 DATSUN 240Z have been produced on earth in Japan between 1970 and 1973. The Datsun 240Z is the car that proved Japan could beat Europe at its own game. Launched in Japan in October 1969 as the Nissan Fairlady Z and sold worldwide as the Datsun 240Z, the S30 was conceived for the American market by Yutaka Katayama — 'Mr K' — the president of Nissan USA, who understood exactly what the country wanted: the long-bonnet, fastback proportions of a Jaguar E-Type, the reliability of a Japanese saloon, and a price around US$3,500. Under the bonnet sat a 2.4-litre SOHC straight-six, the L24, making 151 hp; underneath were fully independent MacPherson-strut suspension front and rear, front disc brakes and a slick four-speed manual. Nothing in Europe came close for the money, and the Datsun 240Z sold in numbers no sports car had managed before — around 168,000 in four model years, and the Z-car line went on to become the best-selling sports car nameplate in history. It won the East African Safari Rally in 1971 and 1973 with Edgar Herrmann and Shekhar Mehta, silencing anyone who dismissed it as a boulevard cruiser, and BRE's Bob Sharp and John Morton dominated SCCA C-Production racing with it in the United States. In 1974 tightening emissions and impact regulations produced the heavier 260Z and 280Z, and the pure early car's reputation was made. The Datsun 240Z is now a blue-chip Japanese classic: unrestored Series I cars with matching numbers have passed six figures, and the model anchors the whole JDM collector market. Upgrades & evolutions during the Datsun 240Z production: DATSUN - 240Z Series I (L24 2.4 straight-six, 151 hp) : 1969 - 1971 DATSUN - 240Z Series II : 1971 - 1973 NISSAN - Fairlady Z / Fairlady Z432 (JDM, S20 twin-cam) : 1969 - 1973 DATSUN - 260Z (2.6 litre successor) : 1974 - 1978 Average quotation for the Datsun 240Z: cheapest US$5,850, average US$35,195, most expensive US$165,000 (listings and auction results, 2021-2026). CLASSIC.COM market benchmark US$35,195 as of 09 July 2026; lowest recorded sale US$5,850 (1971 car, 19 Jul 2025) and highest US$165,000 for a 1970 Series I (05 Dec 2022).