The design team at Nissan envisioned a beautiful sports car that would be able to match the performance of the top models of sport car manufacturers such as Porsche, Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, and Jaguar. In the US-market this machine was powered by a somewhat Mercedes 2.4-liter, inline-six engine which could produce up to 151 horsepower. This translated to 0 to 60 mph in under eight seconds and a top speed of 120 miles per hour. These performance stats put it on par with the Porsche 911s and Ferrari Dinos of the time, achieving Nissan’s goals. The US models were also fitted with a four-speed manual transmission with a 3.364:1 differential.
8 The Nissan Fairlady Z Saw Much Racing Success
The old adage “race on Monday, sell on Sunday” remained true with the Farilady Z, as it saw plenty of racing success in Japan but also across the Pacific Ocean in America. In 1970, a twin-cam Z432 won the 1,000-kilometer race at the legendary Suzuka Circuit in Japan. In the same year in America, Datsun 240Zs were being raced by Bob Sharp Racing and Brock Racing Enterprises in the Sports Car Club of America Production C racing series. The Z cars dominated achieving four straight championship victories in 1970, 1971, 1972, and 1973.
7 Rallying Success Also Followed The Fairlady Z
The racetrack was not the only proving ground in which the Fairlady saw plenty of success. Given that the 240Z was based on the Datsun 510, one of the best rally cars of all time, it is not surprising that it also saw its fair share of rallying success. The most prestigious wins for the 240Z came in the East African Safari Rally. A Datsun 240Z took victory in 1971 at the hands of Edgar Hermann and Hans Schüller. After a year off the winner’s podium, the Datsun 240Z took victory again in the 1973 edition of this 3,852 mile long rally. This time at the hands of Lofty Drews and Shekhar Mehta.
6 The Nissan Fairlady Z Had A Mixed Suspension Set-Up
The Fairlady Z had completely independent front and rear suspension. The front suspension utilized McPherson struts fitted with coil springs, an anti-roll bar, and telescopic shock absorbers. This was the same suspension used in the Datsun 510. The also independent rear suspension system employed Chapman struts with lower wishbones. The rear suspension was also fitted with coil springs and telescopic shock absorbers. These advanced suspension was not the only advanced feature in this car. It also included disc front breaks and rack and pinion steering In conjunction, these features allowed the Fairlady Z to handle beautifully.
5 Controversy Over Who Designed The Nissan Fairlady Z
The success of the first generation of the Nissan Fairlady Z led to many people claiming credit for its design. Although it is. known that a dedicated design team at Nissan is responsible for creating this beautiful car, one German aristocrat by the name of Albrecht Goertz decided to claim the credit. Goertz who was an industrial designer and aided with the design of the Porsche 911 was contracted by Nissan as a consultant in the project. Goertz attempted to sue Nissan in an attempt to take the credit, this was ultimately unsuccessful, and it was revealed that Goertz had almost nothing to do with the car’s design.
4 The Nissan Z Was Cheaper Than Its Competition
For the performance and handling the Z car offered, it was dirt cheap. In 1970 the Fairlady Z went for around $3,526, a much lower sum than the price tag commanded by the cars it was competing against. The Ferrari Dino went for $10,000 more. Its other main rivals were also significantly more expensive. The 1970 Corvette went for $5,469 and the 1970 Porsche 911 went fo $6,430. Considering the similar performance of the Fairlady Z and it’s much lower price tag, consumers were all over this car.
3 The Nissan Fairlady Z Sold Like Hot Cakes
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Plain and simple, Nissan hit it out of the park with the Fairlady Z. Its beautiful design, performance, and accessible pricing made it a huge sales success in Japan but more importantly, in the United States. It was mission accomplished for Nissan. In the United States there were 45,000 units sold in 1971, over 50,000 in 1972, and over 40,000 in 1973. There were huge waiting lists for this car.
2 The JDM Z432 Version Of The Nissan Z
Even though the Fairlady Z was a huge success overseas, its most iconic version the Z432 was only available in Japan. This performance model was fitted with a DOHC 2.0 liter S20 engine with four valves per cylinder and triple carburetors. This engine delivered 160 horsepower at 7500rpm. The 432 stood for the four valves, three carburetors, and two camshafts. This car was so speedy that Japanese police used it for high speed chases.
1 The Nissan Fairlady Z Changed The Reputation Of Japanese Automakers
The main legacy of the legendary Fairlady Z was that it completely changed the perception of Japanese car manufacturers in the United States. Previously, Japanese cars were seen as copycat versions of European cars, or were seen as strange niche automobiles. Nissan specifically manufactured this car for the American market and its widespread success really shifted the perception surrounding Japanese cars. Nowadays, Japanese cars are some of the most commonly seen on not just American roads but all over the world, their success can be attributed to the pioneering Fairlady Z