Zen with two Datsun 240Zs, including a very early one.

After the opening of S30.World and talks with Takeo Miyazaki, a man who was at the cradle of the 240Z, we seized the opportunity to put two early, optimally restored Zs to the test.

The S30, as the Datsun 240Z was referred to internally at the Nissan Motor Company, is not Japan's first sports car. It was preceded by the Toyota 2000 GT, Mazda Cosmo and Honda S800, and it is certainly not Nissan's first attempt to enter the market with a sports car. The company was already active in the 1950s with sporty open cars – the SP211 and 212 – but the car that is seen as Nissan's first real sports car is the SP310 (Fairlady 1500), which made its debut earlier than the MGB. However, the Datsun would soon be lapping its British competitor with its 2-liter engine and 135 hp.
In 1969, the car that plays a leading role in this edition followed, the Datsun 240Z, which needed little time to conquer the world. It was primarily intended to gain a large market share in the USA, which it did with verve thanks to its six-cylinder engine, sexy appearance and low price.

To discover the charms of the 240Z, two examples were driven out of the S30.World stables, a bright blue American version and a red European one. The blue one is an exceptionally early model, with chassis number HLS30-00023, built in October 1969, the first month of production of the Z for the US. It is an exceptionally rare car, also because it is as standard as can be. Chris Visscher is therefore extremely proud of it and takes great care of it, not in the least because the car has been fully restored by his own S30.World.

The red one is a 1972 European 240Z with chassis number HLS30-122130. It, too, was restored by Visscher and his colleagues. The difference between the American and European versions is immediately apparent: on the former, the turn signals are located under the bumper, while on the latter they are mounted on top – a consequence of the regulations in our part of the world.

It is obvious to start the tour with the oldest, 00023, a 240Z in its purest form. It has the characteristic silhouette of a sports car: a long nose and cab positioned far to the rear, a sloping roof like the Jaguar E-type, a sleek, truncated tail and headlights set in notches in the fenders. It is an elegant car that radiates just the right amount of purpose and aggression to be a hit as a sports car. As soon as you see it, you start making plans for a trip to the Dolomites or another destination with enticing roads. Be warned, the longer you spend in the company of an unspoiled 240Z, the more you will warm to it. The design was made entirely in-house at the Nissan Motor Company, with no foreign consultants or anyone else involved. The design team consisted of Yoshihiko Matsuo and his assistants Fumio Yoshida and Utsuki Chiba. They are the men who – in committee, according to good Japanese custom – deserve the honor of having designed the Z.

The 00023 is not equipped with accessories or aftermarket parts; it is simplicity itself. Incidentally, in the USA, all kinds of extras were available fairly early on through Datsun Motorsport, such as a five-speed gearbox, a limited-slip differential, stiffer springs, a fast camshaft and larger carburettors. None of these can be found on the 00023, not even tinted windows, rear window heating, a spoiler or alloy wheels. His black steel wheels suit him well, even more so once they are adorned with the original hubcaps. These are extremely difficult to come by and to be on the safe side, Chris dismantles them immediately after the ride and stores them safely. If you want to switch to alloy wheels, as many have done before you, Watanabe's are the recommended choice.

Despite its simplicity, the 00023 has a warm welcome in store for you. The slightly bucket seats extend a warm welcome, and you sit far enough back unless you are taller than 1.80 meters. The fact that the Japanese knew what they were doing and had their priorities straight is immediately apparent from the position of the controls. The pedals are positioned perfectly for heel-and-toe, and the steering wheel and gear stick are where your hands are likely to be. The steering wheel has a deep hub and the rim appears to be made of a kind of imitation wood, but it is not. It is made of a transparent plastic, but real wood fibers have been molded into it. Behind the wheel you see two large dials, a speedometer that goes up to 140 mph (240 km/h for the European version) and a tachometer that turns yellow at 6500 and red at 7000.

In the center of the dashboard, five gauges – water and oil temperature, charging current, fuel and time – complete the feeling that you are in a serious sports car. The handbrake is located to the right of the center console, as is the case with all 240Zs. It was only mounted on the left in left-hand drive rally cars because the drivers of that era explicitly wanted it that way. There are two slots in the center console, the left one is for the choke and the right one was intended for a hand throttle, but that was prohibited in the US, which is why the slot in American versions has been closed off.

The plastics used may look cheap to today's eye, but that was the case in many cars back then, and it is surprising that the 204Zs from S30.World look so new. The Z gives the impression of having made a miraculous journey through time, travelling directly from Japan in the late 1960s to the Netherlands of today. That impression holds true everywhere, even under the hood, which houses a 2.4-liter inline six-cylinder engine with an overhead camshaft and two carburettors. You can immediately recognize SU's in them, which were made under licence by Hitachi, but not without improvements: all rotating elements are mounted on bearings. The American version of the six-cylinder produces slightly less than the European 150 hp, due to the air pump that was installed to meet the emission requirements at the time.

It is linked to a four-speed gearbox, typical for an American 240Z. The gear ratio of the differential is also longer than in a European version: the drive shaft makes 3.3 revolutions per full revolution of a rear wheel. In a red Z, that number is 3.9. Nissan probably chose a four-speed transmission because of the low American speed limits and the long distances, which made a relaxed cruising ability more important than an outspoken hunger for speed.
Yet the 00023 is certainly not a slow car, quite the contrary. Its six-cylinder engine produces a beautiful, full and warm sound, and needs little gas to get the 240Z moving from a standstill, without a trace of grumpiness. You can drive it lazily, with enough torque and flexibility, but it also willingly allows itself to be revved up to high speeds. The six-cylinder is not a spirited sports machine; it would be right at home in a luxury sedan. It is certainly not a disappointment, however, because as soon as you want to drive the 240Z like a sports car, it demonstrates a wide spread readiness and eagerly delivers all the power you need to expertly slice through a beautiful road.

What is particularly noticeable is the lightness of the 00023. It is a lively car with sufficiently quick reflexes for inspired driving. It steers quickly and precisely, has good throttle response in the first three gears – the fourth is more of an overdrive character – and immediately inspires confidence. If you drive it with appropriate enthusiasm, it responds by rolling on its longitudinal axis, an impulse that is clearly felt from the rear. It does not lean excessively, but it is just strong enough to 'steer' the Z a little for a turn by steering and at the same time slightly lifting the gas.

On to the red Final Euro Spec 240Z from June 1972, the second generation. When Nissan wanted to make the move to our shores, it was clear that the Z would have to be able to handle tougher use and would face stiffer competition. That is why its body is made of thicker metal than that of its older blood brother, and why it is reinforced in several places. Its interior is also more generously equipped with sound-absorbing upholstery, and the floor is covered with fabric mats instead of rubber. According to Chris Visscher, and he would know, the red Final Euro Spec 240Z is about 80 kilos heavier than the blue one.

In order to prepare the Z for a tougher life in Europe, a lot of test work was carried out on a special course at the Oppama test facility. This was completely paved with broken bricks, a gift from the Belgians, and then shipped to the Land of the Rising Sun. Zs have been tortured for thousands of kilometers on that course - and their drivers too - to see how long they could last without a scratch. This has led to reinforcements and greater rigidity of the bodywork. You feel this immediately when you take the Final Euro Spec 240Z out on nice roads. It clearly feels more solid, the playfulness of the USA Z is somewhat lacking, but in return you get tighter and more confident steering. You also no longer have to anticipate the rear end 'rolling'. That is because this generation is equipped with a stabilizer bar on the rear axle as standard. It also has wider tires, 195/70/14 compared to 175/80/14 for the blue Z.

Although the playful handling of the lighter American has its charm – it is a bit of a 'young dog' – the more advanced European from '72 certainly has its strong appeal. The improved chassis makes it a more mature speed machine and the engine torque can be utilized even better thanks to the five-speed gearbox and the shorter final drive ratio (1:3.9). This brings the six-cylinder to life even more and you get more driving pleasure out of it.

“The longer you spend in the company of a 240Z that hasn't been messed with, the more you warm to it.”

Nissan was keen for the 240Z to be seen as a seriously good sports car in Europe. This was also important for the American market, because there a sports car was only considered a really good sports car if the Europeans thought so too. For reference, Nissan had also purchased a Jaguar E-type and a Porsche 911 for the development program. Based in part on feedback from the USA and Japan – including that the Z was rather sensitive to crosswinds – the damping and wheel geometry were adjusted. It was clear that the aerodynamic properties had to be raised to a higher level because of the much higher speeds in Europe. Insiders there wanted the Z to reach at least 200 km/h and be able to cruise at 180 km/h for long periods of time. For Japan and the USA, handling at speeds above 120 km/h had not yet been a very high priority – moreover, much higher speeds were not even permitted on the test track.

It is remarkable that the Dutch input had an influence on the optimization of the Z. That input came from Rob Janssen, a Datsun dealer. In June 1970, Nissan had decided to send two Euro Spec Zs to the Netherlands for testing and for the press to test drive – the latter happened at the time with Autovisie. In October of that same year, both Datsuns were registered (11-49-PP and 11-50-PP). The first, a silver one, ended up with Janssen, who was not only a dealer but also an experienced car enthusiast. He was not satisfied with the car's handling at high speeds – much higher than the Japanese, he was talking about more than 200 km/h – and started experimenting with harder Koni shock absorbers, shorter springs and a homemade front spoiler to reduce front end lift.

The Japanese had already taken a number of steps in the right direction, but were able to dot the i's and cross the t's even better after feedback from Janssen, who did not mince his words. In November 1970, he sent his findings to Japan. In summary, he said that the 240Z was insufficiently stable at very high speeds and too susceptible to crosswinds, that the center of gravity was slightly too high, that the body rolled too much around its longitudinal axis due to the poor shock absorbers and that the front and rear stabilizer bars were too light. Janssen's negative comments were called 'disastrous' in Japan, but they were also gratefully accepted. His suggestions were implemented in the series production, which was to begin in the spring of 1971.

The fruits of this labor are abundantly clear when you drive both 240Zs, especially the European one with its spoilers front and rear that fit in beautifully with the design. I had driven a 240Z years ago, but that was a rally car, and it was nowhere near as impressive as the two S30.World cars. These were downright surprisingly good; no tired or worn parts like in the rally car, but everything was new and perfectly tuned. Both Zs drove perfectly and there was no other conclusion possible than that they are very good and wonderful cars that immediately make you feel Zen. They are a cross between a GT and a sports car. You can see a 240 Z as a Gran Turismo that you can also use for sports or as a sports car that also knows how to behave like a GT, and it is true of both. This versatile character is without a doubt one of its strengths.

As classics, the 240Zs definitely deserve more admiration than they typically receive, and that also goes for Takeo Miyazaki and all the other people who were involved. Just imagine, development began in the spring of 1967. The Nissan Motor Company had already brought sporty roadsters onto the market, but never a sports car that could challenge the best European cars and even surpass them in several areas. But two years later that car was there. And not just any car, the 240Z was a hit in every respect and immediately competitive on the American market. It put an end to the British and German sports cars' reign of supremacy – and a year later it had done the same on the European market. Such a good car in such a short time can easily be called a daring feat.

Japan produced several memorable sports cars in the 60s and 70s, such as the aforementioned 2000 GT, S800 and Cosmo, but the 240Z towers proudly above them all – due to its immediate class and its impact on the market. More than half a million have been sold, and that says it all. It is the biggest star in the "Land of the Rising Sun".

DATSUN 240 Z Euro Spec (1972)
Engine: six-cylinder in-line with overhead camshaft and two SU carburettors, displacement 2393 cm3, bore x stroke 83.0 x 72.7 mm, compression ratio 9.0: 1 Power: 150 hp (SAE) at 5600 min-1 Torque: 197 Nm (SAE) at 4600 min-1 Transmission: rear-wheel drive, five-speed manual gearbox Suspension: independent all round Brakes: front discs, drums at the rear Dimensions: LxWxH 4136 x 1630 x 1286 mm, wheelbase 2305 mm Weight: 1025 kg Top speed: 205 km/h

Text: Ton Roks / Photography: Luuk van Kaathoven