Man versus machine. The epic conflict is top of mind for many of us these days. Though AI’s inevitable takeover may have us humans feeling defeated, it’s comforting to consider that this battle has been raging for decades—and that we have a secret weapon up our sleeves.

Enter the World’s Strongest Man competition. For nearly 50 years, this series of spectacular events has been the recognized gold standard for finding, well, the world’s top strongman. When it comes to machines, these men mercilessly bend them, lift them, and throw them. As far as vehicular opponents go, these legendary titans have gone up against some equally legendary classics over the years:

Car Lift

This event has a storied history in the strongman universe dating all the way back to the inaugural 1977 World’s Strongest Man competition, held at Universal Studios in California. Competitors had to wrap their bare hands under a car’s rear bumper and successfully complete a full deadlift of the vehicle, with nothing but a pair of basic Adidas sneakers and possibly a weightlifting belt to support them. 

Among the cars was a 1977 Datsun B210 hatchback, though this proved too easy for the skilled giants (including Lou Ferrigno, the Incredible Hulk), and they inevitably had to add more weight.

The following year, the competition was again held at Universal Studios, though the producers made a more concerted effort to embrace the spirit of their setting. Competitors lifted Jack Benny’s 1916 Maxwell Model 25 tourer, a Ford Model A coupe used in The Sting, and Columbo’s 1959 Peugeot 403 cabriolet (which the owner was looking to sell in 2022 for a mid-six-figure price), though this time with a slightly more ergonomic metal bar attached to the back end.

Though the World’s Strongest Man seemed to take a break from the Car Lift in the 1980s in favor of other car-related challenges, the event made its triumphant return in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Highlights included a squat-off featuring a 70-series Toyota Land Cruiser in 2001, a classic deadlift of a Chrysler PT Cruiser in 2007, and, at the 2018 contest in Manilla, Hafþór Björnsson (“The Mountain” of Game of Thrones fame) took on the Filipino “King of the Road,” the Sarao Motors Jeepney. For those unfamiliar with Sarao, at one point the Jeepney outnumbered vehicles from other brands on the roads of Manilla by almost 7 to 1. It’s good to be the king.

Car Rolling 

This next event gives the strongmen a chance to unleash their appetite for destruction (though sadly not in time for Mr. Ferrigno to show off his Hulk pedigree). While the rules of Car Rolling, occasionally referred to as the more benign “Car Turnover,” vary—sometimes it’s flipping one car a full 360 degrees, other times it’s flipping multiple cars 90 or 180 degrees—the discipline is always an entertaining bout of sanctioned rampaging. 

What poor cars bore the brunt of this madness?

To start, French ones. At a lovely park in Nice in 1986, the strongmen had to berserk their way through a sequence consisting of a Renault 5, a Renault 3 (the budget-friendly Renault 4), and a Citroën 2CV. Considering the 2CV’s reputation as the great un-flippable wonder, it’s fair to say it made a worthy foe. This wouldn’t be the last time the pride of France gave the strongmen a good fight, either.

By 1989, Jón Páll Sigmarsson (a.k.a. “The Viking,” and one of the sport’s most magnetic showmen) had developed a new technique to clear the course: grabbing the tires. This time, the foes were a Fiat 127, Renault 5, and finally a Renault 4.

Moving forward all the way to 1996, the event consisted of just one Austin/Morris 1800 Mk III that had to be rolled a full 360 degrees. The winner, Gerrit Badenhorst of South Africa, managed to accomplish this feat and run to the finish line in just under 12 seconds.

Car Walk

Possibly one of the most adorable—and challenging—of all strongmen events, the Car Walk brings to life Fred Flintstone’s prehistoric means of transportation. In preparation for this event, a car is hollowed out to varying degrees, has its roof removed, and is fitted with enormous shoulder straps. The strongmen must then climb inside, lift the weight of the car onto their massive shoulders, and take their turns yabba-dabba-doo-ing down a course of varying lengths.  

The first Car Walk, in 1993, featured all-time Icelandic great Magnús ver Magnússon hauling the strongman nemesis Citroën 2CV (engine still inside) almost 25 meters.

The following year upped the ante, employing two 2CVs in a heated walk-off. The strongmen had to not only make it down the track, but now had to avoid any disastrous fender-benders with their meet-mate while doing so.

It should also be noted that this is the same year competitors also had to survive the so-called “Sampson’s Barrow,” a version of a wheelbarrow race in which the wheelbarrow was a Mitsubishi L300 flatbed truck with two kegs and a full-grown man as cargo.

Unfortunately, for most of the remaining years when audiences were treated to the Car Walk, the models used were merely referred to as anonymous “saloons.” One announcer in 2006 went so far as to comment about the Citroën AX being hauled around that year: “Now, the only redeeming feature as far as I can tell with this car is the outstanding head room.” Ouch. 

Honorable Mentions

Beyond those impressive feats of strength, other automotive highlights of the World’s Strongest Man have included the time they made the strongmen push a Hummer H1 roughly 20 meters, the time competitors had to hold up a BMW E46 sedan for as long as humanly possible, and even some less-official Strongman content, where 2017 British champion and real-life Gears of War character Eddie Hall squeezed himself into a tiny Peel P50 replica and attempted to drive into a McDonald’s. Here’s to hoping that last one makes it to the main stage.

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The enthusiast car market has been slowing since the summer of 2022, but it’s also a vast market that doesn’t behave uniformly. Some cars have stopped appreciating or are now contracting in value; others continue to realize gains. Here are five of the cars that increased the most in value in the latest installment of the Hagerty Price Guide, which was published online on January 1st. The group is eclectic, to say the least, which is partly due to the pricing volatility for low-volume cars, as well as a reflection that the market for most “known” cars is much quieter than it was to start 2022. (Read more to learn about the methodology behind Hagerty Price Guide.)

1970-1972 Nissan Fairlady Z 432 +48%

Most American car enthusiasts know the Datsun 240Z, but far fewer know the Nissan Fairlady Z 432. That lack of awareness hasn’t hindered values, though. The car surged in price by 48 percent to close the year, and one in excellent condition now costs a hair below $300,000.

The Z 432 is a performance variant of the original Z car produced for the Japanese domestic market, and features a close-ratio five-speed transmission, dual exhaust, a limited-slip rear differential, and a sportier suspension. Most importantly, though, it is powered by the same four-valve, three-carb, dual-overhead cam S20 engine that propelled the legendary Prince R380, Japan’s first purpose-built prototype racer. The 432 is exceedingly rare, too, with only around 420 built.

Given their rarity and the devotion of their owners, these cars change hands infrequently, but an excellent example found a new owner at Mecum’s Monterey auction last August for $297,000. This public benchmark is consistent with reported private sales activity for perfect cars soaring above $400,000. Furthermore, the Nissan “Hakosuka” Skyline 2000GT-R also had a strong quarter, with their price guide values increasing by 13 percent. These are proof that JDM fans are as interested in the older back catalog as they are in more modern models.

1968-1984 Saab 99 +30%

Historically, Saab’s unconventional styling and unusual technology limited the brand’s mass appeal in the U.S., but those same traits are what have earned the cars a loyal American fan base today. Loyal enough, in fact, that the Saab 900 Turbo landed on our 2023 Bull Market list.

The 99 preceded the 900 by a decade and was Saab’s first upmarket foray. Larger (though not outright large) and more luxurious than prior Saab models like the 93 and 96, the 99 brought the company a step closer to the mainstream. Gone were the company’s two-stroke engines, replaced with a two-liter inline-four sourced from Triumph, that could come equipped with a then-novel turbocharger. The 99 had a reputation for impressive build quality and had an abundance of trims available, including the sportier EMS. It was a massive sales success for the Swedish company and established the tone for Saab’s product line in the 1980s and 1990s.

In this update of the Hagerty Price Guide, the 99 Turbo and EMS versions increased by a stout 30 percent, pushing values of the Turbo models up to $21,600 for an excellent example. The EMS, meanwhile, now sits at $16,200 in the same condition. Apparently interest in the Saab 900 is carrying over to its older sibling.

1963-1969 Alpine GT4 +24%

If an Alpine A110 is too mainstream for you, consider the GT4, Alpine’s four-seat take on the diminutive French giant killer. The GT4’s tall roofline makes it clear the car is a hopped-up people hauler and not a purpose-built race car, and it justifiably trades at a discount to the A110. It’s also one of the rarer cars we include in the Hagerty Price Guide, with fewer than 300 produced, making it one of the more challenging cars in our guide to value. That said, Artcurial sold a needy example over the summer with a mid-estimate result that allowed us to dial in pricing, which is now at $32,500 for an excellent car. If you’re keeping score, the six-figure A110, a different animal altogether, saw its values drop by two percent over the same period.

1959-1960 Oldsmobile 88 / 98 Holiday Coupe +24%

The 1959 model year introduced a more modern, “Linear Look” to Oldsmobile’s 88 and 98 line-ups, with the Holiday Coupes being the sleekest and airiest of all. This iteration only lasted two model years and served as a transition between the stylistic exuberance of the 1950s and the Jet-Age refinement of the early 1960s. Due to its short lifespan and its position as a liminal design, this era of Oldsmobile is often overlooked, and its value story underscores that—pricing was essentially unchanged from the start of 2019 to mid-2023.

That wasn’t the case at the end of last year, however, as several public sales confirmed that buyers are now paying higher prices. Rather than a sign of an impending boom for this era of GM full-size coupes, this is more likely an aftershock of the pandemic surge, with the Olds starting to catch up to where other contemporaries have already gone.

1962-1969 Abarth 1000 +24%

In the 1950s and 1960s, Carlo Abarth’s eponymous company found fame by manufacturing go-fast parts for Fiats and eventually tuning Fiat models for motorsports use. Abarth even transformed Fiat’s cute and cuddly 600 economy car into the pugnacious 1000 Berlina and 1000 TC racers for competition in Group 2 and Group 5 touring car races. A front-mounted radiator, bored-out engine, and hemispherical combustion chambers, among numerous other tweaks, changed the car’s nature entirely and resulted in much success in European events.

The market for this car had been relatively sleepy since January 2021, but sale and advertised prices for these models have been increasing consistently enough to prompt us to push values higher. Authenticity is always a question for these cars, but even at their new levels of $30,000 for the Berlina and $47,700 for the TC (both in “excellent” condition), they seem like a ton of fun for the money.

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Anyone who’s ever read a comment section online knows that there’s no shortage of “expert” opinion out there extolling the virtues and vices of our favorite rides. Much of it is based on second- and third-hand experience, or even outright hearsay. That doesn’t stop the momentum from building, though, and before long a car gains a reputation that may or may not accurately represent the actual ownership experience. After having 40+ cars pass through my often-undeserving hands, I’ve developed a few opinions of my own, often running contrary to conventional wisdom.

1963 Buick Riviera

I’ll concede I’m probably not the target market for a first-gen Riv. Floating down a perfectly paved freeway for hours on end isn’t what I’d choose to do behind the wheel, even if I knew of a such a road anywhere near me. But that’s what the Riviera excelled at, sort of. Its undulating ride was more disconcerting than cruise-worthy. It had the turning radius of a city bus, and its puny brakes may have set a postwar record for largest inverse relationship between horsepower and stopping ability. And don’t get me started on the numb power steering. While the Riviera was certainly attractive, as a driver, it fell miles short of Bill Mitchell’s aspiration to build an American Ferrari. I sorely wish that Mr. Mitchell had been able to pry some brake, steering and suspension mojo from the excellent C2 Corvette. Sleek styling wasn’t enough to forgive its ills, so I’m forced to say the Riviera is overrated.

1965 Jaguar E-type

The Series I E-type is undoubtedly a good-looking car, regardless of whether or not you believe the story of Enzo Ferrari calling it the most beautiful car he’d ever seen.  What is rarely talked about is how well the car drives, even by modern standards. It’s the opposite of the Riviera in that its chassis dynamics were commensurate with its good looks.

The Jag’s rack and pinion steering is delightful, communicative, and precise. Power assist isn’t even needed. The post-1964 all-synchro four-speed is a joy to shift, and its 4.2-liter dual-overhead cam straight six, while not rev-happy, makes good torque and more than adequate power. That said, I suspect its advertised 265 hp may have been a touch ambitious. No matter, at just under 2,900 lbs., it was good for 0-60 in about seven seconds. D-Type-inspired four-wheel disc brakes were good for the time, and while the car was set up more for GT-style driving than track-ready handling, if you could deal with the body roll, you could have fun exploiting the car’s power and near 50/50 weight distribution.

The car isn’t without its peccadilloes, particularly with regard to its electrical system. But ultimately, when you look at values of its more exotic competition relative to their performance and livability, The E-Type begins to shine. For that reason, I find this cat a bit underrated.

1971 Datsun 240Z

I’ve owned four first-generation Z cars, though I’ve never kept one for a long time. There’s a reason for that: of any car I’ve owned, the corner-cutting to achieve a bargain base price is most evident in a Z. There’s almost no sound deadening to be found anywhere in the car, from the floors to the lightly padded, vinyl headliner, and as a result the freeway drone is maddening. In addition to the gratuitous noise (I will admit that the actual exhaust note is pleasing), in any significant crosswind, the early Z’s freeway wander is downright scary. The BRE front spoiler helps, if only a little. Inside, the plastic quality is backyard kiddie-pool spec.

I suppose it’s not really the car’s fault—it’s so pretty, and it handles and performs so much above its class that you expect the details to be as nice as a Porsche 911. They’re not, so I’ve always considered the Z to be a bit overrated.

1979 Porsche 924

If ever there was a car for which I had low expectations, this was it. I’m a multiple 911 owner, and before this car, I’d never owned any flavor of transaxle Porsche—certainly not the one deemed to be the worst of them, the original Audi-powered 924. I bought the car for $2,000 to do a “2,000 miles in a $2,000 Porsche” story for the magazine that I edit, Porsche Panorama. It was a middling road trip story at best, mostly because the car gave me zero material to work with. Nothing broke, though if it had, I think I could have solved most of it on the roadside because of the car’s inherent simplicity. Was it a little buzzy and underpowered? Yes, but the car’s beautiful balance, solid build, and sturdy honesty made up for that. As did its attention to aerodynamics, which gifted the 924 a lack of wind noise and near 30-mpg thrift on 87 octane fuel. Subjectively, I also found it quite pretty. The 924 surprised me in the best ways, and since then, I’ve considered it the essence of an underrated car.

1975 BMW 2002

My 2002 was the exact opposite of the 924. The little Bimmer was a car for which I had huge expectations, most of which went unfulfilled, particularly in light of David E. Davis Jr.’s assessment that the BMW 2002 was the best way to get somewhere sitting down. It’s not that there weren’t any positives. The 2002’s driving position and outward visibility were top notch, but I found the car to be buzzy and underpowered in a far more egregious way than I found the 924. The lack of fuel injection combined with crude emission controls made for annoying flat-spots in the power curve. The car’s ventilation is largely theoretical—no face level dash vents at all, just ancient vent and quarter windows, and a sunroof if you’re lucky. The fake wood applique on the dash reminded me of a VW Scirocco. The steering that I expected to be super-quick was somewhat heavy and a little dead on center. Truth be told, by the time my 2002 was built, it was a fairly ancient design, and the injected 2002 tii was the spec that you really wanted. That said, I found the 2002 to be a generally overrated car.

1968 MGC GT

I actually had the experience of owning an MGC and a Datsun 240Z at the same time. Odd, because the C is the car that the Z wiped off the face of the earth. The MGC is the rare, six-cylinder version of the MGB that was deemed in-period to be an utterly inferior car to the Japanese upstart. I didn’t find that to be the case. In spite of their wildly differing reputations for quality, the MG felt more expensive in every way—the seats were covered in good-smelling leather, the chrome-ringed Smiths gauges looked nicer, and the whole car just felt more solid. As a freeway cruiser, there was no contest—the MG was somehow nearly impervious to crosswinds, something I discovered when I got caught in 65 mph gale-force winds on I-5 in between Seattle and Portland. With the overdrive engaged in fourth gear, it was also much more relaxed at speed than the Z. With its independent rear suspension, the Z was a better handler, but with the proper tire pressures (this is critical for the slightly nose-heavy MG), the C was no slouch either. On the whole, I found the MGC GT to be vastly underrated.

What about you—did your time in one of these cars dissuade you from the mythology that surrounds it, or confirm its greatness? Which car have you owned that provided the biggest contrast to how it’s perceived?

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In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
—John McCrae

November 11 is Veterans Day in the U.S., but north of the border and in other Commonwealth countries, the holiday marked is Remembrance Day. Held every year since 1919, Remembrance Day is more like Memorial Day and honors the sacrifice of those veterans who gave their lives; it is a day for somber ceremony and reflection. Its symbol is the poppy, worn over the heart by thousands around the world, their sales a fundraiser for supporting veterans. Up until 10 years ago, one man did more for this cause than anyone else in Canada.

Perched on the corner of Robson and Hornby streets in downtown Vancouver, Arthur Hughes fairly crackled with energy, right into his late 70s. You’d find him there, no matter the weather, parade-ground sharp in his woolen British Army uniform, pressed to creases you could cut yourself on. He’d have his tray of poppies hung from his neck, ready to greet his regulars and also surprise and charm a passerby; Vancouver is a multicultural city and Art was fluent in six languages.

Over the years, he is reckoned to have raised some $200,000, 10 hours a day, every poppy pinned to his customers’ lapels by his own hands. The poppies were the first thing everyone knew about Art Hughes. The second was his pristine 1972 Datsun 510.

“People ask me how I’m able to drive a stock 510,” says Dan Uphoff, who considers himself the caretaker of Art’s Datsun 510. “They say they are not fun to drive stock, and I have to disagree. The looks and attention the car gets are amazing. People see it and it transports them back to when they were a kid, growing up in the back seat of a 510.”

The Datsun 510 is now a beloved classic, and in the early 1970s it had done its work as an ambassador for the Japanese auto industry. Before that, however, postwar resentment toward Japan lingered far and wide. One example: When Nissan executives visited the Austin factory in Britain after the war, seeking to learn more about manufacturing to restart their industry, there was open hostility. Some of the factory workers were veterans of the Pacific, and they were not ready to forgive and forget.

Hughes, a Shanghai-born British-Canadian veteran who’d been forced to flee China with his family to Nanaimo, B.C., had his own complex feelings on the matter, especially because he had received his early schooling in Japan. And his linguistic capabilities led to him being appointed to serve in Geneva after the war ended, working toward setting up the United Nations. Uphoff recalls Art being incensed by seeing an Imperial Rising Sun graphic painted on the hood of a Datsun—he left the owner a sternly worded educational note as to what that symbol meant—but Art knew the Japanese as a people, not as an enemy.

Hughes’ Datsun formerly belonged to his Aunt Isobel, who bought it new on his recommendation from Brasso Nissan in North Vancouver in the fall of 1971, and then proceeded to drive it just 7000 miles over the next eight years. When she gave up her license, Art took over the keys.

Before inheriting the 510, however, Hughes owned a bright yellow Mustang convertible. To this day, the members of the Greater Vancouver Mustang Association remember him as an active member who was often an emcee at charity events. Hughes was a joiner and a volunteer, and the amount of work he accomplished in charitable and community service beggars belief. He served as volunteer groundskeeper at his church, and he hand-restored every nicotine-stained plaque and medal at his local Legion. In 1965, as a response to a call for volunteer drivers, Art drove down from Ontario to Alabama and pitched in on a Civil Rights march from Selma to Montgomery.

Ever a man of involvement, Hughes signed up with the local Datsun 510 club as member #80. The club was not prepared for the whirlwind that was about to hit them.

“I always enjoyed Art’s company, as he was quite an engaging man,” says 510 club member Bryon Meston. “However, you never get to really know a person’s character until you take on a project together. And our first project together was a simple replacement of a steering arm component on his beloved Datsun 510—a fairly simple and straightforward job, right? Well, by the time six hours had passed, the entire motor was out of the car because Art wanted to touch up some paint on the block and oil pan! This is how Art kept me on my toes.”

Hughes had a meticulous eye for detail and a refusal to accept less than perfection. This perfectionism was married to a restless energy, and as such, what should have been an ordinary blue Japanese compact car turned out to be probably the nicest example on the planet. At a local concours event in the late 1990s, he beat out a Mercedes 300SL Gullwing and a Jaguar E-Type for top prize. The lower mainland’s All-Japanese Classic event created an award in his name for the best stock collector car in show; it was the highest honor anyone could think of bestowing on a car—that it was good enough for Art.

Further, while the 510 was a show car, it was not a garage queen. Art drove his car frequently around town (though never in the rain), so you never knew when you were going to come across him and wonder if some rift in time had opened and transported you back to 1972. The car always looked like it had just rolled out of a Datsun showroom, and Art always waved and grinned at anyone gawking at him.

He gave his beloved 510 up only at the very end, just a year before he died at the age of 80. Right until the end, though, he was out selling his poppies, having raised $125,000 in the last six years of his life alone.

His obituary in the Globe and Mail was simply titled, “My God, he was a good fellow.” It was a fitting epitaph for someone who lived a full life of service, brightening the world through his work.

“Art’s car has been an important part of the community,” says Uphoff. “On the West Coast you hardly meet someone that Art didn’t make a huge impact on. So many people have stories of this kind man and how he could just talk your ear off. He was loved by everyone who knew him, and this 510 meant a lot to him. I have no plans to ever sell her and hope my kids will love her as I and Arthur have.”

It is also fitting that Art Hughes’ passion lives on in a four-wheeled form—not in some rare exotic but in an ordinary, extraordinary little car. One that is special only because of the incredible amount of work Art poured into leaving things better than when he found them. As he did with his poppies. As he did with his Datsun. As he did with people.

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Press a group of enthusiasts to say which Japanese car established a beachhead on American shores and proved that the island nation could build a world-class car, and the Datsun 240Z may well be the only answer you get. It’s no surprise that the Z-car steals the show, but another offering from Datsun, its plucky little 510 sedan, went beyond the sports car world to show the masses that the company could build a fun car for everyone.

On its way to commercial success in the U.S., the 510 built off the work of old-world automakers, benefitted from larger-than-life personalities, and sprinkled some racing victories on top for good measure. As a result, and thanks in no small part to the way they drive, the now-highly-collectible 510s fetch values that belie their economy car origins. That fact may raise some eyebrows, but likely only from those who haven’t gotten behind the wheel of one. Here’s how America fell in love with what affectionately became known as the Dime and why it’s still a beloved classic with Datsun fans in the know.

Learning from Germany

When the first Datsun 240Zs arrived in the U.S. in the fall of 1969, a lot of people were shocked to see a proper sports car from Japan. Datsun fans weren’t, however. For the two years prior to the Z’s debut, while the general public still saw Japanese cars as cheap and disposable, people who had bought the well-priced 510 sedan knew better. Well-built and sporty, the 510 was Japan’s equivalent to BMW’s Neue Klasse.

Though the two companies barely have anything in common today, back in the 1960s Nissan studied Munich’s progress carefully, possibly to the point of copying BMW’s homework. In the postwar period, BMW flailed with bubble cars like the Isetta before releasing the Neue Klasse cars that would come to define the brand in the U.S. When the 1600-2 and later 2002 arrived, they were embraced by the enthusiast press as a light, nimble, and racy alternative to lumbering domestic iron.

Nissan saw a similar opportunity and decided to offer a solution to American consumers who had Oktoberfest dreams but a Budweiser budget. In 1968, for roughly two-thirds of the price of a BMW, you could get a subtle and handsome Japanese sedan that was economical to run and scrappy in the corners. The 510’s recipe was as simple as they come: an affordable, lightweight, rear-wheel-drive family car riding on a fully independent suspension.

Europe in the east

Just as the first-generation Mazda Miata was an everyman copy of the Lotus Elan, the 510 made good on proven themes and technology to become an incredibly popular affordable alternative. Nissan cribbed notes from European automakers Austin and Mercedes-Benz, something made easier by existing relationships and a consolidation-happy domestic auto industry in the 1960s.

Many Japanese automakers built cars under license in the rebuilding period after WWII, and Nissan’s partnership with Austin enabled them to produce direct copies of the Austin A30 and A40 sedan. (If you talk to wily old parts-counter managers from those days, many of them stocked Nissan/Datsun parts for their Austin customers. The Japanese-made parts were identical, but built to much more consistent standards.) Nissan’s work with Austin would provide the stepping stone to its own 410 in 1964. Designed by Pininfarina, the 410 remains attractive, if more than a little overshadowed by the 510 that followed. It originally came with a 60-hp single-carburetor engine, and shared many parts with the contemporary Fairlady (Datsun Roadster). It just needed a little push to achieve greatness.

Nissan’s acquisition of the Prince Motor Company took their capabilities a step further. Prince is most famously now associated with the Nissan Skyline’s origin story, but the company brought a wide range of engineering expertise to the table. In the case of the 510, Prince’s engineers had been studying Mercedes-Benz’s four-cylinder engines as benchmarks for durability.

The 2.0-liter four-cylinder that would go on to power Peter Brock’s famous BRE Datsun Roadsters was one such Prince development. Called the U20, it took a Prince Mercedes-inspired single overhead cam head and married it to a 1600-cc Austin-derived block, expanded to 2.0 liters of displacement. For the time, the U20 was a pretty stout performer, rated at as much as 150 hp when fitted with twin Mikuni carburetors and the hottest cam.

While the 510 wouldn’t get this kind of power, some of the lessons Nissan learned in building the U20 would go under the hood of its new economy car. But before that could happen, one of Nissan’s greatest renegades had to resort to some trickery.

The magical Mr. K

Oceans of ink have been spilled about Yutaka Katayama—known by Datsun fans as Mr. K—but not one drop of that ink was wasted. A charismatic and assertive figure, Mr. K frequently found himself at odds with Nissan’s executives. Early on, his obsession with racing as a marketing tool didn’t sit well with top brass. Although his success in a grueling ’round-Australia endurance race in 1958 brought acclaim to the small company, Nissan soon shipped Katayama off to America on what many saw as a fool’s errand to build a dealer network.

Despite a paltry budget, Katayama found success. He first grew Nissan’s U.S. export business with the Datsun brand through small pickup truck sales, but he was forever calling back to Yokohama with demands for a small car. Having slotted right into Southern California car culture like he belonged—he got speeding tickets constantly—Mr. K understood what would and would not sell to Americans. Mr. K didn’t want to push any more toy-like sedans, but instead called for something roomy and light on its feet. Something exactly like the BMW 1600-2, but priced to move.

As plans for the 510 coalesced, it became apparent that being on the end of a phone line didn’t carry the same weight as pounding on a boardroom table yourself. Initially, plans were in place for the 510 to get a 1.3-liter overhead-cam engine, something similarly-sized but more advanced than the pushrod mill found in the 410. Katayama pushed for a 1600 to match the BMW. Headquarters told Mr. K the best they could do was 1.4 liters.

But Katayama wasn’t completely isolated. Sitting on Nissan’s board was Seiichi Matsumura, a new political appointee who had joined from Japan’s international trade organization. Whether because of his familiarity with overseas markets, or the forcefulness of Katayama’s argument, Matsumura agreed to sign his name to a memo written by Mr. K. Everybody knew about the sleight-of-hand, but the board just collectively sighed as the 1.6-liter engine was pushed through for export models.

The 510 was penned in-house by rookie Nissan designer Teruo Uchino. In a pivot from the Italian design cues of the 410 before it, Uchino’s clean, gimmick-free effort helped establish Datsun’s own styling language. It’s aged well, and a 510 can proudly park next to a 2002 of the same vintage.

With Nissan releasing the smaller Sunny sedan around the same time, the 510 moved up in size, growing about five inches compared to the outgoing 410/411. It weighed a little over 2000 pounds depending on body style and trim, had front disc brakes, and featured MacPherson struts up front and trailing arms in the rear for independent suspension at all four corners. (Station wagon versions sported a live axle to handle the additional load.) A four-speed manual transmission was standard, a three-speed automatic optional, and under the hood was the L16 1.6-liter overhead cam engine that Katayama had fought so hard for. It was rated at a peppy 97 hp, but in some markets a factory-installed twin-Hitachi carburetor setup pushed power to nearly 110 hp.

Mr. K’s bet was right. U.S. Datsun sales exploded in the late 1960s, tripling in two years. The 510 cost $1996, slightly less than a dollar per pound. It was about as cheap to purchase and run as a VW Beetle, but roughly twice as fast in a straight line and a delight in the corners. And that was just the factory performance—when the racers got hold of the 510, they really made it dance.

Beating the world

The film revisits Datsun’s exciting path to the 1971 Trans Am championship. Hagerty

One of the first customers for the Datsun 510 was the late Bob Bondurant, a brilliant racer and instructor who gave racing lessons to everybody from Jeff Gordon to Paul Newman. When he started his racing school in 1968, he first approached Porsche for support. Stuttgart turned Bondurant down, but when he called on Datsun, Mr. K personally said yes. The Bondurant racing school started with two Datsun Roadsters, a 510, a Lola T70 and a Formula Vee.

The 510 proved itself a friendly, predictable, and approachable instruction car. It also put up with a titanic amount of abuse. Everything that made the Dime such a fun little road car translated directly to the track.

Of course, Mr. K also ensured that Datsun would have a racing presence on American tracks. The factory-backed racing teams started with a two-pronged approach in 1971, with John Morton piloting Pete Brock’s California-based BRE entry in Trans-Am racing’s Two-Five class (so-named for engine displacements 2.5 liters and under). From the east, Datsun chose Bob Sharp racing. Right from the get-go, the 510s were competitive.

At that time, BMW and Alfa Romeo held a tight grip on small-bore sedan racing in the States. That all changed with the debut of the 510, however. John Morton won the manufacturer’s championship in 1971, and at the SCCA Runoffs, Bob Sharp finished first. As the 510 kept racking up the trophies, more racers turned to the little Datsun that could, and by the end of the 1970s, the grid was nearly an all-Datsun affair.

The 510’s on-track success did more than bring racers into the fold. Thousands nationwide attended SCCA events during this golden era of sports car racing, and the 510’s prowess translated to sales in the showroom and a strong reputation for cheap thrills on the street. Import tuning culture in the U.S. can trace some of its roots to modified 510s inspired by racers from the ’70s, and that in turn impacts today’s 510 collector market. While other cars from the era might be most valuable in completely factory stock form, a tastefully modified 510 can still fetch solid money.

Stacking dollars for Dimes

The 510’s giant-killer reputation has combined with rust attrition (along with many cars giving up their lives for racing) to drive up prices. Values for the two-door sedan model are the highest, up 85 percent over the past five years to an average condition #2 (Excellent) value of $30,600. The 510 station wagon has skyrocketed as well, posting a 92 percent increase over the last five years and a 24 percent gain in the last year alone. Despite that, it’s still relatively affordable, with an average condition #2 value of $22,100. The four-door trails a bit behind at $20,500, up a little more than 50 percent over five years.

As might be expected, Gen X and younger buyers make up over 78 percent of the market, though that number is nominally down, shrinking two percent over the last three years.

Despite the car’s popularity, 510 public transaction data is a little sparse. While 240Zs roll through the big auction houses regularly, only Bring A Trailer has moved many 510s recently. Several of these have been race cars or heavily modified examples, and they have fetched prices north of $50K—well above condition averages.

That’s quite a lot for what started out as a sort of poor man’s BMW, and in some cases a 510 might fetch more than a BMW 2002. There’s the nostalgia factor, of course, and the racing pedigree, but the 510’s simplicity is also something buyers seek out.

Nissan appears to know this, and in 2013 brought out the IDx concept. The IDx Nismo was a modernized version of the 510’s design essence, powered by a turbocharged 1.6-liter engine making around 200-230 hp, sent to the rear wheels. It would have been a sedan competitor to the Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR86, or, hearkening back to the original, a more affordable rendition of BMW’s 2 Series.

But because there is no more Mr. K at Nissan, we instead got tens of thousands of Nissan Rogues in various configurations. There is still a new Z of course, there to please Nissan enthusiasts. But Datsun fans still know now what they knew then: there are few more fun driving experiences than those found behind the wheel of a Datsun 510.

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There are so many nuances and trends in the old-car market. Identifying and reporting on them is one of the reasons Hagerty Insider exists. When you’ve been around the hobby long enough, though, you start to see familiar patterns, even with cars that are a little newer to the hobby. Take Japanese cars, for instance.

In the 1970s, there was no such thing as a collectible Japanese car.

(This is what’s known in the storytelling business as setting the stage, so fans need not freak out about this characterization, because it gets a lot better for Japanese cars as collectibles … mostly).

Sure, there were the oddities, the antiques and the oddballs, but they were not taken seriously in North America and Europe, where the “real” collector cars came from. Or so many said.

At the dealership where I worked in the 1970s, an interesting Japanese car, a Toyota 2000GT, passed through. My guess is that this came about because of the James Bond connection—a chopped top “convertible” version appeared in 1967’s You Only Live Twice. I remember a few things about the 2000GT that came our way. It was red, had a wooden dash, and I could almost, but not quite, fit my 6’4” frame into it, even though at that time I had a much more limber (and quite a bit smaller) teenage body. The other things I remember include the excellent build quality, and the fact that we sold it to a Toyota dealer who put it on his showroom floor. He used it as a sales tool that would call attention to the fact that Toyota had a bit more automotive history than what Americans saw in the the Corolla sitting next to it.

Though Japanese brands gained traction across the industry, including with legitimate enthusiast cars, their collector status, or lack thereof, remained pretty much the same throughout the 1980s and 1990s. But for those aware, the Toyota 2000GT was starting to turn more heads.

“They have no soul,” I would hear from most car guys back then in regard to cars from Japan. “They build nothing but disposable cars,” or “they only make automotive appliances.”

In reality, everything had changed back in 1970 with the introduction of the Datsun (now Nissan) 240Z. That car did everything well, was affordable, good-looking and, dare I say it, up to the minute and hip. It had soul, performance (okay, it was quick and nimble), and was anything but an appliance. The color palette offered was early Skittles, the transmissions were mostly manuals, and it was the car to have if you were young, single, and had a job to afford the payments.

The 240Z started a trend that took a while to fully take hold. As an appraiser and the publisher of the Hagerty Price Guide, I follow markets as well as individual cars, and the 240Z has been one to watch. It took a long time for the 240Z to break the $25,000 barrier as a collectible, but ever since that happened, there was no looking back. Unsurprisingly, the 240Z brought the 260Z, the 280Z, 300ZX and a host of other cars from Japanese manufacturers to the collectible party, and festivities have been in full swing ever since. Cars that were originally introduced to the American market as well as JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) cars have been on a tear.

What happens next should come as little surprise. With values heading upward in the marketplace, people tend to get cocky. Now, instead of “never collectible,” the new normal is “they will always increase in value.” Sorry gang, but guess what? Even Japanese collector cars are subject to the whims of the market. Collectors who are in their 30s haven’t yet witnessed a downturn in the Japanese collector car market, but that doesn’t mean those cars are immune.

Some, but certainly not all, of this crowd’s favorite Japanese cars have hit the tiniest rough patch. Is it time to run for the exits? Is this a hair-on-fire three alarm emergency? Not even close. I’m just here to tell you that you know a market is beginning to mature when market forces start to temper initial enthusiasm.

Perhaps this is a totally appropriate time for youthful critics to say “OK, Boomer” and stop reading, or vent to Insta their friends about bad information from an automotive dinosaur who has no idea about today’s market because “this time, it’s different.” No, it’s not different, and it’s possible to make, or at least save, a considerable sum of money by simply paying attention.

Let’s go back to some really good Japanese collectible news. Many of the sales at the auctions in Monterey this year showed record prices for Japanese collectibles. Broad Arrow sold a 1995 NSX Type R for $632,000, which is just about twice what one sold for on Bring A Trailer. More good stuff? How about $1,105,000 for Lexus LFA at RM Sotheby’s? That’s the first non-Nurburgring Package car to cross the million dollar mark at auction. (An event we predicted back in 2019.) Going back to Datsuns, Mecum had a 1969 240Z that sold for a hair-raising $132,000. Great news, indeed.

But on the not-so-lucrative side, Mecum also had my personal favorite, a lime-green four-speed 1972 Datsun 240Z, one of 37 completed Vintage-Z program cars. That was the very unusual factory sponsored deal where early Z cars were restored using all-original factory Z parts, and they then sold through a small group of Nissan dealers as a “new-ish” (my word, not theirs) car, complete with a factory warranty. A few of these have since sold for $100,000 and more, but this one was a steal at just $66,000. The list of cars with a factory, or factory-approved restoration is not long, and because most of them have a Prancing Horse on the hood, the commensurate values exceed $1,000,000, and sometimes way more.

Bonhams had the biggest dollar car at Monterey in the Ferrari 412 P, but also a notable no-sale: the very special Subaru Impreza 22B-STI prototype, #000 of 400. This was the first prototype for 1998 WRC rally car homologation, and it is exceedingly original with just 70 kilometers, or about 49 miles showing. Bids stalled out at a reported $365,000, its pre-auction estimate was $450,000 to $550,000.

Markets go up, down, and occasionally sideways, which is another way of expressing that the market is staying stable. Do Japanese cars still have staying power in the marketplace? Yes, absolutely. Will JDM cars continue to rise? Are their North American market siblings the better way to go? It might be time to make those buying decisions for the long term, and not just for the here and now. Will a 60-year-old you be just as excited about driving a right-hand-drive car as a 40-year-old you? The Japanese car market, like its consumers, is maturing.

You have decisions to make. Maybe now is the time to sit or cut sushi.

***

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Monterey Car Week provides opportunities to see some of the most exclusive and expensive cars on the planet. The ones parked on golf courses at shows like The Quail or the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elégance are next-level stuff, no question. But ask people who have been going to Car Week for years and they are quick to point out that the local cars, or the ones that actually drive hundreds of miles to attend Car Week, are often just as interesting (if not even more so) than the ones at the fancy car shows.

Here are a few favorites seen parked around Monterey. Since there were no car cards handy, I’m taking my best-educated guess at model years:

1966 or 1967 International Harvester Pickup

What is it? The C-series International Harvester Pickup dates back to 1961, and lasted until 1970, so this example came roughly midway through the model run. The C-series was produced in various sizes and capacities, including one of the first crew-cabs, which International called the Travelette.

Why do I love it? Trucks like this simply don’t exist outside of California. The Tow-Mater style patina was irresistible. While most of the paint was burned off, there was just a light coating of surface rust, almost like a suntan, in its place. There didn’t seem to be any structural rust at all. Whether you’re hauling surfboards, dirt bikes, cantaloupes, or anything else, it’d be difficult to go wrong with this handsome old truck.

1970 Datsun 240Z

What is it? First year examples of the classic Z-car are easily spotted by the pair of small vents below the rear window. This is the car that put Japanese sports cars on the map in the U.S. and everywhere else.

Why do I love it?  As 240Zs move upward in price, it’s getting more unusual to see them used, enjoyed, and street parked. This one was sitting in downtown Monterey, looking like something you’d see in the background of your favorite episode of “The Rockford Files.” The paint on this one appeared to be original, and the slotted mag wheels were probably added by the original selling dealer to add a little more profit to the Z-car’s ultra-reasonable $3,500 original MSRP.

1952 Hudson Hornet

What is it? Hudson built some of the most interesting cars of the early 1950s. Their step-down chassis gave them a lower center of gravity than competing American cars, they handled better, and thus dominated NASCAR.

Why do I love it? This example appears to be a vintage California custom—the roof has been mildly chopped and it’s riding on what looks like a set of early 1970s vintage Pontiac Rallye II wheels. The two-tone paint looked like it last had a shine during the Nixon administration, and I wouldn’t change a thing.

1971 Alfa Romeo 1750 GTV

What is it? The 105-Series Alfa Romeo coupe debuted in 1966 as the Giugiaro-designed Giulia with a unique step-nose design and 1600 cubic centimeters of displacement. This facelifted car dispensed with the step-nose, and added quad round headlights and a new 1750-cc engine.

Why do I love it? These Alfa GTVs are so achingly handsome, they handle beautifully, and sound great. This one looked really special in its super-shiny Yellow Ochre paint, which is a dead-ringer for one of my favorite Porsche colors, Bahama Yellow. It was probably one of the handsomest Alfas I saw all weekend.

1975 Cadillac Eldorado

What is it? The mid-’70s Eldosaurus was probably one of the most audacious Cadillacs of the pre-downsizing era. Weighing in at an SUV-like 5,106 lbs., it took an 8.2 liter/500 cubic inch V8 to motivate it. In true Malaise Era fashion, said engine produced only 190 hp. Oh, and it was front-wheel-drive.

Why do I love it? Two words—steer horns.

2001 BMW Z3 3.0 Coupe

What is it? The original Z3 was a lovely little roadster. Like other open BMWs of the time, it suffered from its share of cowl-shake. The addition of a breadvan-like fixed roof to the Z3 solved the structural rigidity issue, and added a bit of practicality to the mix.

Why do I love it? These are super quirky cars, and perhaps second only to the BMW 2002 in terms of having a genuine cult following. They’re affectionately referred to as “clown shoes.” BMW sold very few of them in comparison to the roadsters, so they’ve always been rare sights, and this one, parked on the grass at PCA’s Werks Reunion, looked absolutely gorgeous in spite of its indicated 200,000 plus miles.

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Monterey has always been the bellwether event setting the tone for the collector car market, particularly for top-tier cars as the market closes the year. Compared to 2022’s record-setting sales, this year has been down, but that’s all relative. We still witnessed the second-best Monterey auction tally of all time. And while many sales were a bit more restrained than last year, there were still plenty that caught our attention.

Sifting through the outliers (cars with exceptional provenance or ultra rare specifications), quite a few sales bent our Price Guide-based predictions, and they did so in one of two ways. First, there are the breakers—cars that broke our Price Guide with sales that soared past our condition-appropriate values but aren’t necessarily indicators that the market has changed. Breakouts, on the other hand, are the sales that eclipsed our Price Guide and we believe set a new market level (i.e., are repeatable).

Breaker: 1964 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso

Sold for $2,810,000 Broad Arrow

#1 condition (Concours) $1,850,000

Ferrari’s bigger and more luxurious version of the 250 GT, the “Lusso,” literally translates to “Luxury.” Often overshadowed by other prancing horses carrying the 250 moniker, the Lusso is significant in its own right for helping add upscale cred to Ferrari’s sporting status. Despite its size and available equipment, the 250 Lusso kept its two-seat layout, leaving 2+2 duty to the 250 GTE.

$2.8 million is a strong result for this 250 Lusso. Then again, this car had a lot going for it: a skilled restoration, a one-of-one color combination of Grigio Fumo over a blue interior, and a long-term ownership of 20 years. With all the boxes checked, the car created a perfect storm worthy of a substantial bid. Objectively speaking, this sale doesn’t mean that all 250 Lussos have jumped $1 million over #1 (Concours) value, but it does show that the best cars can still command top dollar. Despite this and some other healthy sales of ’60s Ferraris at Monterey, this result is more an indication of the segment’s longevity rather than a signal of a bullish trend.

Breaker: 1969 Datsun 240Z

Sold for $132,000 Mecum

#1 condition (Concours) $79,600

Datsun’s once-affordable sports car is a hot commodity among collector car enthusiasts. And for good reason: These cars offered a nimble and sporty alternative to the Corvette when new, and they grew quite popular over the 240Z’s total production run. The 240Z has led the charge among Japanese classics, becoming one of the earliest of the mainstream collector cars from the Japanese segment to crack the $100,000 barrier with a handful of exceptional examples in recent years.

Speaking of exceptional cars, Mecum offered this one alongside a number of other Z-cars. As one of just 538 cars produced in 1969 for the 1970 model year, it’s among the earliest production examples available. Coupled with an eight-year restoration, this car really brought home the bacon in what has been a softening market for early Zs. Remember, one significant sale doesn’t set a market, and a few of the other Zs Mecum offered fell short of their marks. For now, this one is in the breaker column, but we will keep an eye out to see if the 240Z market is back on the upswing.

Breakout: 2012 Lexus LFA

Sold for $1,105,000 RM Sotheby’s

#1 condition (Concours) $988,000

Lexus’ engineering tour de force was a difficult sell when new, but it’s now become a collector car darling. It’s easy to see why—the LFA was obsessively, exhaustively designed. From every minute detail of the body to an engine so well balanced it could rev from idle to 9000 rpm in 0.6 seconds, it represented (and arguably still does) Toyota’s ultimate vision of a modern supercar. No wonder enthusiasts have come around to them in a big way.

While LFAs equipped with the far less common Nürburgring package are solid seven-figure collector cars, standard LFAs had only flirted with the $1 million mark until Monterey. RM Sotheby’s offered what can only be described as a new, in-wrapper car. You’re not going to find a closer-to-new LFA than this. While on its face that might suggest this car’s sale is a one-off, given how long the model has been approaching seven figures, this was simply the right car to cross the threshold. Now that that’s happened, don’t be surprised if other exceptional examples start to sell in this range.

Breakout: 1972 Alfa Romeo Montreal

Sold for $168,000 Gooding & Company

#1 condition (Concours) $149,000

The Montreal is arguably one of the most handsome cars to come out of Italy in the 1970s, full stop. This GT coupe was blessed with a beautiful Bertone body and a 2.5-liter V-8 engine derived from the Tipo 33 Stradale’s powerplant. The Montreal went and sounded as good as it looked. In fact, if the Italians built a car to emulate the American muscle car, this would have to be it.

Following a weak showing for the model toward the beginning of the year, this sale of what we rated as a #2 (Excellent) condition car surprised us by surpassing our estimates for a #1 (Concours) quality example by $19,000. While not a huge amount, given how infrequently these come up for sale, a strong amount is more influential to the Montreal market than would be the case with a more common car and points to a likely turnaround for Montreal values.

Breakout: 1973 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS

Sold for $775,000 RM Sotheby’s

#1 condition (Concours) $715,000

Yet another car that’s been on a tear lately, the Ferrari Dino is certainly a car that went from snubbed to beloved, and in relatively short order. Few will now deny it as a mainstream Ferrari collectible. In fact, we called it out as a car to watch in our 2022 Bull Market List.

With this sale, it appears that the Dino trajectory still has room to grow. This very nice driver-quality car with the popular “chairs and flares” option blew way past condition-appropriate value, fetching a staggering $775,000. We’ve said it before, but these cars are now reliably more expensive than the ’70s flagship Ferrari Daytona. If Monterey has proven anything to us, it is that the classic Ferrari market is still thriving despite continued proof that the collector car market is softening.

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Welcome to Original Owner, a series showcasing—you guessed it—people who bought a classic car new and still own it. The cars don’t need to be factory-original, just still in the hands of the first owner and still getting driven. —Ed.

Twenty-three-year-old George Carter loved driving his 1971 Fiat 124 Spider. He relished its rev-happy four-cylinder engine, five-speed stick, and dashing Pininfarina design. He’d bought it new but soon fell for a something else that had been tempting him since arriving in early 1970: the Datsun 240Z.

The Z became the sensation of the sports car world, beloved for its powerful inline-six engine, fastback coupe body, and well-finished interior. All of that came with an irresistibly reasonable price—about $3600, or $27,000 today—that sent sales zooming.

Carter’s Fiat still had that new-car smell when he negotiated a trade-in for a 1973 240Z from Morris Motors in Charleston, South Carolina. It was December 1972, and even three years after the 240Z debuted, Carter faced a six-month wait for delivery.

He didn’t mind the delay, though, as he had plans to be out of the country for a few months. Or rather, the U.S. Navy had plans for him. Carter was serving as a Sonar Technician First Class aboard the USS Blakely (DE 1072), a newly commissioned destroyer home-ported in Charleston, some 1300 miles from Carter’s home near St. Paul, Minnesota. The Blakely was scheduled to sail for Vietnam in late fall for its first tour in a combat zone.

The ship left Charleston for the western Pacific on December 1, 1972, and a final leg from the Philippines to Vietnam began on January 7, 1973. A blessing for all aboard, there would be no combat. Peace talks resumed during their voyage and on January 27, the United States and North Vietnam signed the Paris Peace Accords to end the war.

The Blakely was back in Charleston in late March, and Carter took delivery of his 240Z in May. One of his several cross-country trips while on leave was to visit home in Minnesota.

The car served as his daily for many years as well as a weekend autocrosser. Today, following an extensive freshening, it’s strictly a pleasure driver. Notably, Carter’s ’73 240Z was one of the rare ones to leave the dealership with a five-speed manual transmission. Wait a second, didn’t the five-speed debut with the 1975–1978 280Z? Well, some got it a bit earlier.

Datsun 240Z: Factory basics

Few cars have reshaped a well established market as spectacularly as the Datsun 240Z did with sports cars 54 years ago. Datsun had been part of that establishment with its two-seat roadster, called Fairlady in Japan and simply “Sports” in America, since 1963. The Sports 1600 and Sports 2000 ended in 1970, the latter powered by a 135-hp 2.0-liter OHC four.

Big change was afoot. Nissan took a sharp turn away from the roadster with a Jaguar E-Type-inspired GT coupe. Yutaka Katayama, president of Nissan America and affectionally known to Nissan buffs as “Mr. K”, had suggested that such a car would have wider appeal than a roadster. Toyota’s ultra-limited-production 1967 2000 GT was the right idea but at the wrong price, so Nissan designer Yoshihiko Matsuo took up the challenge to develop a similar kind of mass-produced car.

The coupe that emerged (model code S30) was called Fairlady Z in Japan, getting its 240Z name in the U.S., its primary target market, from an iron-block, aluminum-head 2.4-liter SOHC inline-six-cylinder engine. The modern six gave 151 hp at 5600 rpm and 146 lb-ft of torque at 4400 rpm (about 135 net hp.) By comparison, the Triumph TR6 roadster mustered 104 hp from its 2.5-liter OHV six, and Triumph’s Spitfire-based GT6 coupe had a 95-hp 2.0-liter inline-six.

Everything else in the price neighborhood had a four-cylinder engine, and no car in the category could touch the 240Z’s performance. In its June 1970 road test, Car and Driver recorded 0-60 in 7.8 seconds (two seconds quicker than the TR6) and the quarter mile in 16.1 sec. at 87 mph. Road & Track’s numbers, while not quite as quick, were still better than other cars in the price class.

The 240Z carried speed through the curves, too, thanks to four-wheel independent suspension via MacPherson struts in front and Chapman struts out back, as well as rack-and-pinion steering. Two weak points were its choppy ride and diminished braking performance amid road spray in the rain.

Screaming bargain (and race winner)

That $3526 list price (about $150 more than the TR6) made the 240Z an alluring deal, even if dealers padded the price in response to high demand. Also new to the market, Porsche’s 914, at $3600, offered a mere 80 hp from its air-cooled Volkswagen four-cylinder engine.

Like the Datsun Sports 2000 before it, the 240Z became a racing champ. With factory backing, Brock Racing Enterprises, founded by designer and racer Pete Brock, clinched SCCA C-Production National Championships in 1970 and 1971. Connecticut-based Bob Sharp repeated the feat for 1972-73. Farther afield, a 240Z won the grueling East African Safari rally in 1973.

As it had for many British sports cars, the U.S. became the biggest market for the 240Z, taking 90 percent of the approximately 165,000 built through 1973. Canada took 11,200 (7 percent).

To keep up with more stringent emissions regulations, an engine displacement bump to 2.6 liters turned the 240Z into the 260Z for 1974. The final S30, the 1975-1978 280Z, did a better job balancing performance and emissions with a fuel-injected 2.8-liter version and an available five-speed. By the end of the S30’s run, about 520,000 had been built, most sold in the U.S.

George Carter’s car

Many 240Z owners saw their new sports car as a perfect canvas for Day Two modifications for improved performance and handling, and Datsun dealers and the aftermarket eagerly obliged with plenty of add-on parts. Carter ordered several genuine Datsun upgrades through the dealer including, yes, a five-speed manual transmission to replace the Z’s four-speed. Here’s how he got it:

“I was all about sports cars back then,” Carter tells Hagerty, adding that he planned to autocross the car. “An article I read in Road & Track recommended adding heavy-duty front and rear anti-roll bars, headers, and the five-speed. The only way to get that transmission was to order it through what was then called the Datsun Competition Department.”

Carter ordered all those items, plus the slotted “mag” wheels. All appear on his original bill of sale. He later added the BRE-style front spoiler.

“A lot of people retrofit a five-speed from the later 280Z or ZX, but I was able to order this in 1973. It turned out to be an ultra-rare transmission. Very few 240Zs have this.”

Carter’s total purchase price came to $5141.75. “That was a lot back then. I remember being chided about paying over $5000 for a car,” he recalls. List price for the car $4235. The five-speed was $400; mag wheels were $200; headers were $200; and the anti-roll bars cost $100. Those were the installed prices.

His initial color choice had been Silver Metallic, but he became smitten with Green Metallic when he spotted a Z in that hue in the dealer’s service area just before ordering his car. “The earlier green was more of a British racing green, but in 1972 they changed it to this. That’s what they had 1973.”

The Datsun dealer gave Carter $1850 for his ’71 Fiat Spider, half what he paid new. He added $2000 cash to the transaction, leaving a loan balance of $1291.75.

Carter recalls one sour note on delivery.

“The Road & Track article claimed that Datsun Competition Parts installed by the dealer would be covered under the new-car warranty, but that turned out not to be the case,” he says. “I recall them telling me something to the effect that ‘Road & Track magazine does not set Datsun warranty terms.’ They even gave me a piece of their letterhead containing that wording, along with a large red sticker centered on it that said, ‘No Warranty.’ The sticker had been attached to the transmission when received from Datsun. I have unfortunately lost that piece of paper over the years.”

Life with the Z

Carter knew the 240Z was rust-prone and would be especially vulnerable in Minnesota winters. When he moved back from Charleston in 1974, he had the car under-coated with rustproofing.

“It didn’t stop all the rust, but there wasn’t much to repair before the car was repainted in the Eighties,” he says.

After two years of driving, Carter decided to store the car over winters. When he bought a Camaro in 1995 and then, later, a Corvette, those cars took up his garage, and the Z spent more time in storage elsewhere. As it turned 25 years old, Carter’s Z got its own two-page feature in Nissan USA’s service news magazine, Tech Talk, thanks to his brother, who was the editor.

“The last time it was in storage for over 10 years,” he says. “I took it out about five years ago and revived it—gave it new brakes, clutch, struts, ball joints, anti-roll bar links, fuel pump, and tires and replaced all the rubber components.”

This past winter, Carter treated his classic Z to new upholstery and carpeting.

“The seats were the only things inside that really showed wear. My dash is original. They usually cracked in sunnier climates. Mine didn’t sit outside, and it has one tiny little crack.”

The car currently stays in Carter’s home garage, while his and his wife’s daily drivers are parked outside.

George’s 240Z memories:

Hagerty: How much did you drive the Z when you got it?

GC: All the time. It was my daily driver. And of course, being on a ship at the time, I just needed that outlet, to get out by myself. I drove it cross-country several times. I visited my parents in Minnesota. And I also drove it from Minnesota out to Rapid City, South Dakota. I put a lot of miles on it when it was new.

Hagerty: Was it reliable?

GC: I never had any real trouble with it, but the ’73s had all that smog stuff, and they used a different carburetor than the ’70-’72. Especially being in a hot climate, like Charleston, they had vapor lock problems. You’d take it to the dealer, and they’d install some kit that was supposed to fix the problem. But none of their fixes ever worked well. They even had a hood scoop available if all else failed. It kind of followed the contours of the center hood bulge, with openings on the side. It wasn’t that obtrusive, but I didn’t want it.

Hagerty: Did anything finally work?

GC: The only real fix was to retrofit ’72 carburetors, which I did when I got out of the Navy in 1974 and was back in the Twin Cities. I advertised in the local paper that I was looking for 1972 carburetors. A guy contacted me immediately. He had a set because he was putting triple Webers on his Z. I bought them, and they’ve been on ever since. The ’72 carburetors have a different look. They’re a copy of the British SU carburetor, built by Hitachi. They’re known as ‘round tops,’ while the ’73 240Z and the ’74 260Z used ‘flat tops.’

Hagerty: How was the five-speed on the street?

GC: It worked fine. But it had a higher first gear than the four-speed, which made it a little more challenging pulling away from a stop.

Hagerty: Was the repaint the original color?

GC: No, it’s a similar Corvette color called Elkhart Green used in 1972 and 1973. A friend painted the car. We stripped the car down to bare metal. My friend sprayed on lacquer paint, and then we hand-rubbed it. It has stood up well after 40 years.

Hagerty: What are your best memories with the 240Z?

GC: I would say some of my cross-country trips were really enjoyable. I autocrossed it quite a bit in my younger days, and that was always a lot of fun.

Hagerty: Does the Z still get attention after 50 years?

GC: Occasionally I’ll have somebody honking their horn or giving a thumbs-up. But not everybody knows what it is. Here in the Midwest, they weren’t nearly as common as they were on the coasts. My next-door neighbor asked, ‘What is it?’ He was just young enough that he’d never seen one before.

Hagerty: Was there a point that you thought you’d be keeping this car forever?

GC: Yes, when it was new! As the years went on, there were times I thought, I’m not using that car, I should just sell it. My wife doesn’t want me to sell it, though. She always says, ‘You’ve brought it this far.’ My Camaro and Corvette are gone, but I still have the Z.

__

Car: 1973 Datsun 240Z

Owner: George Carter

Home: St. Paul, Minnesota

Delivery date: May, 1973

Miles on car: ~70,000

***

Are you the original owner of a classic car or do you know someone who is? Send us a photo and a bit of background at editor@hagerty.com — you might get featured in our next installment!

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Leveraging assets is a valuable business concept, one that our society has used to great effect. Automakers are no exception, as the Dodge Brothers helped Henry Ford get a foothold in automobile production in 1903. More recently, Malaise Era marketing departments looked past a future of low horsepower and lower emissions to leverage Pierre Cardin‘s name for the 1972 AMC Javelin. The concept lives on today, embodied best by King Ranch branded trucks and Burmester audio systems in Benzes. How did a plucky upstart Japanese automaker cut its teeth on the leveraging game?

Perhaps the story goes all the way back to 1958, and to two guys, each named Raymond. This was the year Ray Lemke founded the first U.S. Datsun dealership, in San Diego, California. The brand started its upward trajectory with 83 Datsuns sold that year. 1958 was also the same year that Raymond T. Moloney, the pinball-game magnate behind Bally Manufacturing, passed away and left his company twisting in the wind. Both moments in 1958 altered the trajectory of the Raymonds’ respective businesses, and the 1970s brought them together.

We all know the vehicle that put Datsun on the map in the early 1970s, but did you know that Bally created one of the first video games in 1973? Called Winner, it was sadly a rip off of Atari’s Pong. (Apparently, copyright enforcement was as lax then as the rules about republishing content on social media are now.) We may never know what serendipitous moment brought these two innovative companies together, but I reckon it has something to do with the early days of Datsun’s strong retail foothold in California, where Silicon Valley has its roots.

Maybe the key player(s) drank at a bar where the ever-present Pong cabinet was available. Remember, Datsun was not the generously funded heavyweight that General Motors was, and a marketing executive on a shoestring budget is most likely to come up with unique promotions after a few courage-inducing alcoholic beverages. Forget Mad Men and three-martini lunches; think sports car and computer game.

The end result of the Bally Manufacturing/Datsun partnership was the first video game with authorized branding. Originally sold as Midnight Racer, it was released in 1976 as Datsun 280 ZZZAP by Midway Manufacturing (a Bally subsidiary). The Datsun connection naturally merited a re-imaging of the cabinetry and minor code changes to the software. No matter the name, an arcade game that utilized a reflected projection, a black light, a throttle pedal, a gear shifter, and a genuine steering wheel must have wowed gamers in the mid-1970s.

Wikipedia states the game was “named after the U.S. advertising campaign for Nissan’s Datsun 280Z,” which suggests the partnership was rather lopsided. The fledging American tech company seemingly received zero recognition from the Japanese automaker, probably because video games in the mid-1970s lacked the requisite prestige to market an automobile. Conversely, Bally leveraged the partnership by catering to buyers of expensive pinball machines. Given Datsun 280 ZZZAP’s mechanical complexity relative to Pong, this was likely a four-figure business expenditure, making the cabinet out of the question for most retail buyers.

Datsun 280 ZZZAP was not helped by the fact that establishments with gaming cabinets were usually bars and taverns. Video games used to be for adults men of a certain status, and that limitation is one reason why the founder of Atari eventually created kid-friendly pizza joints with video games.

Sadly, the brilliant pairing of pizza and software-laden games lacked nationwide acceptance until after Datsun’s Z-car transitioned into the bigger, bolder 280 ZX. Life as a budding car enthusiast was much harder before PlayStation consoles and Gran Turismo games. Too bad Datsun 280 ZZZAP was more of a flash in the pan, compared to Pac-Man and the gaming frenzy it generated.

But Datsun 280 ZZZAP did not fail for Bally’s lack of trying; the software itself lived outside of bars and arcades thanks to the star-crossed Bally Home Library Computer. The Datsun 280 ZZZAP cartridge came with a companion game called Dodgem, which had nothing to do with Chryslers, and I’ve played both. Let me tell you, it doesn’t hold a candle to the arcade machine. The car-like interfaces, hood projection, throttle pedal, and stand-up cabinet can’t be replicated in one’s living room. Much like many games of the era, Datsun 280 ZZZAP only provided a pure experience in a proper video arcade, requiring a trip to a not-so-kid-friendly establishment.

Perhaps it’s fair to say that Datsun 280 ZZZAP was born before its time. The underlying message of “let’s grab a drink and drive a Datsun 280Z!” is not a good marketing tool, even in the politically incorrect 1970s. So Datsun likely created a “special decor package” to use the ZZZAP nomenclature while avoiding the baggage of its gaming heritage. Murky origin-story notwithstanding, Z-car historians refer to this model as the “ZZZap-Z,” and it is easily spotted by its Bright Sunburst Yellow paint, black stripes with yellow/orange/red gradient chevrons, racing mirrors, and rear window louvers. ZZZap-Z’s were only made in 1977. Production numbers are a bit uncertain; they range from one per Datsun dealership to a more palatable total of 1000 units, as proclaimed on the windscreen of one such example.

This specific ZZZap-Z is to be auctioned at Mecum’s Monterey auction in August. (We previously reported it sold for $42,900 back in 2021.) Aside from fewer vinyl letters on the windshield, very little appears about it to have changed in the last two years. Which is a good thing, as our own Andrew Newton noted that its “clean, mostly original interior” presented well in 2021. Though it showed signs of being repainted, it was “mostly restored underneath.”

A driver-quality 280Z it not the bellwether that this museum-worthy 240Z was three years ago, but a decor package worthy of expert-level automotive trivia at local car shows is not without merit. And this ZZZap-Z’s interior looks like a great place to spend time: The period-correct Pioneer radio looks ready to provide some Steely Dan sounds on the way to one of the many reinvigorated video arcades popping up around the country. The dash, seats, and cargo area present very well, while the factory-fitted air conditioning presumably keeps you cool after being heckled by a Gorf arcade machine. “Some galactic defender you are,” and now we hope you have enough quarters for gas money!

The ZZZap-Z is so great because it harkens back to a simpler time, both in motoring and gaming history. Even better, Datsun’s leveraging of Bally Manufacturing made waves, as Gran Tourismo and Nissan go hand in hand in our collective consciousness: Witness the work Polyphony Digital (makers of Gran Turismo) applied to the user interface of the modern (R35) Nissan GT-R. These days, games and automobiles go together like peanut butter and jelly, and the ZZZap-Z plays a small role in the success of the pairing. Or perhaps games and automobiles are like pizza and video arcades, and the Datsun Z is the driving force?

***

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The post <em>ZZZAP!</em> In 1976, Datsun made the first car-themed video game appeared first on Hagerty Media.

The Japanese car market is hands down the most interesting part of the collector car world at the moment. As an emerging segment, it’s more unpredictable, the rules are more fluid, and it skews far younger than the rest of the collector car market. All of this makes perfect sense given the fact that we’re talking about cars which as little as ten years ago weren’t on the radar of most traditional (read: older) collectors. But the people who grew up playing Gran Turismo and devouring the latest installment of the Fast & Furious franchise knew better, and taught the rest of the market a thing or two about what’s cool.

I’m hesitant to refer to it as the Japanese car market since that makes it sound far more monolithic than it actually is. In reality, it’s extremely diffuse, and a bit confusing, particularly for outsiders looking in. And frankly, although I’ve owned every flavor of early Z-car, I still fall into that category. Nevertheless, I can parse the market into some distinct categories and share some current trends.

Japanese Royalty

The established royalty of the Japanese car world consists of cars like the Toyota 2000GT, Mazda Cosmo, the Nissan Fairlady Z432, and early Skyline 2000 GT-Rs. The highest-spec, post-1970s Skylines, the Zanardi Edition Acura NSX, and the best of the MK IV Supra Twin Turbos, Subaru/Prodrive WRXs, and the Acura Integra Type R are probably destined for this group as well.

The 1960s and 1970s cars in this category represent the most stable part of the market. That makes sense, since these were the first cars to really take off and they’ve had ample time to find their buyers and evangelists. The established royalty seem fully priced at the moment, while the ’90s and newer cars seem to have no immediate ceiling, at least in the case of low-mileage, unmodified cars. Because of the demographic they appeal to, their best days are clearly in front of them.

U.S. Market Blue-Chippers

After the royalty, the bluest of the blue chip Japanese cars that were commercially available in the U.S. when new consist of the following: 1967 Datsun 2000 Fairlady Roadster, the Honda S600/800, the Datsun 240Z, the Z32 generation Nissan 300ZX Turbo, the Honda S2000 Club Racer, The third-generation (FD) Mazda RX-7, the second-generation (GD/GG) Subaru WRX, and the first-generation Acura NSX. R-Package NA Miatas should probably be thought of as near blue-chippers at this point, too. Though the Datsun/Nissan Z cars have seen values slip recently, most of the above are still at least modestly on the uptick, and all still have a significant upside.

The only impediment to collecting and enjoying these cars is parts support, which tends to lag behind other imported collectible cars, particularly those from BMW and Porsche.  Bargains are few and far between among the blue-chippers, but you don’t have to move that far down market to find some nearly equally interesting cars.  Either generation of Nissan 240SX (assuming you can find an unmodified one), and first-generation RX-7s seem like good deals. The RX-7 really was the spiritual successor to the 240/260/280Z and the price delta between the two cars just seems too wide at this point. Chalk it off to the usual rotary scare stories that seem effective in frightening people off.

Freakishly Low Mileage Examples of “Disposable” Cars

Most Japanese cars of the 1960s through the 1990s were simply low-cost (albeit high-quality) transportation and they were used as such, often racking up lunar miles in the process of being driven into the ground. While mechanically nearly bulletproof, cars that found homes outside of the West Coast usually saw their sheet metal dissolve after a few harsh, salty winters. Thus, the survival rate of once-numerous, fairly ordinary cars like first-generation Civics, Corollas and Accords is miniscule. Those that have survived tend to be street-parked, 300,000-mile-plus Los Angeles cars that evaded cash for clunkers and are still somehow able to pass smog.

With that, it’s no surprise that clean, low-mileage examples can bring eye-popping money via online auctions.  Need proof? A minty 32,000-mile California 1979 Honda Civic CVCC (with a two-speed automatic no less) sold on Bring a Trailer last year for $36,225 after fees. Simply have to have the best early Corolla out there?  A ’74 SR-5 Coupe with 29,000 miles drove bidders crazy recently on the same online auction site. This one was a five-speed manual, and predictably, also from Southern California. It made $37,275 after fees. Sales of low-mileage freaks are great fun to watch—who doesn’t like time-capsule early Japanese cars? In these kinds of sales, there’s just no telling whether a given car will set a record or fly under the radar. Cars sell for what they sell for, and each one represents a very limited opportunity—as many observers have noted, there may well be more Ferrari 250 GTOs extant than concours-condition early Civics.

Recently-Legal JDM

The car that’s captured the spotlight over the last couple years as the Japanese domestic market car to have is the Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R. The Nürburgring-bred R34 pushed the era’s boundaries for tech and performance, with some variants capable of sub-eight-minute Nordschleife times. American fans of the R34, and there are many, have been drooling over the few Show or Display cars that have made it here, and are counting the days until the 25-year rule kicks in.

The entry point for a Show or Display R34 GT-R, landed in the States with appropriate papers and customs clearances, starts around $200,000. While some speculate prices may come down as supply increases with more model years becoming legal, I wouldn’t count on it. This car is enjoying more than just a moment in the sun—it’s an icon that is now getting its due. I’m not sure the private import pipeline has the bandwidth to satisfy the truly voracious demand any time soon any more than the other side of the globe can satisfy Americans’ love for vintage left-hand-drive Land Rover Defenders.

It’s not just the GT-R dominating Japanese import headlines. The Mitsubishi Pajero Evo, a homologation sport utility special famous for Dakar Rally dominance, has recently reached 25 years of age and is making a splash in the U.S. market. The Pajero ticks a lot of boxes: it’s relatively rare at around 2500 units produced, its proportions, air scoops, and aero ooze personality, and sport utilities are now firmly a fixture in the collector world. We’ve noted three recent online auction sales of clean Pajeros for around $50,000, and we fully expect interest, and prices, to continue to grow.

***

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Via Insider

The post Dissecting the thriving Japanese collector car segment appeared first on Hagerty Media.

(The following email conversation to pistonslap@hagerty.com has been gently edited for clarity and length. If you like what you see, you should also email me because I’m starting to run low on questions! – SM) 

Dave writes:

Hi, I own a ’76 Datsun 280 Z I bought new and it is still stock. I didn’t drive it for a few years and to my surprise started right up. However, after a few weeks of driving it starts to bog and hesitate around 2000 rpm ONLY after it warms up. It runs great cold.

When it starts to bog the fuel pressure drops and jitters between 20 & 25 psi instead of the factory 36 psi. It seems like when the engine warms up the fuel pump may not be receiving the full 12 volts of DC current, hence the lower and jittering fuel pump pressure. I’m thinking it might be the fuel pump voltage relay or maybe a leaking fuel injector.

I cleaned all fuel lines, replaced the fuel filter 3X and replaced the fuel pump with 2 different new ones, and replaced the sensors in the thermostat housing. I also replaced the fuel pressure regulator, drained the fuel tank (the fuel coming out was clear), and filled it with ethanol-free premium. I also replaced the spark plugs (old ones looked fine) and plug wires. Any thoughts?

Sajeev replies:

Thanks Dave, you’ve done a great job assessing the situation. I have concerns that either the battery or the alternator aren’t doing their jobs anymore. Or maybe the fuel pump wiring has gone bad, and likely needs to be re-wired (preferably with a relay and a fresh power wire directly from the battery). Can you tell me about the condition of your alternator, the age of your battery, and how your fuel pump was wired?

Dave replies:

The battery and alternator are both new and the voltage across the battery is around 13.6 volts of DC current when the engine is idling at start-up and at operating temperature.

There is a relay for the fuel pump. It doesn’t seem like the fuel pump relay is bad because it runs perfectly for the first few minutes after start-up. My question is why the fuel pump delivers 36 psi when cold but only 20 psi when warm? (Factory specs for the fuel pressure is 36 psi.)

Sajeev replies:

Yes, the relay suggests that heat/resistance as the car warms up wouldn’t be an issue. But any vehicle this old can have bad wiring, so the problem you’re experiencing could be from a voltage drop. Have a look at this:

Dave replies:

Hi Sajeev, for the fuel pump voltage I was thinking of just hooking a DC voltmeter to the pump terminals in the back of the car. I would note the difference in voltage (if any) when the engine was cold and then hot while bogging. Let me know what you think about this.

Sajeev concludes:

I think your cold and hot voltage testing at the fuel pump is a great idea; it’s easier than what I suggested and accomplishes the same result.

But I fear I didn’t consider other potential problems. Like vapor lock, which includes several items to check, including the (slim?) possibility that a clogged EVAP system is a source of the problem. Considering the age of the vehicle (and the emissions-reducing technology available in the Malaise Era!) maybe it’s the EVAP system, not the voltage to the pump.

Apparently, your EVAP canister has a filter (above) that could be clogged. And having a clogged filter means there’s a (slim?) chance that fuel system performance deteriorates as the system heats up. No matter, you should test the aforementioned voltage and then see what you can do to resolve vapor lock. What say you, Hagerty Community?

Have a question you’d like answered on Piston Slap? Send your queries to pistonslap@hagerty.com—give us as much detail as possible so we can help! Keep in mind this is a weekly column, so if you need an expedited answer, please tell me in your email.

***

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Does ambition make us who we are? Is it possible to see yourself as others do?

Two months ago, Hagerty launched a podcast miniseries called Driven to Fail. The show is about what happens when things go wrong—what we do when life falls apart, and what we learn while trying to put it back together. Each installment is an hour, give or take, a candid conversation with a single guest.

I’m Sam Smith, the host. You can read more about the show here.

For seven weeks, we’ve released one new Driven to Fail episode each Tuesday. Today brings our eighth and final episode. To close out an intensely personal show, we’ve gone a bit more personal than usual: Our guest was one of my childhood heroes.

Episode 8 begins streaming today. Our guest is John Morton—a Datsun driver, a former floor-sweeper for Carroll Shelby, a large part of why Japanese cars came to matter in America, and the beloved face of a spunky little cult.

Full disclosure: He’s also on a poster on my office wall.

In the early 1990s, in middle school, I discovered a book called The Stainless Steel Carrot. Its pages tell the true story of an introspective and occasionally scared young man once loved by thousands, a 1970s hero whose actions helped kick off a national obsession with Japanese performance cars, and who now lives a quiet life in retirement in Southern California.

John Morton got his start pushing a broom for the legendary Carroll Shelby, but he always wanted to reach the top—open-wheel, Indy cars, possibly even Formula 1. In the 1960s, he dropped out of Clemson University to drive across the country and attend Shelby’s racing school in Los Angeles. Shortly after, with only a sliver of racing experience, he talked his way into sharing a factory big-block Cobra at Sebring, a last-minute seat in a car he’d never tried, at a track he’d never driven, co-driving with the one and only Ken Miles. 

Morton spun almost immediately, but it was dark, and it was 1964, and so no one noticed, and so he didn’t get chewed out. The nearly four decades of professional race driving that followed produced that revealing book, by Sylvia Wilkinson, a chronicle of ambition and the intelligent frustration of careful men. The span also gave Morton multiple SCCA titles, some time in Indy cars, seat time in Porsche 962s and Group 44 Jaguars, and wins at Le Mans and Sebring. 

One day, however, stands above the rest, ostensibly less glamorous but far more spectacular for those who know. In the fall of 1971, in a Datsun 510, in one of the greatest racing series that ever was, Morton won one of the most spectacular and vibrant road races this country has ever seen.

People remember him for that day—for his bare-knuckled, slide-filled, contact-laden battle with Horst Kwech’s Alfa Romeo, and for the never-say-die vibe it all seemed to represent.

We do not get to choose how our work is seen by others, and a goal can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, it’s hard to get anywhere if you don’t know where you want to go. On the other hand, it’s entirely possible to have a successful life without landing the one thing you’ve wanted forever. 

Does missing that kind of goal make you a failure? Of course not. But it can change how you see what you did accomplish. 

***

As we close out the show’s first season, I want to briefly discuss the why here. This world has a lot of podcasts. Most are loosely formatted chat shows or self-promotional drivel. I built this show because I wanted to make a point.

I wanted to talk about the subjects we tend to keep off the table. The hard choices we are forced to make in the wake of misfortune or a bad day or month or year, and the way in which those choices change us.

So much of our social approach to getting better can be summed up by the old marketing phrase “hide the hardship.” We tend to view the sharing of our stumbles as weakness, as if any of us goes through life without having to learn from mistakes or bad luck. As if our entire species is just this orderly progression of a few billion champions, stars who win every day and know everything from birth.

What bunk.

Honesty wins. We either share something real without care for how it makes us look, or we are each just another ad.

***

Driven to Fail was my idea, but I’m not, as my namesake sang, the only one. This production could not have happened without the hard work and trust of others.

To our guests: Thank you for taking a chance on an unproven idea, and for sharing the deeply personal without an ounce of hesitation or reservation. Your candor wasn’t just revealing—it was uplifting and wonderful, and it literally made the show.

To Mike Perlman, our much-missed former producer: You believed in this idea and in me, and you never hesitated to speak up if you thought I was wrong. No creative endeavor goes anywhere without those qualities; your bright and tireless approach was simply icing on the cake. If that weren’t enough, you own a BMW 2002. Perlmensch forever.

To Matt Tuccillo, Hagerty’s video and podcast director: I ring the applause gif for you.

To Jason Vines: For gifting to my lexicon the phrase, “Just tell the f***ing truth already.” It will never leave. 

To the management heads—LW, JB, EW, and PR—without whose patience and faith this project would not exist.

Finally, I’d like to thank all of our listeners. Your response has been overwhelming and overwhelmingly positive. You took a chance on me, and on a show with a funny name, and you chimed in to let me know what you thought. 

Thank you for everything. It’s been a pleasure.

***

Where to find us

Driven to Fail can be downloaded or streamed wherever you get your podcasts. This link will take you to the show’s Apple page. Its home on Spotify is here.

If faces are more your thing, a video of each episode lives on the Driven to Fail YouTube channel.

If you try our show and like it, please tell your friends. Even better, share a link or leave a positive review. A warm response will help make a second season happen, so hearing from you matters.

Barring all that, drop a line directly: spsmith@hagerty.com. Whether it’s on my byline here, my work for Hagerty’s video channel, or this podcast, I always love hearing your thoughts.

Thanks for listening!

The post <em>Driven to Fail</em> Podcast Finale: The Datsun Son appeared first on Hagerty Media.

Depending on who you ask, the Datsun 280ZX was either an abomination or a delight. Purists who appreciated the original 240Z (and the similar 260Z and 280Z that followed it) were disgusted by the redesigned 280ZX that Datsun rolled out in 1978. The Z they loved was tiny and quick. This new ZX was larger, heavier, softer, and lacked the performance of previous iterations.

But did those attributes make it a bad car? Hardly.

While it retained its predecessor’s L28 inline-six engine of its predecessor and some of the Z’s visual characteristics, like those scalloped headlight tunnels, the ZX brought a slew of changes that made it more of a grand tourer. The 280Z offered more aerodynamic styling, which resulted in better fuel economy and high-speed stability, plus better-integrated safety bumpers, T-tops, two-tone paint, a softer suspension, improved sound insulation, and a larger (21-gallon) fuel tank, as well as a luxurious interior with more comfortable seats, numerous power options, and a high-quality stereo system.

Two trim levels were available: the no-frills, two-seat version and the highly optioned Grand Luxury (GL) package, like the 1981 model shown here, on offer via Hagerty Marketplace.

In its first year, a two-seat ’79 Datsun 280ZX could be had for $1931 (about $8K today), while the MSRP for a 2+2 was $2321 ($9618). Those incredibly low prices would not stick around long. By the end of its five-year run, a new 280ZX cost $14,799–$18,599 ($44,700–$56,178).

The ZX received mixed reviews early on, but it found a believer in Car and Driver, which in its November 1978 issue admitted that skepticism had turned to appreciation.

“When Datsun introduced its 1979 model to the press, the joke of the meeting was that these cars would be competing head-on with Buick and BMW by Christmas—not because of a massive overhaul in the Japanese company’s marketing philosophy, but rather because of the plummeting value of the dollar relative to that of the yen. Datsun would not be building Buick-style cars; it would simply be offering its weight-watcher compacts at Buick prices.

“But driving the new 280ZX coupe suggests that Nissan has been anticipating exactly this sort of repositioning in the market all along and has already dialed in the appropriate correction. The new Z-car (ZX-car?) is strongly biased toward the luxury side of life. It’s longer, lower, and wider than the old version; quieter and more vibration-free on the inside; calibrated for a mashed-potatoes ride underneath; and just itching to be dolled up with all sorts of packages and gadgets, which the option list cheerfully offers. What was once an appealingly lean sportster has been transformed into a plush boulevardier, a personal cruiser not altogether different from what you’d expect of Buick if it took up a position in the two-seater and 2+2 market.”

The 280ZX sold well, proving its designers were onto something. By 1981, the car received added performance as well, thanks to an optional, turbocharged version of its I-6 engine. Brakes and suspension were subsequently improved in 1982. The ZX was discontinued following 1983’s production run; in its five model years, nearly 332,000 examples were sold in the U.S.

That brings us to the 1981 280ZX Grand Luxury up for auction on Hagerty Marketplace.

Our Pick of the Week is offered for sale from single-family ownership with 38,352 documented miles at the time of its cataloging. Its original owner purchased the ZX from Bobo Motors Datsun in Dallas, Texas, for $15,837.70 (about $52,416 today) on May 26, 1981.

Finished in a quintessential 280ZX combination of Light Brown Metallic over a tan leather interior, the Grand Luxury model is powered by a 2.8-liter L28E engine—the E stands for electronic multiport fuel injection, provided by Bosch using the L-Jetronic system—mated to a five-speed manual transmission.

The ZX features leather seats, power windows, power door locks, power steering, dual-needle fuel gauge, air conditioning, six-way adjustable seats with lumbar support, four-wheel independent suspension, tinted T-tops with storage bags and locks, AM/FM tape deck stereo, and 14-inch Datsun Z aluminum wheels with Vredestein Sprint Classic tires.

Among the car’s known flaws, the seller notes that the headliner is beginning to sag in the area between the T-Tops and the rear cargo area, the power antenna does not function, and there some minor wear is noted on the center console armrest.

The car was recently fitted with a 50-state-legal catalytic converter to make it emissions-compliant, and it passed the State of Colorado emissions test.

In preparation for the sale, the seller removed and resealed the power-steering rack, replaced the oil-pan gasket, and installed new exhaust-manifold gaskets and new rear swaybar link in addition to a fresh oil change.

The car is offered with a clean Carfax Vehicle History Report and recent service records, as well as owners manual, two vehicle keys, and ownership history.

After relocating from Texas to Aspen, Colorado, in 1984, the original owner of this 1981 280ZX Grand Luxury—valued at $24,900 in #2 (Excellent) condition and $13,600 in #3 (Good) condition—drove it only periodically. He had the car routinely serviced at an independent shop in Snowmass, Colorado, and it was completely repainted in 1994. The ZX remained with its original owner until 2020, when he sold the vehicle to his grandson.

Admittedly, a 280ZX isn’t a 240Z … or 260Z … or 280Z. But it wasn’t meant to be. As Car and Driver told us more than four decades ago, “Its extra length and weight in no way make it less fun to drive than the two-seater. The message here is that Datsun has made a bit of a side step. The old Z has grown up to be a 2+2 sort of car—a sporting carriage rather than a hell-raiser—and it’ll haul your body around with a minimum of abuse.”

Here’s your chance to own one. The auction ends on Thursday, April 6, at 4:30 pm Eastern.

***

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The post Auction Pick of the Week: 1981 Datsun 280ZX Grand Luxury appeared first on Hagerty Media.

One of the relationships fundamental to human society is that of a parent and child. When it comes down to it, the only physical immortality we have is in our offspring, and the closest tie we have to the past is in our parents. The parent-child relationship, of course, does not end when a child reaches physical or legal adulthood. In most cases it deepens and grows. Because they have adult abilities, children who have matured into adulthood can express respect, honor, and love for a parent in ways that a minor child simply cannot.

When my son, Moshe, takes time away from his own wife and children to help me with something, that means so much more than when he gave me a hand when he was a young teenager without the responsibilities of his own family. My oldest, Sarah, is a foodie who supervises an institutional commisary, and she will gently mock some of my quickie recipes as “that’s not cooking.”  When my younger daughter, Tova, who is the activities coordinator for a large independent living facility for seniors (and asked that I mention all of her siblings in this story), sends me a link to a song or a story, she’s using an adult’s sensibilities about my interests. That’s how I found out about Ari Katz and what he calls his father’s 1978 Black Pearl Edition Datsun 280Z.

Tova sent me a link to an article in the Detroit Jewish News titled For the Love of Cars, about local enthusiasts and the vehicles they love, which the newspaper ran in connection with the 2022 North American International Auto Show. One of the car featured was the Katz family’s 280Z.

Born in 1953, Steve Katz grew up in Detroit and its suburbs, so it was sort of natural that he was a car guy. When he finished high school his parents gave him a watch box that he thought was his graduation gift. Inside was a scale model of a Capri, a sporty European coupe with styling heavily influenced by the Mustang, which Ford had recently started importing for its Lincoln-Mercury dealers. Underneath the model Capri were the keys to a fullsize, brand-new 1971 Capri, the first of three Capris that Steve would own. He was the second owner of a 1973 Capri that he bought himself in 1974, driving it as a second, winter car for a couple of years until 1976, when he replaced it with a 1976 Capri.

That was the same year that he bought his first Datsun, a 1976 280Z, again using his Capri as a winter car for almost a decade, which helped preserve the Z. He liked the Datsun so much that when Nissan announced that it would be selling a limited edition (approximately 1200 units) Black Pearl version, in a lustrous black metallic finish, exclusively for the U.S. market for the 1978 model year—apparently to test if U.S. consumers would buy a black Z car—Steve traded up and bought one at Leo Adler Datsun, in Farmington Hills, Michigan.

It came with an optional five-speed manual transmission, a dealer installed sunroof, Ziebart rustproofing, and the Black Pearl Edition’s mandatory Sports Appearance Package, which included period-identifying black rear window louvers, dual side “racing mirrors,” and rather garish silver and red pinstriping along the belt line, rocker panels, hood bulge, deck lid, and around the headlamps. He would have paid between about $8500 or so (approximately $38,700 in 2022 dollars), depending on options like A/C, choice of transmission, and aluminum wheels. Katz removed the pinstripes, giving the car a much classier look, and added a Pioneer stereo, Cibie fog lamps, a deep front lip spoiler, and some very sharp Cromodora wheels.

Fastidious is the word that probably best describes Steve Katz’s treatment of his 280Z. In a small notebook he recorded every repair, maintenance service, oil change, and even fuel fill ups. He’d never let anyone else but himself drive it, well, with one exception. Mutual friends fixed him up with a young lady named Joanne. Those friends immediately knew it was a good match when Steve asked her if she wanted to drive his Z on their first date. The car’s stick shift didn’t phase her a bit. They married in 1981 and started a family, with Ari coming along in 1983. When Ari got his own driver’s license, Steve made another exception so Ari could learn how to operate a manual transmission in the 280Z. While he owned other cars for daily drivers and winter cars, he still drove the Datsun regularly, eventually putting  about 77,000 miles on the odometer. Sadly, though, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS (sometimes known as “Lou Gehrig’s disease”), took Steve ‘s life in 2003 at the way-too-young age of 50.

Like his late father, Ari Katz is a car guy. He’s attended every Detroit Grand Prix since he was nine years old. As he puts it, he “grew up in the back seat” of the 280Z, and the car was considered “a member of the family.” After his father’s passing, Ari inherited the Datsun and indeed treats it as a treasured family member, continuing to record every oil change and fill up in his father’s notebook, trying to keep the car in the same condition as his father left it.

The Z is still in mostly original condition, though it has been resprayed with the original Black Pearl color. That paint job might even make it look better than when Steve Katz took delivery as the modern clear coat over the color really makes the metallic and pearl pigments visually pop. I believe that Ari may have upgraded the audio gear, as I don’t think Infinity was selling car speakers back in the late 1970s. Otherwise, it’s a time capsule car—not some super low mileage museum piece, but rather a well-driven and well-loved automobile.

The car’s general condition and yellow plastic plugs in the door and hatch jambs give testimony to the effectiveness of the Ziebart process—well, at least with cars that have been fastidiously kept. And how fastidiously do the Katzes keep their cars? When I called Ari to clarify some details about what I thought was the one Capri that Steve owned, he said, “Let me go get dad’s file on the Capri.” Ari knew the story about the watch box, scale model, and keys, but until I asked about his dad’s Capri and he read its file for the first time, he hadn’t known that it was one of three that Steve had owned.

Ari also inherited the car guy gene from both of his parents. As an adult, he started showing the car as a tribute and memorial to his father, and Steve and his father’s 280Z have been invited to participate in the region’s premier automotive events like the Concours of America (now the Detroit Concours) and the Eyes on Design show. Ari has even organized charity car events to raise money to support ALS research in Steve’s memory.

After reading For the Love of Cars, I thought to myself that if I would be able to contact Ari for an interview, it could be the basis of a story that you, our genuinely treasured readers, would enjoy. If you’re reading this you’re likely a gearhead, but as much as some people like technology and machines, most people read stories about people, not cubic inches. Fortuitously, in the publicity materials for this year’s American Speed Festival at the M1 Concourse facility in Pontiac, just north of Detroit, one of the cars scheduled to be appearing in the ASF’s judged car show was the Katz family’s 280Z. As I was already covering the ASF for Hagerty, I made a point to go back on Sunday to see if I could meet Ari.

For some reason, organizers put the Import Performance class down at the far end of the portion of the M1’s track being used for the cars in ths show. Having walked all the way down there twice without talking to Ari I was starting to worry, but I headed down a final time after the awards ceremony. Owners were already leaving with their cars, which increased my concern, but the 280Z was still there, so I decided to hang out and wait. Eventually Ari showed up, proudly carrying a trophy for winning the car’s class. We spoke about the car and his father until the Datsun was the last car on the show field. He handed me his phone and asked me to take a photo of him with the trophy and his father’s car, with a huge ASF sign on one of the facility’s buildings as a backdrop. Somewhere, Steve Katz was surely smiling as broadly as his son.

Ari, who earned an MBA and is a financial planner, now has a family of his own … which includes the Datsun. He and his wife, Julie, have two young daughters, Sadie and Libby, who are budding car gals themselves. The 280Z is no trailer queen; Ari drove it to the show, while Julie brought the girls in the family daily driver. It’s a solid bet that the 280Z will remain a Katz family member for generations to come. If ever a car was “NOT FOR SALE,” this is it.

In case you want to have one like it, though, a look at auction and dealer sites shows that most Black Pearl Edition 280Zs sell for between $20,000 and $27,500, though I did find one that sold for as little as $15K, and another for as much as $57,500, but that car is literally a museum piece, having been on display in the Datsun Heritage Museum in California.

Ari has put another 7,000 or so miles on it since he’s been the Z’s custodian but for a 45 year old car with eighty-four thousand miles the Datsun is in remarkable shape. The dashboard, treated with decades of love and Armor All, looks pristine. The upholstery, save for a slight bit of wear on the door side of the driver’s seat, looks as good or better than that of my five year old Honda.

On display under the louvers was the original owners manual and other period paperwork. Ari says that the original floor mats could stand to be replaced, but my guess is that if he does get new ones, the originals will get stored somewhere safe, just like his father’s files. The black paint on the round Datsun badge on the hood has long since been sun bleached but I don’t think that’s going to be replaced, ever.

Some things, like a child’s love for a parent, just can’t be replaced.

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A Hagerty Drivers Club reader gives us the lowdown on his 1973 Datsun 240Z:

I bought this car brand-new from Daland Datsun in Millbrae, California, in August 1973—my first car. The Z now has 385,000 miles on it and still has the original motor, which has always run well.

It was my daily driver from 1973 to ’94 and was then driven by my son through high school and college, which explains how it ended up with four different-colored quarter panels and fenders.

In 2014, I had the body restored at Petaluma Autoworks. We didn’t touch the engine, but the work required a lot of rust removal from the floors, doglegs, and body panels. Then I had it repainted in its original metallic brown.

My brother-in-law, who has his own Z as well as an excellent inventory of early Z parts, helped me complete the restoration in 2015. This included re-chroming the bumpers, reupholstering the seats, refurbishing the interior, hand-painting the grille and horns, and replacing many exterior bits. Upgrades include 15-inch Panasport wheels and Tokico blue shocks, 1972 Z carburetors and a 6-into-2 header, and a BRE front air dam.

I have such great history with this 240Z. In 1975, my college roommate and I drove it on a long Colorado ski trip; all we needed was a good Barrecrafters ski rack designed for the Z. A year later, I took it up through Oregon and Washington to British Columbia, then down through Montana; Jackson Hole, Wyoming; and Reno, Nevada. I’ve always been amazed at how easy it is to pack a 240Z for an extended camping trip. After a couple of days, everything has its place.

These days, I baby it. It is always garaged, with a car cover, and I only drive it in ideal conditions, usually a few times a month out to the coast or to wine country. It runs and drives better than it did new.

Incidentally, my daily driver is a ’94 300ZX I bought new, which now has 350,000 miles on it, so I have over 700,000 miles on my Nissan/Datsun cars. Good cars are meant to be driven and enjoyed.

This article first appeared in Hagerty Drivers Club magazine. Click here to subscribe and join the club.

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To restore, or to buy one fresh off the rotisserie? Common sense and history dictates it’s almost always cheaper to purchase a gleaming, glammed-up completed restoration than it is to elevate a ratty example to the same level.

Resuscitating that old junker under the tarp is often a pockmarked path fraught with tripled budgets and drained bank accounts. For some cars, however, there is a considerable price disparity between the best of the best and, well, the rest. If you are savvy and select the right car to rejuvenate, the chance of the juice being worth the squeeze goes way up.

Valuation data from the latest update to the Hagerty Price Guide helps paint a picture. We’ve pored over the numbers and pulled out the five cars with the largest price delta between #3 (Good, or those we would consider “driver”) condition, and those in #1 (Concours) condition, which reflects flawless, best-in-the-world presentation. Think of this as a list of cars with the greatest cash cushion should you opt to put one under the knife—er, wrench.

A word of warning before you whip out the angle grinder and paint gun: The value difference between conditions for these cars is staggering, and some of that is the result of plastic-wrapped, time-capsules cars skewing the data. In other words, some tempering of expectations is necessary here; don’t expect even a fully restored, 100,000-mile example to pull in more than its twin with just 12 miles on the odo.

1986–1988 Mercedes-Benz 560SL

472 percent delta

Holy cow. With a stunning Condition #1 value of $119,000, it appears the R107-generation 560SL has returned to its association with the rich, powerful, and glamorous crowd, as it did in the 1980s when new. When these cars became used fodder, years later, the social status of the 560SL quickly fell into disrepute as it moved from Sunset Boulevard onto Buy Here, Pay Here lots. For a long, long while, you could nab the best R107 in the world for around $20,000.

Now, ultra-clean 560SLs are back in a big way, but there are still quite a few rusty, dusty examples within reach. Condition-#3 examples are on average sitting at $20,800, and Condition #4 (Fair) at a mere $8500. Much of this gap comes down to originality, condition, spec, and mileage. These are relatively expensive cars to restore, and part of the equation is that those owners that do return a tired 560SL to factory spec always run the risk of playing second fiddle against a preserved, low-mileage example.

1975–1978 Datsun 280Z 2+2

391 percent delta 

This one is not so surprising. The 280Z 2+2 has been regarded as a bit of an ugly duckling in the collector car world; dyed-in-the-wool Z enthusiasts tend to skip the bigger, heavier 2+2 for the standard two-seat coupe, and the general enthusiast populace maintains relatively little love for this somewhat awkward sibling of one of history’s all-time great sports cars. As it stands, a Condition-#3 (Good) 280Z 2+2 trades for $10,300 against an average of $50,600 for one in Concours shape.

Compared to the two-seat 240Z and 280Z, not many owners kept their 2+2 on the road, let alone safe from corrosion or the crusher. Many of the surviving 2+2s are in driver condition at best, and returning to the earth at worst, as rust proves to be an old Z’s biggest nemesis.

This reality makes correctly restoring a vintage Z of any ilk a time-consuming and fairly costly process. Therein lies the secret to the 2+2’s insane value delta; as with the 560SL, the big(ish) money shoots for the preserved cars with low original miles and clean paint, leaving the driver condition cars and restoration projects to a braver (or simply more dedicated) enthusiast. Of course, there are only so many time capsules out there, so the effort may be worth it for those quirky, die-hard 2+2 fans.

1993 Ford Mustang 5.0 LX Convertible

375 percent delta

Fox-body Mustangs are on the rise, but this one has us scratching our helmet. That 375-percent difference applies specifically to the 1993 model year drop-top five-point-oh in LX trim, with Condition #3 claiming an average of $14,000 against a $66,500 Condition #1. Roll the calendar back just one year, and that headline percent increase drops to 308 percent. Still mighty impressive, but one model year accounts for a 67-point spread. So what’s the deal?

Survivorship might skew data again, but there’s something to be said for the inherent collectibility of a car that serves as the terminus of the beloved Fox-body generation. 1994 brought with it the swoopy, soapy SN95-generation Mustang, and preferences remain split among pony-car disciples.

1968–1975 Volkswagen Beetle

365 percent delta

Another case of survivor bias. Regarding the 1968–1975 Bug, there is no shortage of interested parties, regardless of condition, but it’s the clean, original cars that attract the most attention. An air-cooled Beetle is the great equalizer, and it remains one of the most affordable ways to slide into something classic without zapping your checking account into powder.

Restoration of any car is a pricey proposition, and the difference between a $62,300 in #1 Condition and one in #3 Condition costing $13,400 can be eaten up in pursuit of perfection. Beetle experts with the skills and willingness to tackle restoration of rougher cars on their own can avoid expensive labor fees, so they’ll make out the best. For everyone else, we’d stick with a hot-rod Beetle somewhere between Condition #2 and Condition #3 for the best chance of staying in the black.

1987–1992 Toyota Supra Mk III Turbo

350 percent delta

My, the difference one generational leap can make. Far away from the towering mounds of cash commanded by the Mk IV Supra Turbo (average value, $85,800), the Mk III Supra languishes in relative rejection (average value, $19,300). The wedge-like Mk III is heavier, slower, less powerful, and more unreliable than the 2JZ ballista to follow, so it suffers a similar curse as the 280Z 2+2. A lack of perfectly preserved examples buzzing around with little incentive to invest in restoration broadens the gap between the clean and the crusty.

Expect to fork over $19,300 for a Mk. III Turbo in Condition #3, and a mega $71,600 for a sparkly one in Condition #1.

The post Restoring these 5 classics might not put you in the red appeared first on Hagerty Media.

One of the best things about the new Nissan Z, which I recently reviewed, is how it deftly incorporates traits of several previous Zs. In particular, it pays tribute to its earliest ancestor, the 240Z, as well as the most tech-forward iteration, the 1990–96 300ZX. It’s no mere coincidence that Nissan looked to these two generations. As Hagerty data indicate, the 240Z and 300ZX are both climbing in value and, just as important, appeal to a broad swath of car collectors.

While the 240’s design may be its most obvious gift to the new Z, it also set the tone for what a Z should offer going forward: excellent performance and driver engagement at a reasonable price. The 240 (as well as its first-generation siblings, the 260 and 280) had sports car credibility in spades, winning multiple SCCA championships throughout the 1970s. On the street it quickly became revered as fun and reliable sports car, laying the foundation for generations to come.

Early Z-car values have been on the march for some time, but they've taken a much sharper upward trajectory during the pandemic. In #2 (Excellent) condition, each of the three variations of the first-generation Z have eclipsed the new Z's base price of $39,990, and the 240 has even edged above the range-topping $52,000 Proto-Spec launch edition.

Perhaps more surprising than the price is who is driving it. You'd expect a car that made its bones in the early 1970s to appeal to baby boomers—and it sure does. Yet it also attracts a relatively large share of millennial and Gen-Z collectors, who no doubt appreciate its status as the godfather of all the Japanese enthusiast cars they grew up with in the 1980s and '90s.

Although Z-cars remained capable through the 1980s, it's the fourth generation Z32 300ZX introduced in 1990 that set a new bar for Z performance. The Turbo sported a 300-horsepower 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6, allowing it to punch far above its weight. Also featuring variable valve timing (still a rarity in 1990) and Nissan's Super HICAS four-wheel steering, the 300ZX took a more tech-heavy approach than past generations. These features, along with a rapid strengthening of the Japanese yen against the dollar, made the Z too expensive for most sports car shoppers in its day. (The 1996 300ZX Turbo stickered for more than $40K—about $80K in today's dollars.)

Nissan hasn't forgotten that lesson and, with the new Z, foregoes the tech-forward approach of the 300ZX. It does, however, nod at its styling, presenting a modern, clean interpretation of the 300ZX's tail panel.

Chances are today's youngest sport car buyers will dig those lights. Gen-X and younger generations represent a larger portion of insureds than Boomers across the base and Turbo 300ZX. While it didn't headline a Fast & Furious movie like the Mk IV Supra, these Z-cars captured the attention of young enthusiasts throughout the 1990s. And as these young enthusiasts gain the financial wherewithal to become collectors, they have driven the 300ZX's resurgence in value.

Values across the 300ZX models languished through the early 2000s—it took almost 25 years for prices to rise on the Turbo variant while the base trims did not see a significant increase till the pandemic-fueled market. But now the Turbo in particular is rising rapidly.

The strong values and the cross-generational appeal of older Zs speak to the health of the Z brand as the latest iteration hits the market.

More to the point, though: If you have $45 grand and want to get into one of Japan's most iconic sports cars, you now have a few options: a first generation Z that created the model's identity, a '90s beast with tech and power to match, or the new Z that builds off both. Which would you choose?

The post The $45K Question: Would you buy a new Z or one of its collectible forebears? appeared first on Hagerty Media.

It felt like a good A-to-B speed, one you’d not be too surprised to see from the average outside-lane-tramping 3 Series or A4 on the way to their next cladding conference or software seminar. Nothing too outrageous, just usefully distance-shrinking. But what feels routine in a mid-range repmobile seems more adventurous in an early-1970s coupé like the Datsun 240Z.

You expect classics—most of them—to be meek and underequipped for the demands of modern driving, where superminis comfortably out-sprint the average ‘60s sportster.

But the 240Z just lapped it up, straight-six throbbing away mid-tachometer, steering tracking true, and brakes hauling off speed – albeit with old-school pedal pressure—when someone dawdled out in front. The 240Z feels made for this kind of driving.

Probably because it was made for this kind of driving, though Nissan’s designers and engineers more likely had Highway 1 than the U.K.’s M11 in mind when poring over sketches and technical drawings in the late 1960s.

The man with the vision was Mr. K. Officially, his name was Yutaka Katayama, Datsun’s envoy to the United States in the 1960s, who convinced top brass to set up a U.S. operation and made some shrewd decisions on what to sell there.

Mr. K liked sports cars. Americans did too, having spent most of the 1950s and 1960s buying tiny two-seaters, both open-topped and fixed-roof, in vast numbers. It was a remarkable time; flip open a copy of Road & Track from the era and there was a road test on something sleek and lightweight and European virtually every month. Readers would write in and complain if they dared to dedicate space to some lump of American iron and chrome.

Katayama sensed opportunity in this, and after a few stalled attempts to hook US consumers on Nissan’s products, struck gold with 1963’s Sports 1500, known as the Fairlady in Japan. The 1500, and later 1600 and 2000 became wildly successful, thanks in part to Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) racing success from the likes of Pete Brock and his BRE outfit.

There was room though for more power, more cylinders, more performance. Europe, and Britain in particular, covered the low end of the sports car market brilliantly. And with a serious-looking briefcase and a call to the right people you could put say, a Mercedes SL, or a Ferrari 275 in front of your mid-century mansion. Datsun wouldn’t be competing there.

Between was domain of the pony car. Corvette aside, America didn’t really “do” sports cars in the same vein, creating a missing middle for those who preferred corners to straights. And Mr. K thought Datsun could give them both.

Some see a bit of E-Type in there. It’s a fair call; Nissan did get hold of one to evaluate its packaging when devising the Z’s shape. Testers at the time saw some Porsche 911, a touch of Toyota 2000GT, even a hint of Ferrari 275 GTB.

Given the U.S. focus, it’s fair to assume Nissan had at least one eye on the Corvette Stingray too, though you’d be hard-pressed to see it in the details. The 240Z is restrained, almost dainty in some ways, though today it makes a Triumph GT6 look disjointed and an MGC somewhat insubstantial and austere. In the West Coast sunlight, it punched above its weight.

A strict two-seater—at least at first—the S30-generation 240Z’s monocoque prioritized space for its two occupants and held a decent luggage capacity, despite a shape shorter than a 911 by around an inch, and an E-Type by a foot. Interestingly, the shape also generated negative lift, contributing to a grown-up feel at speed, alien to most Japanese cars of the period but much appreciated by American customers.

Those customers were also used to high performance, and here too the Z delivered. With much of the body length dedicated to the engine bay, Nissan dropped in a 2.4-liter, single-overhead cam inline-six plucked from the home-market Cedric and Skyline saloons.

With twin carbs and 150 hp, the engine couldn’t quite top an all-American V-8 but certainly matched similar sixes for output and was bolted to a four-speed manual transmission, though a five-speed manual and three-speed auto eventually followed. Suspension was a mix of tried-and-trusted MacPherson struts up front and novel-for-a-Nissan Chapman struts and wide lower A-arms at the rear.

If there was genius, though, it was not in the 240Z’s mechanical layout, but its marketing. Here was a car that, at around $3500 in the U.S. (and £2288 in the U.K. after taxes), was similar in price to an MGB GT but offered performance on par with a Porsche 911.

Road & Track rushed past 60 mph in 8.7 seconds and recorded 122 mph flat out. Autocar went even better, extracting a 0-60mph time of eight seconds flat and a two-way average of 125 mph. Either set of numbers would give a 911T a fright. Your MGB-driving neighbor wouldn’t see which way the Datsun went, and though a TR6 might nibble at the Datsun’s heels on the straights, its chassis—trailing arms and lever-arm dampers at the back—was more like a pair of wellies to the 240Z’s training shoes. (Translation: rain boots and sneakers. –Ed.)

No better demonstration of the 240Z’s prowess could be found than on North America’s race tracks. Pete Brock, already experienced with Datsun’s roadsters, turned the Z into an instant race-winner, his white, red and blue Zee-cars taking SCCA “C production” titles in 1970 and 1971.

Out on the east coast Bob Sharp Racing found similar success, with the likes of Paul Newman behind the wheel. On-track success boosted Datsun’s image further and showroom success inevitably followed, justifying Mr. K’s gamble. The Z even tested its other star quality, that of durability, in rallying: a beefed-up 240Z took victory at the East African Safari Rally in 1973.

After a few days behind the wheel, the car’s qualities as an all-rounder are as vivid as the primrose paintwork. I recently chatted to a friend, who reckoned the earliest car she’d be happy driving every day would be something from the 1980s. I nodded sagely, but driving the Z, with its roots in the 1960s, the old Datsun might just have changed my mind.

This 1974 car from Nissan’s U.K. heritage fleet wears a set of triple Webers rather than the original twin SUs. Prod the throttle before twisting the key and it fires with little more effort than something modern, preferring light pressure on the pedal while it warms to any movement of the choke lever mounted between the seats. There’s a bit of time to admire that spacious cabin—good seating position, slim three-spoke wheel, that trio of sunken gauges atop the dashboard—and then you’re good to go.

What prompts that daily-musing is how it’s just as happy trickling along in traffic as it is being muscled around a few corners. Last time I drove this car it stammered a bit from low revs and objected to anything other than full throttle. Maybe it’s the warmer weather or some tweaking by the heritage garage, but it’s now pleasingly tractable. You can’t just snap open the butterflies like something fuel-injected, but lean into the pedal and there’s a deep-chested surge at odds with its five decades.

No doubt it felt faster in its day than it does now, but half-distracted by that lovely triple-carb gurgle-turned-howl (and maybe by the fumes) it feels more than quick enough. And long-legged too, as hinted at the start—like those early road tests suggest, you’d not think twice about taking it into three figures where the law allowed.

It helps that it’s so stable at speed, that it cruises without much commotion, and that the brakes feel up to the job of stopping you again. That solidity is matched by a robust-feeling gearbox (a slick-shifting five-speed in this car) and a firm but controlled ride, but even more so by the steering.

It does, as early road tests hinted, make you work for it. It isn’t so bad around town, with sensible gearing that lets you park the thing without working up a sweat, and it’s reassuringly calm when you’re creating holes in the air at outside-lane speeds. But take a few corners like you’re channelling John Morton—the American racing driver who mastered the Z, among other cars—and the Z demands a firm hand.

This tempers your enthusiasm to start with. Turn in, feel the weight build like someone has dropped a sack of potatoes in your arms, and you’ll probably back off again, dissuaded from pushing too hard. Push on and there’s plenty more grip to give and, when the tires do begin to let go, a lovely benign balance. If you’ve ever driven an early MX-5 Miata, you’ll recognize it; the newer Mazda’s lighter touch just lets you exploit it with a little less effort.

Once keyed-in though you can throw the Zee around in the way its makers intended. Squeeze the brakes and tweak the throttle for a few satisfying whaaaaarps as you snick a lower gear, get that upper body working to pick your apex, feel front and rear tires both doing their job as the body leans, and throttle up early, confident the independent rear won’t snap. String a few corners together and it’s involving, edifying, and as moreish as Intergalactic Coca-Cola.

Usable, dependable, a match for more exotic machinery on the road and a proven race winner off it, it’s no surprise the Z became a legend in its own lifetime. More than half-million S30 Zee-cars found homes in nine years.

Only with the S130 chassis launched in 1978 did the nameplate stumble. A new grand-touring focus chipped away at previous Zs’ keen-driving qualities, and the styling trappings of the 1970s didn’t so much gild Matsuo’s lily as cover it in rhinestones and pinstripes.

The Z31 and Z32 300ZXs strayed further still, though 1989’s 300ZX was a fine effort in its own right as it took on its ludicrously advanced Japanese competition. Nissan went back to basics with 2002’s 350Z, refined (if not improved) the idea with 2009’s 370Z, and today offers the twin-turbo Z launching later this year.

Early Zs are prized today. The fifteen grand that would once have got a tidy 240 is now barely enough for a scruffy example, and the best 240Zs—not including the rare and wildly valuable Z432 with its four-valve, triple-carb, twin-cam 2-liter from the ’60s Skyline GT-R—can fetch prices well into six figures.

For a car with even the ordinary Z’s range of talents however—be that carving corners or hassling sales reps in the outside lane—it feels like a small price to pay.

Via Hagerty UK

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A family-owned 1971 Datsun 240Z in Yorba Linda, California, has recently been unearthed from its long-term hibernation and is now up for sale on eBay. Early S30 Zs are among the most desirable of ‘70s Japanese cars, and for good reason. Their wonderful inline-six engines and absolutely stunning looks have made them a hot commodity, and this low-mileage example is proving these striking coupes are as collectible as ever.

Showing just 44,268 on the odometer and wearing Datsun’s 907 green paint, this garage find will require quite a lot TLC to restore, but the photos seem to show a factory paint job that’s been returned to its glory with a bit of buffing. The engine bay looks like it will require the same sort of attention and quite a bit of polish to return the 2.4-liter inline-six to its rightful luster, although the listing does note that the car runs and drives. After sitting for ages, the car needed some new fuel lines, clutch cylinders, a new brake master cylinder, and tires, but there is no doubt that other mechanical parts will need tending to. Inside, the upholstery and carpet reflect more of the car’s age than its mileage, but the potential is clearly there.

The auction, which still has a day to go, has reached $20,000 but has not yet met the reserve. A 1971 Datsun 240Z in #4 (Fair) condition is currently valued at $14,000. The chance to own a one-owner car with its original paint and such low mileage has clearly been enough to coax at least five bidders to offer more than the #4 value. We’ll be back to check on this one tomorrow, does anyone think it will hit the #3 (Good) value of $30,700 before then?

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If the first automobile was produced on a Monday, someone was looking to swap another engine into it by Tuesday morning. We jest, of course, but the automotive aftermarket today proves that repowering just about any car is a task that many enthusiasts love to tackle. The powerplant in the car featured on this week’s episode of Jay Leno’s Garage is a polarizing choice for a couple reasons, but Leno finds the combo attractive. Does your magnet have the same polarization as Leno’s?

The Datsun 240Z was a sports car tailored for the American market. In fact, it set a roadmap for successful Japanese imports: comfortable, practical, affordable, and fun to drive. That recipe yields a delightful product, but good enough is not acceptable for some enthusiasts. James Smith is one of those types of people.

James bought this Datsun two decades ago with a lot of the heavy lifting already done. The original 2.4-liter inline-six engine was yanked and in its place sat a Chevrolet small-block V-8. Smith finished up the swap in the years before LS-based engines became so well-supported in the aftermarket, and thus this first-gen engine was warmed over with a few performance parts before being settled into the Datsun’s spacious engine bay. The amount of space available to service the American lump impresses Jay and really makes us wonder what could have been. There is another aspect of this car that makes that argument, too: the roof, or more correctly, the lack thereof.

The 240Z was never offered as a convertible from the factory, but just like those who see an engine compartment as a blank canvas, some see sheetmetal as a thing full of hidden opportunities. The roof was cut off when James purchased the car, but he was surprised at how well the shape of the car worked without the roofline. To compensate for the loss of stiffness, he added braces between the shock towers, both front and rear, along with a sizable rollbar behind the seats. The fit and finish of the conversion is tidy and surely gives the car a unique look, but the arrangement is far from year-round practical. Perfect for SoCal, but less so for many other part of the world.

We think this custom is eye-catching and it certainly looks fun to drive. Kudos to you, James, for finishing this car in a tasteful manner and taking it out to enjoy. Mashups like this don’t always get finished up so nicely, and maybe your project will convince a few folks that swaps and customizations can work.

Is this something you would drive? Let us know in the comments below.

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The 240Z was not the only Japanese performance car of its era, nor was it the first sporting vehicle from Datsun. But the Z car stood out from the crowd because Datsun managed to strike the perfect balance between performance, comfort, practicality, and affordability. This was an undeniable, irresistible combination that put Japan on the sports-car map and provided a halo effect for all Datsuns—and, for that matter, most Japanese cars—sold in America. If you’re in the market for an early Z car, the 240Z has your attention for good reason.

Model overview

1969–70

Hot off the heels of Toyota’s high-dollar 2000GT sports tourer in 1965, the president of Nissan Motors USA, Yutaka Katayama, embarked on a mission to make a similar vehicle for Datsun’s American product portfolio. But “Mister K” instead aimed his car at the youth-oriented sports-car market, with a price tag to match. His affinity for the Jaguar XK-E provided the inspiration the design team, for what would become the Datsun 240Z. (Or, as it was known in the Japanese home market, the Nissan Fairlady Z.)

The end result, shown in our buyer’s guide video, is stunning to behold yet completely approachable for most Americans. Built between May and December of 1969, the first batch of left hand drive “HLS30” series 240Zs (538 units) all possessed the Z car’s now signature four-wheel independent suspension, front disc brakes, and the L20 2.4-liter SOHC inline-six. HLS30 serial numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 were preproduction mules that were subsequently destroyed, but #6, 7, and 8 were used for marketing purposes in the United States. These marketing vehicles were then given to race teams, two of which are campaigned in vintage racing series to this day.

Production stopped in December to accommodate a switch to a different crankshaft, one of many running changes that make the  Z cars difficult to restore to 100 percent factory spec. That said, the “HLS30 Series I” was produced in full swing by June of 1970, with eight exterior and two interior colors. By August 1970 the first Z car with an automatic transmission left the factory gates. A revised valve cover arrived in August, while passive ventilation in the hatchback (with bolt-on grilles) was added later in the year. A robust 17,740 units (16,215 in the U.S.) were sold in 1970, cementing the Series 1 240Z as an instant hit.

1970-71

The end of 1970 through January of 1971 was dedicated to Series I production (calendar year, not model year) the Series II was rolling off the assembly line by February. The Series II 240Z is differentiated by its lack of hatch vents, which were replaced by passive ventilation in the C-pillars (integrated into the “240Z” emblem). Other distinguishing features include hinges that can also hold the doors partially open; steering wheel spokes with actual holes, rather than indentations; push-button seatbelt releases; longer sun visors; a reversible ignition key; twin floor-mounted storage nooks behind the seats; and a redesigned center heating/ventilation register with more louvers. While the color palette remained the same, other changes included a focused reading light with less glare and a speedometer that started, as it should, at 0 mph; Series I speedos inexplicably began with 20 mph.

The Series II also featured a revised defogger switch with integral warning light, improved designs for the oil pressure gauge/wiper motor/headlight harness, and a rear taillight assembly with four bulbs instead of three. All Series IIs sported uprated “HR” spec 175 HR 14 tires, an improvement over the lower SR rating, while a reclining and flip-forward seat was an option for those needing quick access to the rear storage area.

The first Series IIIs were produced in mid-September and boasted a revised four-speed gearbox, new rear suspension/axle geometry (moved 35 mm aft), flip-forward seats as standard equipment, 5-inch-wide wheels (with new wheel caps), a new center console (with integrated warning lights and the rear defogger switch), and the deletion of the gas-door latching mechanism. The buying public responded well, and Datsun sold 38,371 units (33,684 in the U.S.). (NB: While a new seatbelt buzzer, seatbelt warning light, and retracting seatbelt spools were added to the Series IIIs, they were likely present only on units built after December of 1971.)

1971-72

As Series III production continued in 1971 and through the 1972 calendar year, it’s a safe bet that everyone knew how to defeat the aforementioned (and likely obnoxious) seatbelt buzzers by January of ’72. But another notable Series III change was the switch from vertical to horizontal rear-window defogger lines.

While there were still eight exterior colors offered in this year, Datsun did a bit of shuffling to include metallic brown, a hue that reflected the bell-bottom era in which the 240Z thrived. Datsun offered a surprising wealth of interior color choices this year—seven in total. The Series III 240Z soldiered on with no other discernible changes until its demise in August, 1972. Just like every other car sold in America at this time, the new Series IV took a turn for the worse.

The new Series IV was redesigned to meet federal safety and emissions requirements, which necessitated a revised cylinder head (E-88), emissions-friendly “flat top” SU carburetors (though some suggest they came in 1973-only), and redesigned bumpers able to withstand a 2.5-mph impact. The latter required a heavier chassis structure, and the added weight at each end suppressed the 240Z’s light, tossable nature. The dampened performance didn’t seem to discourage buyers, however, because sales soared to 58,053 units (52,628 in America), proving the strength of the Z car’s bang-for-your-buck proposition during that tumultuous time.

Other changes for ’72 are less infamous, such as fiberglass (rather than steel) headlight buckets, intermittent wipers, backlit heating/ventilation controls, and a pull-out knob, rather than a toggle switch, to control the hazard lights.

1972-73

Production of the Series IV 240Z remained unchanged as 1972 became 1973, and the original Z car quietly disappeared as the new 260 Z began rolling off the assembly line in July 1973. The eight exterior colors were modified yet again, while interior colors were cut to five. The last 240Z was reportedly built in August, so it’s a safe bet that a majority of the 50,452 units built in ’73 (45,588 for America) were indeed Series IV models.

Before you buy

There’s plenty to love about the Datsun 240Z, but finding one that won’t eat a hole in your wallet may be more challenging than you anticipated. Rust is a well-known, highly documented problem in these cars: inspect for rust under the battery tray, in the wheel arches, around the windshield, in the fender behind the front wheels, in the rocker panels, floorboards, and around the rear hatch. Unless you are looking at a high-dollar restoration performed in recent memory, even a proclaimed “rust-free” 240Z could have rot issues somewhere.

Even if rust has been addressed, watch out for poorly repaired areas that use fiberglass patch panels or copious amounts of body filler to achieve a smooth surface. Don’t dismiss such an example out of hand, however: Most sheetmetal is now available in the aftermarket. After assessing the metalwork, evaluate the condition of rubber parts in the suspension, the powertrain, and the body weatherstripping. Most, if not all, rubber parts are readily available, so factor in the cost of fixing any rubber bit that doesn’t pass muster. As always, remember that tires lose the majority of their performance potential after 7–10 years, so take a look at the date code stamped on the sidewall and evaluate whether you’ll need new rubber.

Combine the tips above with a test drive and an examination of all miscellaneous features (lights, gauges, wipers, seat belts, heating/ventilation, etc.), and you’ll be well-equipped to judge whether you’re getting the 240Z you want and whether the asking price is indeed fair. When in doubt, hire a professional automobile inspector to give you a full report.

The only remaining issue is that of authenticity. The 240Z had numerous running changes (as mentioned above), so thoughtful checking of part numbers and factory stampings will be necessary to ensure you’re buying a 240Z with a pedigree. Avoid sellers asking for top dollar who don’t provide paperwork or visual proof to demonstrate the authenticity, originality, and condition of their 240Z. If exhaustive or extensive originality isn’t a concern for you, consider these rules to be far more flexible.

Many examples were modified over time, up to and including radical changes like V-8 engine swaps. If you’re a casual driver looking for more modern performance, consider the advantages of upgrading from the 1978–83 Datsun 280ZX parts bin: four-wheel disc brakes, five-speed transmissions, larger radiators, 2.8-liter short block, etc. will improve the experience without significantly changing the 240Z’s classic demeanor.

Valuation

Ten years ago as of this writing, a 240Z in #2 (Excellent) condition was worth roughly $20,000; now, that figure has jumped to $54,500 (check here for up to date values). Values been ticking up since 2015 and showed some of the strongest growth between 2015–18, when they increased by 74 percent. In the first four months of 2021, #2-condition values have already increased 42 percent.

Outliers like recent six-figure transactions (here, here, here) have led us to raise prices, but 240Zs in all conditions have been selling for more and more money. While we currently place the 240Z in Hagerty’s Affordable Classics Index, it’s clear that times have changed: Our median quoted value of $18,300 may seem low, but this figure has actually increased 52 percent over the past five years.

Who’s interested in these cars? The demographic skews toward younger enthusiasts—principally, toward Gen Xers and millennials, who together account for half of our 240Z quotes. Millennials may only comprise 18 percent of the market, but their interest (26 percent of all 240Z quotes) is exceptionally strong. Gen Xers represent 24 percent of quotes for these cars, and Boomers carry the largest share, at 38 percent. That the demographic of potential 240Z buyers skews toward younger enthusiasts is likely connected to Z cars’ reliability and ease of ownership, qualities which these age ranges prioritize when scoping out a classic vehicle.

With prices rising and interest waxing stronger, the best advice remains simple: Find a Datsun 240Z with the least amount of rust and in a condition that’s up to your standards. And of course, choose the best example you can afford.

The post Your handy 1970–73 Datsun 240Z buyer’s guide appeared first on Hagerty Media.

Hagerty readers and Hagerty Drivers Club members share their cherished collector and enthusiast vehicles with us via our contact email, tips@hagerty.com. We’re showcasing some of our favorite stories among these submissions. To have your car featured, send complete photography and your story of ownership to the above email address.

Today’s featured ride is a 1966 Datsun 1600 roadster. Though at first glance the 1600 resembles its British contemporaries more than its Japanese kin, this drop-top cutie was the precursor to Datsun’s 240Z. This particular car is a second-gen SPL311, with the L designating its left-hand-drive configuration. Datsun aficionados will note the “Fairlady” script on the side, typically a dead giveaway that this is a Japanese-market example; in the U.S., Datsun marketed the restyled car (which debuted in 1964) as the 1600 “Sports.” Roadsters produced before 1968 can be distinguished from their later iterations by their lower windshields, steel dashes, and toggle switchgear; U.S. regulations forced Datsun to abandon the third feature beginning in ’68.

This particular 1600 is a mildly Frankensteined example, sporting a five-speed manual instead of the stock four-speed, which, as owner Lyn Woodward writes, “finally allows it to drive on the Los Angeles freeways at the prescribed speed limit.” Woodward’s car also is powered by an inline-four plucked from a later, ’69 1600, but “with a car this adorable and turns heads wherever it goes, who cares that it’s not all-original!” If you’re scratching your head about that Fairlady emblem on the car’s side, you’re not alone—Woodward speculates that, though hers is an American-market car, someone added the JDM badge later in its life.

Woodward first spotted a Datsun 1600 at a local car show and couldn’t get it out of her mind. Eight years later, she found this one. She writes: “I bought it from a doctor in Southern California whose wife wasn’t happy about oil on the driveway. Old cars always leave their slick fingerprints …” Judging by the smile on Lyn’s face, the wait was well worth it.

The post Rides from the Readers: 1966 Datsun 1600 roadster appeared first on Hagerty Media.

Hythem Zayed writes: I own a 1965 Mustang with a V-8. From March through October, I drive it about once a week. In the winter months, I start it every week and let it run for 15 minutes. At most, I put a couple hundred miles on the car each year. I have read different opinions on how often to change the oil in this kind of situation, and I cannot seem to find a definitive answer. I figure it can’t hurt to change the oil, but am I wasting money and energy by unnecessarily doing so?

This is really a judgment call based on your personal comfort level. While oil is not hygroscopic like brake fluid (which does attract and absorb water) and doesn’t spoil from sitting like gas does, a small amount of condensation can occur when a warm engine cools off. Regular drives, longer trips, and a properly functioning positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve give the engine a chance to cook off that moisture as well as unburned fuel that may have found its way into the oil during hard starting and overly rich warm-up.

Some of my cars have a similar usage profile to yours, and because my garage is a little humid, I’ll typically change the oil after two years, even if the cars have racked up fewer than a thousand miles. On my lightly used 1999 BMW M coupe, I may go three years, as that car starts instantly and has a more sophisticated crankcase ventilation system. I don’t, however, have data from an oil analysis to support any of this. It’s just what feels right to me.

Jim Steinman writes: Where do you come down on the issue of color-changing a car? I’m prepping my 1973 Datsun 240Z for paint, and I’ve never been thrilled with the light brown metallic color.

I’m firmly in the “It’s your car, paint it any color you want” camp, but here are some of the issues. All factors being equal, a mint correct car wearing its original color is going to be worth more than one that has been color-changed, but most cars aren’t mint or correct, so the changed color just becomes one of any number of value factors. There’s no question that a quick exterior-only respray—one where opening the hood reveals the original color—will substantially affect the value of a car. But if that car has been stripped to a shell for body restoration anyway, and if you love this particular car either for sentimental reasons or because you found one with a solid body you could afford but you still dream of owning a fill-in-your-favorite-color-here one, take the plunge. Life is short. After going through the pain of restoration, you should love the color.

Thirty years ago, I repainted one of my cars Signal Red (it was silver), and I’ve never looked back. Notably, Ralph Lauren color-changed his 1938 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic coupe, possibly the most valuable car in the world, from Sapphire Blue to black during the car’s restoration. Be aware, though, that the further away your chosen color is from the original manufacturer’s color palette, the more the color will be an expression of your personal taste. That is, you may love the purple metal flake on your E-Type, but if you ever decide to sell it, you’ll likely find that your aesthetic choice has a narrow fan base.

The article first appeared in Hagerty Drivers Club magazine. Click here to subscribe to our magazine and join the club. 

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Hagerty readers and Hagerty Drivers Club members share their cherished collector and enthusiast vehicles with us via our contact email, tips@hagerty.com. We’re showcasing some of our favorite stories among these submissions. To have your car featured, send complete photography and your story of ownership to the above email address.

Today’s featured vehicle is a 1975 Datsun 280Z. This model year was friendly to the Z car; the 260 Z of the early ’70s struggled under new emissions regulations, and, in 1975, the 280Z’s fuel-injected inline-six finally proved a realistic solution. Naturally, the 280Z was forced to adopt the chunky plastic bumpers of its era as well. Inside, the 280Z had much in common with its 240 forbearer—a notable exception being its factory-installed air conditioning system, which replaced the dealer-installed unit.

This particular 280Z belongs to Frank Miller, who bought it after completing his first year as a school psychologist. Miller immediately planned a cross-country trek to fill his summer and, when he took delivery of the Z in June of 1975, struck south from southwest Virginia to Florida. From there, he wound through the Florida panhandle and across to Louisiana, Texas, and California.

For Miller, the novelty of driving has never worn off. “The love I hold for my Z and the profound privilege of settling down in the pilot’s seat, putting some great classic tunes on the CD player, and leaning back—well, there’s a special love that only those of us who truly love cars can relate to,” he writes. “The purring of the exhaust, one hand on the wheel, the other shifting the gears as needed, the countryside whirring by … there’s nothing else that comes close.”

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Where do you stand on hot rods?

For some collectors, only 100-point originality to concours perfection will do. They’ll scour factory documents and period photos to get their car looking exactly as it did the moment it left the assembly line, scoffing at any owner’s attempt to improve upon the manufacturer’s well-planned vision. After all, cars are only original once.

That kind of nut-and-bolt accuracy is important to maintaining the history of the cars that make up our hobby. But not for all of them. For every finely crafted sports car that was perfectly tuned at the factory, there have been hundreds of thousands of pedestrian models wearing the rough edges of mass production. Even in showroom condition, many of these cars don’t represent what their designers originally intended—or dreamed of in their off hours. There’s usually plenty of room for improvement.

We owe so much of the appeal of automotive culture to what some cars become once they are personalized and take on lives of their own. Some significant examples are known more for their modifications than for their originality. Would the 1957 Chevy be as iconic if it weren’t for the NASCAR racers and the scores of gassers proving the Chevy small-block’s mettle? Would the Mustang have the same mythos without the Bullitt?

We gathered four modified cars, from a purpose-built Bonneville racer to a totally rebuilt restomod that left nothing unchanged, to show just a portion of the wide spectrum that customization has become. Speedkore’s wood-trimmed BMW 3.0 is worlds away from the ’31 Ford coupe of Lucky’s Hot Rods, but they share the same ethos to improve on what the factory built and do it with a highly personalized stamp.

As a new generation grows into the hobby, new subjects, colors, and materials are being tried. Hot-rodding is an art form, and as such, it is always evolving, just as it should.

Lucky’s Hot Rods 1931 Ford Model A

Purchased: 2004

First raced: 2019

Total chop: 11.5 in

Height: 43 in

Total length: 140 in

Color: Lucky’s Speed Equipment Blue

Bonneville class: XF/VGCC

Weight: 2699 lb, w/driver, ready to race

Factory wheelbase: 103.5 in

Current wheelbase: 113 in

If you had to pick only one model to represent the postwar hot-rod boom, it would have to be a V-8–swapped Ford Model A. Lucky Burton built his land-speed-racing coupe in the same vein as some of the most recognizable racers of the 1950s—and being totally vintage, it competes in the same Bonneville class as the originals.

Burton runs Lucky’s Hot Rod Shop in Burbank, California, where this 1931 coupe took shape. He started with just a derelict body shell that had spent a decade in storage before he finally set aside the time to work on it. He first chopped the top 5 inches, intending to make it a street rod. Then plans took a turn toward the salt.

When the iconic Chrisman coupe, a rear-engine Model A that the Chrisman Brothers ran at Bonneville in the 1950s, came up for sale in 2018, Burton got to inspect it up close. He fell in love with the proportions, and by the time he returned to his shop and his freshly chopped coupe, his mind was made up. The sparks were soon flying, and the top dropped even lower. The nose, like the original Chrisman coupe, was built from a pair of 1940 Ford hoods. A belly pan was fabricated from 16-gauge steel.

Power comes from a 24-head-stud (meaning 1938 or later) 8BA Ford flathead V-8 stroked with a Mercury crank. So far, it has taken Burton up to 108 mph in the flying mile at Bonneville. “It’s not terrifying, but it’s also a new experience at 100 mph,” Burton says. An engine rebuild is in the works to try to squeeze more power from the ancient mill as Burton targets the current class record of 156.026 mph. After all, it’s not really a hot rod if it’s ever truly finished.

Purpose Built Motors 1966 Datsun

Ads placed to find GSL-SE rear axle: 15

Color: Ferrari Rosso Corsa

Turbocharger: Turbonetics 10784

Wheels: 16×11 rear, 16×9.5 front

Bodywork: Pandem one-off kit from 3D scan

Gauges: AEM carbon display screen

Mike Spagnola Jr. came to Datsun sports cars via his father and brother. They are both into restoration, and both have ’67 2.0-liter roadsters. But “OEM is not my forte,” Mike Jr. says, so his planned modifications to his 1966 roadster would result in a fun, nimble car to ply the nearby mountain roads. His shop, Purpose Built Motors in Azusa, California, is just miles from some of Southern California’s most well-known twists and turns.

In an all-too-familiar scenario, those plans turned wilder and wilder. A first-gen Mazda RX-7 GSL donated its rear axle, which was narrowed by nearly a foot to fit underneath the diminutive roadster. Four-wheel disc brakes were pulled off a 1990s Nissan 300ZX Twin-Turbo. The brakes are more than capable of hauling down the light car, and the calipers, rotors, and pads are easy to find and cheap to buy. Spagnola did splurge a bit on proper three-piece Watanabe wheels.

Not bound by originality, Mike didn’t hesitate to ditch the roadster’s 1600-cc, 96-hp engine, though he did keep things in the Datsun family. Nissan’s SR20DET engine was used in the S13 Nissan 240SX that was sold in the U.S. The 240SX is a wildly popular platform to build into a drift car, and the SR20DET would be the Chevy LS V-8 of the drift world if it weren’t for the fact that the LS V-8 is the LS V-8 of the drift world.

Spagnola swapped in a modern turbo that quickly spools up to provide 320 rear-wheel horsepower for the 1975-pound sprite. Do the math—that’s a better power-to-weight ratio than all but the hottest muscle cars on the market today.

Speedkore 1972 BMW 3.0 CSi

Engine: 3535-cc I-6

Power: 311 hp @ 6900 rpm

Brakes: Brembo 6-piston front/4-piston rear

Wheels: HRE C109 forged 3-piece

Color: PPG Brick Red

Audio: Hidden touchscreen w/Focal components

Interior: Coffee leather and pebble-weave seat centers

Speedkore is probably best known as the company that rebodies Mopar muscle cars with carbon-fiber panels. It applies that same detail-driven philosophy to every one of its builds, and after Robert Downey Jr. commissioned the company to build a 1970 Mustang for himself and a ’67 Camaro for his Avengers costar, Chris Evans, the Iron Man returned to have a 1972 BMW CSi built in the same vein.

As with the muscle cars the shop has done before, Speedkore built this BMW E9 as a restomod that keeps plenty of the original car’s style, inside and out. The body is factory, repainted in PPG Brick Red, and the trim was finished in Titanium Cerakote, a ceramic coating often used on guns. All of the original style of the interior remains; it was simply upholstered using complementary colors and modern textures, as well as a gray wood dash trim that is echoed on the out-side, with pieces of the car’s exterior trim substituted with wood replacements. The suspension uses newer components, but it retains the factory geometry.

Naturally, an E9 needs a proper Bavarian inline-six. Rather than the factory M30 that produced 180 horses in the 3.0 CS and 200 horsepower in the CSi, Downey’s car is fitted with an S38 3.5-liter inline-six from the 1988–95 E34 M5. The only real derivation from the E9 is that the high-revving, 300-plus-hp six is now coupled to a ZF 4HP22 four-speed automatic. It’s the same transmission you’d find in an E34 5 series, and it lets the engine wind out before shifting.

A classic coupe rebuilt from the ground up with better grip and a new engine packing 50 percent more power? Sounds like a hot rod.

East Bay Muscle Cars 1968 Chevrolet Camaro

Engine: LT4 V-8 w/reverse-drive Procharger

Mirrors: 2018 Mustang housing w/3D-printed arms

Brakes: 15-in Wilwood rotors, 6-piston calipers

Chassis: Chris Alston’s Chassis-works gStreet w/cantilever IRS, center-lock spindles

Steve Keefer, owner of East Bay Muscle Cars in Brentwood, California, shows up at the Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas with a high-end build almost every year. You can call his builds pro-touring, meaning modern drivetrains and suspensions, but Keefer’s cars tend to be more luxurious than other muscle cars that have been updated into track-focused machines.

As with many of the best customized cars, you’d have a hard time picking out the myriad modifications on this 1968 Camaro. The whole car has been widened 5 inches, and the crown of the rear fender has been sharpened slightly to draw attention to the curves. Sculpted inner fenders frame a supercharged Corvette LT4 V-8. Rather than the Roots-style Magnuson supercharger that the factory LT4 would normally use, this engine uses a custom sheetmetal intake that is fed boost from a Procharger supercharger. The V-8 routes power through a Tremec T-56 Magnum six-speed transmission. Peer through the back window and you can get a glimpse of the inboard-mounted coilovers of the pushrod suspension, part of the custom Chris Alston gStreet chassis.

When it comes to cars of this caliber, Keefer admits that his customers could buy just about anything, and shops like his are actually competing with some of the best OEM performance cars on the market. His philosophy is to build the car that current manufacturers would if they could start with the classic lines of their best designs. “We’re going for a factory prototype theme,” Keefer told us.

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When it comes to collector automobiles, it can seem like your money doesn’t go as far as it once did. We dug into the data to see what affordable vehicles can be had for a reasonable budget of $15,000 in #3 (Good) condition. Why #3 condition? Our research has found that, time after time, the condition of the average collector automobile falls right within this classification. A #3 car is ready for a long drive without making excuses, but it may have some flaws and/or incorrect parts.

Here are 8 cars and 2 trucks we found that fit the bill. While this is not a comprehensive list of vehicles that fall within a $15,000 budget, these are some well-known and emerging collectors to consider if you’re in the market. We also posted a livestream on this subject, which you can find here.

1984–1996 Chevrolet Corvette

Average value in #3 (Good) condition: $6500

When it comes to bang for your buck, it is hard to beat a Corvette. In the case of the C4 Corvette, that saying is as true today as it was back in the day. The C4 offers a wide variety of options that fits within most price ranges. While the ZR-1 and Grand Sport are beyond the scope of this list’s budget, you are still spoiled for a sub-$15K choice when it comes to the C4.

You can find a near-perfect 1984 model for $15,000, but if you desire performance, the LT1- and LT4-powered cars of the 1990s are well within reach. Perhaps the ideal choice for this budget would be a 1996 C4 equipped with the 330-hp LT4 engine, which required the inclusion of the six-speed transmission when ordered new. Never fear the dreaded Optispark system on the LT1/LT4 cars either—by now most issues with the ignition on individual cars have been fixed or were never a problem in the first place.

2004–05 Mazdaspeed Miata

Average value in #3 (Good) condition: $10,400

Of course Miata is the answer to the question at hand, and internet meme lords would not let us get away with a list of affordable cars that didn’t include a Miata.

Adding some grunt to an already nimble and zippy little roadster, the Mazdaspeed Miata made waves in 2004 and 2005 with a turbo engine that yielded an extra 36 hp over the standard NB-series Miata. Not enough of a boost to set the world on fire, but more than enough to shave more than a second off of the standard Miata’s 7.9-second 0–60 time. A factory-installed turbo means that it was engineered for the application and built with quality parts.

Driver-quality cars average $10,400, but #2-condition (Excellent) examples are still sub-$15,000. That’s not as cheap as many people expect when buying a Miata, but the price is well worth it if you desire a little extra punch. The added exclusivity of a two-year-only model is worth mentioning, too.

1979–93 Ford Mustang

Average value in #3 (Good) condition: $7700

Few cars epitomize the 1980s like Fox-body Mustangs. They look great and offer very good performance from an era in which auto manufacturers were starting to gain back some of the horsepower lost in the mid-1970s. Much like the third-generation Camaros and Firebirds, Fox-body Mustangs offer a lot of car for the money and have only recently started to experience notable gains in value.

The more popular 5.0 GT hatchbacks from the late ’80s can be had in Good condition for under $8000, but truly pristine examples can also fall under our $15,000 budget. If you are willing to sacrifice some of the ground effects for the 5.0 LX “notchback” coupes, a perfect example can usually be had for just over $15,000. Watch out for cheaper examples though; as with any unibody car, undercarriage and strut tower rust can be a problem and although these are resilient cars, no vehicle can sustain infinite abuse. Be wary of cars that have been driven hard and show obvious signs of neglect.

These are great machines for anyone on a budget desiring a rear-wheel-drive, V-8 car. They perform well in stock form, but an abundance of aftermarket upgrades means that Fox-bodies can be a blank slate for anyone who wants to create something unique down the road.

1989–91 Porsche 944 S2

Average value in #3 (Good) condition: $15,000

Porsche is not the first make that comes to mind when you brainstorm affordable vehicles. Over the past several years, values for just about every Porsche model have experienced a hefty bump, and the few that have settled have done so at levels nowhere near where they started. Even the previously snubbed transaxle Porsches have flipped the script. That said, a few good models can still be picked up at a reasonable price.

The 944 S2 is a great option for the budget-minded buyer who wants a great grand tourer. Power output for the S2 got a much-appreciated 43-hp gain with its larger 3.0-liter four-cylinder engine. Still not quite as powerful as the Turbo, but enough to satisfy. This is a slam dunk of a car from a time period that is becoming increasingly desirable, and by virtue of it being a Porsche, you are joining a fraternity of hardcore fans who deeply love their cars. At a price tag of $15,000 for a Good example that’s been well cared for, it’s hard to go wrong.

1983–89 Mitsubishi Starion, Dodge/Chrysler Conquest

Average value in #3 (Good) condition: $8000

The Mitsubishi Starion and Dodge/Chrysler Conquest (aka Starquest) is not an obvious choice for an affordable collector car, and for good reason. They’re fairly obscure cars these days; finding a choice example is a challenge. These vehicles were used hard.

Assuming you do find a quality example, Starquests represent great value for a rear-wheel-drive, turbocharged enthusiast car. Very few cars have sold publicly above our $15,000 budget and the average-condition Starquest is usually well under $10,000. Of course, these figures can fluctuate depending on options and make. Starions command a premium over Conquests, and 1986-and-later cars are in higher demand due to the intercooled G54B four-cylinder engine, which is good for 188 hp. The top models are the Starion ESI-R and Conquest TSi, packing all the available performance improvements plus the added benefit of a wide-body kit.

When it comes to Starquests, you should buy the best example you can afford. Since parts are far less plentiful than those for a comparable Honda or Toyota, previous owners and their level of care matter just as much as the overall condition of the car.

1981–87 Alfa Romeo GTV-6

Average value in #3 (Good) condition: $14,600

An Italian sports car for under $15,000?  The GTV-6 is a beautifully designed ’80s Alfa Romeo, and the V-6 engine has a shriek as intoxicating as any Italian exotic from the era. These cars are known to be great fun to drive. The downsides aren’t many, assuming that the car was well cared for throughout its life. The synchros are a known weak point and build quality is typical of any 1980s Italian sports cars.

Best practice with a GTV-6 is to buy the best car you can afford with as complete of a service history as possible; it may save you a massive headache down the road. Expect to max out our $15,000 budget to ensure the car you are buying is in good running order. Pristine examples can be had for more, of course.

1992–99 Chevrolet Blazer/Tahoe and GMC Yukon

Average value in #3 (Good) condition: $14,000

After an 18-year run, General Motors finally updated the Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Jimmy for 1992. The Chevy kept the Blazer name, but GMC adopted the Yukon moniker. As with 1988 GM pickups, the Blazer and Yukon traded the solid front axle for independent front suspension, in turn picking up many standard creature comforts: better sound deadening, improved ride quality, and more amenities. The basic formula would remain the same, albeit with a shortened half-ton chassis and driveline on the two-door utility vehicle. The Blazer name would be dropped in 1995 and Tahoe swapped in,  but the biggest change to the lineup would be the change from throttle-body injection to multi-port fuel injection in 1996. GM thus introduced the Vortec engine, boosting power an additional 45 horses in its 350 V-8.

Like the prior square-body Blazers and Jimmys, the Blazer/Tahoe/Yukon have remained quite affordable, and two-door models still command a niche following. Good specimens with the Silverado and SLT trim packages can be had for about $12,000, but expect to pay a premium for the rarer Blazer Sport and Yukon GT. With the rates for earlier Blazers spiking and 1990s Ford Broncos rising quickly, don’t expect these trucks to remain a good buy forever.

1965-1980 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow Sedan

Average value in #3 (Good) condition: $8,700

Usually the terms “budget” and “Rolls-Royce” uttered in the same sentence is cause for great concern. It’s a widely accepted truth that the cheapest Rolls-Royce will cost you the most in repairs down the road. While that is certainly something to keep in mind when looking at a Silver Shadow, a $15,000 Rolls-Royce isn’t necessarily cause for panic.

For starters, by Rolls-Royce standards the Silver Shadow was a mass-produced model: The firm built 16,717 of these sedans. They are not over-the-top complicated cars, but like with any Rolls-Royce, regular documented service is crucial. Be especially wary of problems with the braking system and suspension; they are especially costly to fix. The budget-conscious might be tempted to go for an imported right-hand-drive model, but approach with caution: Many have been exported from their native U.K because they’ll no longer pass MOT inspection.

If you know what you’re getting into, you can enjoy the Rolls-Royce brand for what it is: a titan of the British luxury industry. Very good cars are affordable and within reach of a $15,000 budget, but you’ll look and feel like you are driving around in something worth substantially more.

1997–2006 Jeep Wrangler

Average value in #3 (Good) condition: $12,400 

TJ Wranglers are rightfully regarded as peak Wrangler among the Jeep faithful. Wranglers have a lot to offer; they are very capable off-road, but take the top and the doors off and you have the perfect weekend cruiser. As far as Wranglers go, the TJ has some special sauce.

The obvious perk is that the looks were greatly improved over the previous YJ, but the major attraction is that it retains Jeep’s venerable 4.0-liter inline-six, and it was the first Wrangler to sport a more capable four-link rear suspension. The TJ also introduced the Rubicon variant, which added heavier duty Dana 44 axles with locking differentials, noticeably improving off-road capability and toughness. Mechanically, these are bulletproof vehicles. However, like all Jeeps that came before it, rust is a pain point. Frames are especially susceptible to rot, so be sure to get underneath any TJ you are considering and inspect it carefully. Rust issues are fixable by a competent welder, but it is best not have to deal with the issue at all.

Values for TJs in #2 (Excellent) condition have begun to creep up across the board, but depending on where you live, values can vary widely in regions with a strong Jeep following. $15,000 can net you a very solid Rubicon. For less money you can snag a standard model and have cash left over for a bunch of upgrades. Like the Fox-body Mustang, the TJ is a canvas for the imagination.

1962–1970 Datsun 1500/1600/2000 Roadster

Average value in #3 (Good) condition: $9700

Datsun Roadsters should not be overlooked. They’ve been long overshadowed by the MGB, which came out at about the same time and were built in larger quantities. Japan’s take on a small, sporty roadster was equally capable and creatively designed. Throughout the years, the engine size grew from a 1500- to 1600-cc four-cylinder, finally settling on a very peppy 135-hp 2000 cc.

More powerful models, such as the 2000, will max out a $15,000 budget for a good-quality car, but 1500 and 1600s allow for better selection under the price cap. The only downside is that the comparable MG will have better parts availability, so while Datsun has a good reputation for reliability, finding a part when something does break will be more difficult. Overall, the Datsun Roadster is a great alternative for the enthusiast who wants to stand out among the more numerous British roadsters out there.

Like this article? Check out Hagerty Insider, our e-magazine devoted to tracking trends in the collector car market.

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Last weekend’s Raleigh Classic Car Auction was full of special cars, but prior to the event we weren’t sure to what lengths buyers would go to fight over them. Turns out, a number of well-kept vehicles attracted serious bids. Here are some of the offerings that sold for more than their top-condition average values.

1990 Chevrolet Suburban

Sale Price: $38,850

Average value in #1 (Concours) condition: $26,500

At nearly $40K, you could almost buy a brand new Suburban—but that wouldn’t be as cool. Even when selling for 47 percent above Concours condition value, this 1990 Chevrolet Suburban is still a lot of truck for the money. With only 21,000 miles from new, this Suburban is flawless and completely original. The overtly red corduroy interior looks brand new on all three rows of bench seating (which still leaves a surprisingly large cargo area).

1981 Datsun 280ZX

Sale Price: $24,300

Average value in #1 (Concours) condition: $19,400

This 280ZX is an incredible survivor which was owned by the same family for the first 36 years and only driven 24,000 miles. The striking Blue and Diamond Mist Metallic paint over a matching velour interior looks brand new. Although previously overlooked, the 280ZX has started to gain attention in the collector car world. In fact, our data shows the 280ZX now outpaces its “more desirable” siblings. In the last quarter, the 280ZX saw a 14 percent increase in traffic while the 240Z, 260Z, and 280Z remained relatively flat. This could be a sign that the market is starting to turn for later Z generations as the S30 moves out of the budget for many enthusiasts. Big sales like this are likely to continue.

1991 Mazda Miata Special Edition

Sale Price: $30,510

Average value in #1 (Concours) condition: $29,290 (with 15 percent Special Edition premium)

The 1991 Special Edition is the most-coveted Miata ever made. So, its not surprising that a flawless example with only 8000 original miles would be the first Miata to break the 30-grand barrier. The NA Miata has recently moved from “cheap roadster” to “investment” status as low-mileage examples become harder to find. This, in turn, has driven up price—the average #1 (Concours) condition value increased 10 percent in the last year alone (from $22,800 to $25,100). This is a record for a stock NA Miata, and at this price you could buy a Miata that’s 30 years newer. However, while that new ND will depreciate the second you drive it, this NA will only become more valuable.

1995 Mitsubishi 3000GT Spyder

Sale Price: $28,620

Average value in #1 (Concours) condition: $21,200

Radwood’s influence is being felt in the market. Obscure cars from the 1990s, especially from Japan, have been selling for insane prices. This 1995 Mitsubishi 3000GT SL Spyder is no exception, checking all the boxes. Weird styling? Check. Rare? Only 1034 Spyders ever produced—check. Unnecessarily complicated technology? The retractable hardtop added 400 pounds and rendered the trunk completely unusable when down—check. Fun fact: the 3000GT Spyder was the first retractable hardtop sold in America since the 1959 Ford Skyliner. This 3000GT is in amazing condition and was only driven 42,000 miles under single-family ownership from new. The SL trim was front-wheel-drive with a naturally-aspirated 3.0-liter V-6 making 222 horsepower—not too bad for 1995, but a major step down from the more desirable VR4’s all-wheel-drive and 320 horsepower twin-turbocharged V-6.

1985 Cadillac Eldorado

Sale Price: $21,600

Average value in #1 (Concours) condition: $18,600

Luxury cars from this time period have been doing well lately. The average #1-condition value for a 1979–85 Cadillac Eldorado  has increased 58 percent in the last two years, from $12,200 to $19,300. It makes sense; they just don’t make cars like they used to. The boxy styling with right angle metalwork is something we likely to never see again. This Eldorado in particular could be the best surviving example of it’s kind. This car was originally bought by a woman who’s husband bought an identical Eldorado on the same day. Since they had two identical cars, they ended up only driving one of them, which explains why this Eldo has only 3800 miles.

Other notable sales

Although it was in definite need of a refresh, a 1975 Bricklin SV-1 with 200 actual miles sold for $35,640 (right at #1-condition value).

A wood-paneled brown-on-brown-on-brown 1986 Chrysler LeBaron Mark Cross Town & Country commanded a $15,660 sale price—possibly the highest price ever paid for a LeBaron convertible that wasn’t associated with Frank Sinatra or Lee Iacocca.

A fully original 1970 Chevrolet Corvette 454 Coupe sold for just over its Concours-condition value of $74,000 (when all options are considered). This Corvette was driven only 7400 miles and has its original factory tires. The listing didn’t say if the tires hold their original St. Louis air.

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If today’s “compact” pickups seem like yesterday’s full-size pickups, you’re not crazy. A 2020 Ford Ranger is 210 inches long, and a Toyota Tacoma, nose to tail, is 212; those figures are comparable to a 1979 Ford F-Series regular cab pickup. Even in the ’70s, that seemed like more truck than some people needed. The Japanese pioneered the idea of smaller pickups, mostly because they designed trucks for their home market, where space came at a premium. However, as consumers embraced small cars in 1960s and ’70s, they also embraced small pickups.

Here are 8 throwbacks to an era when compact pickups really were compact.

1959 Datsun 1000 Pickup

Credit Nissan for selling the first compact Japanese pickup in America under the Datsun name. Nissan entered the American market with the 1000 sedan and rear-wheel-drive Datsun 1000 pickup. Heavily influenced by the British-made Austins, the truck’s minuscule 1.0-liter four-banger generated 37 hp, enough to haul a whopping 500 pounds. The following year, Nissan upgraded the pickup with a 48-hp 1.2-liter engine and renamed it the 1200.

As you might imagine, the pickup was slow, as were sales. The 1200 suffered from weak brakes and an engine designed for mild Japanese winters. The problem? The batteries were too small, which made them difficult to start on frigid Midwest mornings. Despite its weak points, however, the 1959 Datsun 1000 established a market segment that would reach its peak two decades later.

1969 Toyota Hilux

Though the Hilux first hit Japanese streets in March of 1968, Toyota didn’t introduce its first pickup to the American market until June, 1969. Until then, Toyota had been marketing Briska pickups developed and manufactured by Hino Motors. Like its predecessors, Hilux was manufactured by Hino, but Toyota handled the entire development process independently.

The Hilux was powered by an 84-hp, 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine and a four-speed column-mounted manual also used on the Japanese-market ToyoAce cabover truck. The Hilux featured a double-wishbone/coil-spring front suspension, a rigid-axle/leaf-spring rear setup, and a six-foot cargo bed. Payload capacity was rated at 2200 pounds.

1972 Chevrolet LUV pickup

Observing the growing success of diminutive Japanese pickups, Chevrolet fielded its own for 1972, importing the Isuzu Faster and rebadging it as the Chevrolet Light Utility Vehicle, or LUV. A 75-hp, 1.8-liter, overhead-cam four-cylinder and a four-speed manual transmission came standard. An automatic transmission arrived for 1976, and a longer bed and four-wheel drive for 1979. The LUV boasted a 1400-pound payload with its six-foot bed. Following the pattern set by the other trucklets on this list, the rear-drive LUV had an independent front suspension and a solid rear axle. In 1982, Chevy replaced the Luv with the midsize S-10.

1972 Ford Courier

Ford jumped on the compact pickup bandwagon with the Courier, which was essentially a Mazda Proceed styled to resemble an F-Series pickup that had been left in the dryer too long. The Courier featured a 1.8-liter overhead-cam engine that generated 74 hp and shifted via a four-speed manual. A five-speed was offered in 1976; a three-speed automatic was optional. The Courier boasted a 74.5-inch bed and a 1400-pound payload.

Ford replaced the Courier with the Dearborn-designed Ford Ranger in 1982. Ironically, Mazda would market a badge-engineered Ford Ranger from 1994–2000.

1978 Subaru BRAT

This is the oddball of the bunch—the front-wheel-drive 1978 Subaru Bi-drive Recreational All-terrain Transporter, or BRAT. What makes this trucklet odd isn’t its small size, but the two rear-facing seats in its pickup bed, which Subaru bolted in to avoid the 25 percent tariff on imported pickup trucks. Thanks to the hard plastic seats in its bed, the BRAT qualified as a passenger vehicle, not a pickup.

Plastic seats aside, the BRAT borrowed its mechanical underpinnings from Subaru’s Leone station wagon: a 67-hp 1.6-liter flat-four mated either to a four-speed manual or to a three-speed automatic transmission. The quirky truck featured part-time four-wheel drive but could haul a mere 350 pounds. The BRAT endured into a second generation, in which it gained a turbocharged engine and even T-tops. Subaru imported BRATS stateside through 1987 and they remained in production overseas through 1994.

1979 Dodge D-50 and Plymouth Arrow

Don’t let the domestic name fool you; the 1979 Dodge D-50 and Plymouth Arrow pickups were, in reality, rebadged Mitsubishi Fortes with 6.5-foot beds and maximum payloads of 1400 pounds. The base models got a 93-hp 2.0-liter four and a four-speed manual; Sport models boasted a more powerful 105-hp, 2.6-liter four-pot paired with a five-speed (a three-speed automatic was optional). The Plymouth Arrow survived until 1982, while the Ram 50 was built through 1986, when it was replaced by an all-new model.

1980 Volkswagen Pickup Truck

VW showed up late to the compact pickup party, introducing a Rabbit-based pickup for 1980. The VW Pickup—yes, that was its official name—rolled off the assembly line at Volkswagen’s Westmoreland factory in Pennsylvania, and VW made no bones about its Rabbit underpinnings. Under the pickup’s hood sat the Rabbit’s 78-hp 1.6-liter four-cylinder; if you opted for the 1.5-liter diesel (similarly cribbed from the Rabbit) you made do with only 48 hp. Both powerplants mated to a four-speed manual transmission, although a five-speed manual was available with either; on the 1.6-liter gas engine, a three-speed automatic transmission was optional.

The independent front suspension carried over unchanged from the Rabbit, but thankfully VW outfitted the Pickup with a more robust setup in the rear. Fully loaded, the truck could tote 1100 pounds. Though it was initially popular, plunging demand led to the Pickup’s demise by 1983.

1982 Dodge Rampage/Plymouth Scamp

Beginning in 1982, Chrysler Corporation fielded a Dodge Rampage pickup based on its front-wheel-drive L-body platform, which also underpinned the Dodge Omni/024/Charger and Plymouth Horizon/ TC3. The Rampage represented the first front-wheel-drive pickup offered by an American automaker.

Built using a longer wheelbase than its four-door relatives, the Rampage could haul up to 1000 pounds. Power came from Chrysler’s 84-hp, 2.2-liter four-banger and was channeled through a four-speed manual; a three-speed automatic or five-speed manual were optional. The Rampage survived until 1984 only to be resurrected in 1986 when Dodge rolled out the California Shelby Rampage. The reincarnated, hotted-up trucklet boasted a 99-hp version of the 2.2-liter motor that sent power through a four-speed manual and rumbled through performance exhaust. Just 218 were made.

Which is your favorite compact throwback?

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They say time flies when you’re having fun, but how on earth is Nissan’s original Z car turning 50 this year? The sports car that put an MGB-GT and Jaguar E-Type to shame and put Japan on the map with the world’s car enthusiasts could almost pass for something half that age, yet here it is celebrating its golden anniversary. And it is more desirable than ever.

The 240Z had a lot of things going for it when it was introduced to the world 50 years ago. It went on to strike gold for Datsun, despite the number of barriers it had to cross—or get around—in order to generate the kind of sales its Japanese creators envisioned.

Certainly, in America, thanks to Yutaka Katayama, then President of Nissan-USA, the strong sales forecast was spot-on. Numbers remained high for nearly two years after the car’s launch, with waiting lists present throughout the country.

What was not to like about this sporty, beefy little two-seater? For one thing, its design was sleek with a very edgy fastback roofline. Performance came from a well-proven, 2.4-liter straight-six engine that was virtually indestructible, coupled to a highly reliable four-speed transmission. The car’s handling—with a little tail-wagging thrown in for good measure—was superb and build quality was impressive. The name chosen for America, 240Z, was much more acceptable than “Fairlady,” favored in the Japanese homeland, and Z-mania painted much of the American landscape for the first part of the 1970s.

Of course, the barricades to its success were significant, as not many Japanese sports cars existed in the U.S. at the time. Japanese imports were primarily confined to econoboxes—four-door, high-mileage compacts that were easy on the wallet but a little hard on the eyes. Nissan, then known as Datsun, nevertheless wanted to serve as many market categories as it could and had previously introduced a sprightly little ragtop called the 1500 Sports (also called Fairlady in Japan), which grew into the 1600 and later the 2000 Sports, a small, lively two-seat convertible that was the manufacturer’s first sporty entry into America.

The second barrier that the company faced in the states was perception. Could a sports car from Japan really do well in the U.S., the land of powerful V-8s and made-in-Detroit mentality? The answer, we now know, was a categorical “yes.” Priced smartly, thanks to Katayama (known as “Mr. K”), who understood what the American buyer could logically afford, the 240Z had a sticker that was acceptable—lower than a Corvette’s but just a smidge ($200) above that of an MGB-GT, a car that Datsun felt was a logical competitor.

Japanese executives’ third concern revolved around the age of their U.S. audience. In 1970, would a young person want to buy this car? Was there a purpose for its existence among contemporary youth raised on hot rods and drag racing?

Again, the answer was “oh yeah, man.” If there was one thing America’s youth offered—and, indeed, young people around the world—it was buying power, which was unmatched by any previous generation. The 1960s had changed the way people thought. Britain could take credit for much of it, with the incredible cultural change brought on by the Beatles (which ushered in the British invasion of rock ’n’ roll) plus the ascension of the counterculture and the market strength of the younger generation. Soldiers coming back from Vietnam found the 240Z spoke to them and helped them define their independence. They didn’t want to drive their dad’s hand-me-down Buick; they had enough money to afford this little two-door hardtop from their local Datsun dealer and they wanted the freedom to express themselves.

The Z became known as the car with “a Jag hood and Porsche performance” for far less “bread” (or pounds or yen) than anything else on the market. And while its competitors—sadly, a group that included many British makes—languished in their respective showrooms, the Z sailed out of lots. Total sales weren’t comparable to the Ford Mustang’s, but for a brand-new Japanese import, The Z put up staggering stats.

Which brings us to the second half of this story—the UK market. Datsun/Nissan had a much slower start in Britain, which is perplexing; a right-hand-drive market should have made importing the Japanese model far easier.

Yet, British buyers were unaware of the Datsun brand. The Fairlady Roadster—the 240Z’s ragtop predecessor—was never officially sold in Britain. Datsun didn’t even arrive in England until 1968, when it first introduced the 100A (known in Japan as the Cherry) as a two- and four-door saloon, along with a coupe and a small estate (what we Yanks call a van), which was logically badged as “Van.” Keep it simple, right?

Buoyed by its initial success, Datsun dipped its toes further into British waters by bringing in the 240Z. There, as in most English-speaking countries, the letter Z is more commonly pronounced “Zed”; in the U.S., it’s pronounced “Zee.” Calling it a “240 Zed” didn’t seem as appealing, so in many cases, the car was referred to as the 240 Coupé, with the accent clearly marked on the “e.” That may have allowed pronunciation as “cou-pay,” but it didn’t matter.

The problem was that few British buyers could afford the Z, Zed, or Coupé because the car was pricey, thanks to duty (aka “protectionist tariffs” levied against Japanese imports) and added transportation costs. The E-Type, by comparison, carried none of these markups.

Nevertheless, Datsun introduced the Z in October 1970 at the Earls Court Motor Show. While public reaction was encouraging, the car did not become a big seller. According to Richard Heseltine, writing in the May 2007 issue of Motor Sport, “a small if select retinue in Great Britain were attracted to the car, with even the legendary Donald Healey reputedly a fan.”

Over time, the number of Z-cars in the UK have increased and sales of Datsun—now Nissan—products increased as the years progressed.

Some media and enthusiasts will say that the Z was timed right for the world when it launched in late 1969 through 1970. However, that evaluation depends largely on the country. Competition was keen in the UK, comprised mostly of the MGB, TR6, and the E-Type (within Europe, there was the Opel GT). Some even saw the Z as the modern-day successor to the Healey.

Fortunately, the Z has endured and, like some of Britain’s finest sports coupes—the E-Types and Healeys in particular, which have increased in value over the last several decades—the early 240Z has begun to acquire a certain cachet of its own, which has played into rapidly escalating prices within the market.

Recent activity among several auction houses, including Bring a Trailer, where an original 240Z sold for $310,000 (about £238,000 at the time) has demonstrated that some of the rarer versions—those sold in the UK along with others possessing low VINS and a select number of the 39 vintage Zs that were restored by Nissan in the mid-1990s and then sold to the public—are fetching high prices. It’s about time.

As the Z turns 50, it is finally getting its deserved recognition. Those who are fortunate enough to find themselves in possession of one, be it an early model or a contemporary offering, will know that their machine joins a proud lineage, one that should continue to be respected for years to come. The 240Z proved a shrewd investment for Datsun, pleased hundreds of thousands of enthusiasts, and changed the way the world viewed Japan’s car industry.

Pete Evanow is the author of Z: 50 Years of Exhilarating Performance, published by Motorbooks International. Click here to view on Amazon. He has worked extensively in motor sport, including the IndyCar series, and ran Nissan’s Z Store, overseeing the restoration of 240Zs for Nissan in America.

Via Hagerty UK

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Hagerty readers and Hagerty Drivers Club members share their cherished collector and enthusiast vehicles with us via our contact email, tips@hagerty.com. We’re showcasing some of our favorite stories among these submissions. To have your car featured, send complete photography and your story of ownership to the above email address.

Today’s featured car is a 1968 Datsun 1600 roadster, the Japanese contender in a fight that included MG, Fiat, and Triumph. Though many will whisper that Nissan merely ripped off the MGB, the petite 1600 debuted months before its British competitor. Their similar looks are purely coincidental. You can distinguish the Datsun easily by its stacked taillights and low-profile hood scoop. Produced under the Fairlady name in their home market, these roadsters progressed from 1963–70 from 1500 and 1600 models to a 2000 that became available in mid-1967.

This particular car belongs to Pete Cage, who traces his love for his current, blue 1600 roadster to his best friend Paul—or, more accurately, to the pale-yellow Spridget Paul owned in high school. Since then, Cage has owned a 1968 2000 roadster (treated to a full rattle-can paint job in his driveway, bumpers and all), and the handsome blue example featured today.

Though Datsuns are more durable than their British counterparts, replacement parts are much, much scarcer. Some parts he could buy immediately, others required a bit of saving, and all the fun stuff—the 8-qt cast aluminum oil pan, factory competition rear sway bar, 4.11:1 limited-slip diff—was NLA. “There weren’t any existential crises,” Cage writes, “but ultimately it was a bit like being nibbled to death by ducks.”

We’re glad to see that Cage approached his frustration in the healthiest way possible—by getting out and enjoying the drive. Even better, a drive with fellow Datsun owners!

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They say that when you adjust for inflation, $4200 in 1988 is something like $9200 now. But it’s more than that. My father was a patient and conservative investor. Putting $4200 in the S&P back in 1988 would yield 50 grand today. He was also smart enough to hop in on some tech stocks before it was too late.

Let’s say that it would be closer to $150K now, given the way his choices have gone. So that $4200 check my father signed over to Jack Maxton Chevrolet in October 1988 was really a $150,000 check, in a manner of speaking. Today, that would get you a used Huracan, a mint Viper ACR, two Ferrari Challenge cars with documented maintenance. In 1988, it got me a 1983 Datsun 200SX.

I couldn’t sleep once I had it. Particularly since I didn’t yet have my license. Just my “temps.” When the sun went down and my family went to bed, I would slip the front door silently open and then walk barefoot to the driveway and sit in the synthetic-wool seat, shifting through all five (five!) forward gears. The nights would pass in mostly insomniac exultation; the days were whipsaw combinations of minimum-wage drudge work and the ecstatic moments when I could get someone, anyone—a parent, my guitar teacher, an older friend—to sit in the passenger seat while I stalled and surged my way around various suburban neighborhoods. After perhaps 300 days as a right-seat trackday coach, I doubt I’ve ever been as badly scared as my mostly unwilling passengers so frequently were in the fall of 1988. I had Senna’s sense of potential gaps in traffic, fingertipping the 52,000-mile Datsun through lurid lane-changes with Pac-Man reflexes and a space invader’s attenuated sense of self-preservation.

The 200SX was a more than reasonable compromise between the car I wanted, which was a Corvette Z51, and the car I should have had, which was a pair of Air Jordans. At the time I was more than a little upset that we hadn’t been able to find a two-door hardtop instead of the fastback hatch, but I cannot remember why. The 200SX with a trunk was considered sportier, maybe. In 1988, hatchback meant “economy car.” Which this wasn’t, not by any stretch of the imagination. It was a big (175 inches, almost a Porsche 928!) and powerful (103 horsepower, in an era when the Accord had 86 and the 911 had about twice that) vehicle with upscale interior furnishings, but no tape player.

There was a newer 200SX in showrooms, of course, a so-called “S12” to my “S11.” It could be had with a turbocharger. My mother knew a woman who owned just such a car: black, stick-shift, turbo coupe. Notchback. She was gorgeous and impulsive, an older woman with perfect makeup and impeccable style, newly divorced. My mother told me, with audible disdain, that she was “certainly enjoying her freedom.” This sounded promising. It occurred to me at the time that we now had something in common. I rehearsed my opening lines to Miss Turbo SX until they were perfect, but when the moment came to make the pitch I was reduced by terror to a stammering sort of two-handed gesticulation where I pointed at both cars and mumbled in what I now perceive in hindsight to be a vaguely threatening manner. She slipped around me with practiced ease and disappeared into our house. “Go ride your bike,” my mother said.

“I don’t have to,” I snapped back, “I have a 200SX now.”

“Go sit in your 200SX,” she replied. In a way, it was a relief. I was an ignorant 16 and my fellow Nissan owner was an experienced 27. Which makes her 59 in 2020. She restores antique homes with her third husband, whose name sounds suspiciously made-up, like the fellow had been watching Downton Abbey with the court forms in his lap. Who would have thought that we would both grow up to be so respectable?

What if I hadn’t found a 200SX? It would have been OK. There were so many great cars for young people, dozens of models on the new and used markets with enthusiasm and aggression either baked into their souls or added courtesy of a tape-and-stripe package. Did you want something in the way of a used car, under 2500 pounds, five-speed transmission, lively to steer, relatively easy to fix? There were dozens of choices, Celica to Cavalier. GT-S, Z24, Escort GT. Five-liter Mustangs. If you could turn a wrench you could buy a BMW 2002 or Porsche 914 for pennies on the dollar. On the high end of things, there was a kid who drove a Ferrari to my high school. His dad got it cheap because there was a new Ferrari, called the Testarossa, that everyone wanted. My classmate’s bargain-basement coupe was called a “Berlinetta Boxer.”

As a kid in this era you were just dropped into a soup of cars with sporting intent. They were all around you, in every grocery store parking lot and on every suburban street. Objectively speaking, all of them would be easy meat for my 2017 Silverado LTZ 6.2-liter Max Tow, either in a straight line or (shhhh) around a road course—but they didn’t feel like that at the time. A lot of young people didn’t start out as “car guys,” but they became that way when they bought something like a General Motors J-car with a big-swaybar suspension option.

No matter what you bought (or were given), chances are it was noisy, harsh, a little darty under power. You had to be involved in the process of driving. It was impossible to guess ahead of time how someone would behave behind the wheel. During my freshman year at university, I caught a short ride once with a young woman in her 1989 Ford Probe, and to this day I can’t believe Frank Williams didn’t roll around the corner at the end of it and offer her a contract. Her car had 10,000 miles on it and the cords were showing on three of the four tires.

It was an era of massively enthusiastic cars in the hands of utter non-enthusiasts. In particular, the five-speed E28-generation BMW 535is, which was seemingly factory-tuned to produce the most lurid powersteer possible but yet was driven by every soccer mom and lawyer dad in the neighborhood. You’d see them off the road every time it rained, two long furrows in the grass leading up to their current resting place. I still remember driving at irresponsible speed under a bridge overpass one night and being briefly terrified by the friendly frog face of a 911 Carrera Targa emerging from the bevy of bushes it had recently entered tail-first. The features behind the windshield were drained bloodless white but were still recognizable as the fellow who owned a few local fast-food restaurants.

Here at Hagerty we talk a lot about preserving the joy of driving for future generations. Because many of us are now what you would call connoisseurs, this often takes the form of, “Let’s show these kids a Dino,” or “Let’s drive some teenagers around in a Vignale Spyder.” That’s wonderful and important, but it would be a lot more helpful if we could somehow find a warehouse filled with showroom-new Cavalier Z24s that could be strategically placed at used-car lots next to Mom’s old CR-V and Dad’s old BMW X3. We have plenty of nice cars to share with kids. What we need are some lousy ones that nevertheless spark the possibility of a lifelong passion.

I already own about the nearest thing to a 1983 200SX you can find nowadays—my 2014 Accord V6 Coupe avec clutch. My son is fairly uninterested in cars—he likes to race proper karts, but that enthusiasm doesn’t translate into roadgoing automobiles. I am hoping the Accord does yeoman’s work in converting him to our cause, that he will see it as the kind of personal rocketship my 200SX was to me, an authentic first love in a life of many attachments to come.

My first love, it should be noted, didn’t last very long. I crashed it before I even got my permanent license, with an 18-year-old co-conspirator in the passenger seat. It was back to shank’s mare for me. I rode my bicycle to a variety of crummy restaurant jobs in the 18 months between totaling one car and grifting my way into another one. It didn’t matter. This was not the sort of flame one can easily extinguish. In the 30 years after that I would go on to buy more than 60 motor vehicles on my own dime. Today I have, uh, something like three race cars, three-and-a-half motorcycles, seven street cars, and various other projects and ideas. Out of justifiable penitence I lent two of my Porsches to my father for a few years until I thought we were close to square—on the automotive side, at least.

They say that when you adjust for inflation, $4200 in 1988 is something like $9200 now. But it’s more than that. In a world where I start my driving career with a hand-me-down station wagon (trust me, kids, those were NOT COOL in the era before the sport-utility-vehicle showed us just how deeply uncool a vehicle could really be), I probably don’t go on to work for various car dealerships, finance companies, performance tuners, and “buff book” magazines. I’d be just another frustrated face on the freeway, just another middle-aged man with no passion for driving and consequently no driving passion.

It is any wonder I still think about that 200SX from time to time? Forty-two hundred bucks. It was a lot of money. It was money well spent.

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There are so many collector car owners eager to move past the health crisis and stretch their legs, minds, and wallets that RM Sotheby’s has expanded its upcoming online auction. Bidding in RM Sotheby’s Driving into Summer event is scheduled to begin on May 21 at 1 p.m. ET, with staggered closures on lots now extended to two days—starting May 28 at 11 a.m. ET and continuing May 29—due to “significant consignor interest.”

Topping a diverse lineup of more than 100 motor cars, plus automobilia, are an early production 1995 Ferrari F50 and a rare 1985 Ferrari 288 GTO.

Hagerty auction editor Andrew Newton says collectors obviously haven’t lost their enthusiasm during the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic and are ready to return to some semblance of normalcy. In the meantime …

“Given recent activity on established online auction platforms, like Bring a Trailer and Hemmings, as well as the successful pivot to online sales from traditional auction houses, it’s clear that people are still interested in buying and selling collector cars, even if they have to do so in a modified form,” Newton says. “We’re particularly interested in seeing how the seven-figure Ferraris (288 GTO and F50) will do, since in an online setting, cars at that price point are somewhat uncharted territory.”

Here are seven—ranging from supercars and luxury automobiles to muscle cars, Japanese sports cars, and oddballs—that we’ll be keeping an eye on.

1966 Autobianchi Bianchina Panoramica

Estimate: $30,000–$40,000 (no reserve)

HPG #2 (Excellent) value: N/A

Yes, this is a minicar, but it comes from perhaps the most-upscale microcar brand. Riding on Fiat 500D chassis with 499-cc engine, the Autobianchi Bianchina Panoramica is surprisingly spacious for a vehicle of its size. Painted in two-tone red over white, it underwent a recent full-body restoration and is accessorized with period stickers, roof rack, and picnic basket. It’s a sweet treat that will definitely brighten your neighborhood—even if your neighbors can’t yet come over and get a closer look.

1972 Datsun 240Z

Estimate: $35,000–$50,000

HPG #2 (Excellent) value: $42,100

When introduced 1969, the Datsun 240Z immediately changed the reputation of Japanese cars—in a positive way. Beautiful styling, a smooth 2.4-liter, overhead-cam straight-six engine, and independent rear suspension made the Z a solid all-around sports car. And its top speed of 125 mph was better than the Porsche 911T and Jaguar E-Type of the day—for about half the price.

1964 Rolls-Royce Phantom V Touring Limousine by James Young

Estimate: $60,000–$70,000

HPG #2 (Excellent) value: $169,000

Originally owned by country music legend Roy Clark, this ’64 Rolls-Royce limousine is one of 217 Phantom V models with James Young coachwork. Clark owned the Rolls from 1977 until his death in 2018, so it seems appropriate that it is monogrammed with his initials. With more than $30,000 in service completed by Austin’s Luxury Auto Works in 2019 and ’20, the estimate seems awfully low. A bargain in the making, perhaps?

1970 Pontiac Trans Am

Estimate: $75,000–$85,000

HPG #2 (Excellent) value: $74,800

Even if bidding reaches the high estimate for this 1970 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, its new owner will still be thousands of dollars ahead, considering that $120,000 has already been invested in the stunning muscle machine. One of 1769 Trans Ams equipped with a Ram Air III engine and manual transmission in 1970, it has been driven only 789 miles since undergoing a rotisserie restoration by Trans Am Depot.

2002 Ferrari 575 Maranello

Estimate: $225,000–$275,000

HPG #2 (Excellent) value: $248,000 ($123K + $125K premium for manual)

Delivered new to Canada and one of only 246 to leave the factory with North American specifications, this first-year 575 Maranello packs a 485-hp, 5.5-liter V-12 and is fitted with the highly desirable Fiorano Handling Package and six-speed manual transmission. Resplendent in Giallo Modena paint, the Maranello currently displays less than 15,000 kilometers. (If older Ferraris are more your speed, a 1964 Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 Series I by Pininfarina is also available.)

1985 Ferrari 288 GTO

Estimate: $2,200,000–$2,400,000

HPG #2 (Excellent) value: $2,350,000

The first of Ferrari’s incredible series of supercars, the highly anticipated, race-bred 288 GTO was built to impress. It is equipped with a 2.8-liter V-8 engine with twin IHI turbochargers, pumping out a monstrous 400 hp with 366 ft-lb of torque, and has a top speed of 189 mph.

One of just 272 produced, this 288 GTO was purchased new by well-known Ferrari collector Hartmut Ibing and has had only four owners from new. It is also one of the few examples originally equipped with optional air-conditioning and power windows.

1995 Ferrari F50

Estimate: $2,500,000–$2,750,000

Hagerty Price Guide #2 (Excellent) value: $2,100,000

The second production model of 349 F50s produced, this matching-numbers F50 was displayed at the 1995 Frankfurt Motor Show and shows only 3371 miles. Intended as an early celebration of the marque’s 50th anniversary, the F50 split the difference between raw Ferraris of the past and the high-tech future, as its 512-hp, 4.7-liter V-12 stretched the limits of natural aspiration and its shapely body was created from carbon fiber. Of note: The F50 production prototype hammered not sold at a $2.5M high bid at Worldwide Auctioneers’ Scottsdale event this past January.

Which car will you be eyeing among this eclectic mix, come May 28?

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Datsun’s Z-cars have a tremendous following; all generations of these celebrated Japanese sports cars deliver lively handling and spirited performance, but not all models are as desirable to collectors. Compared to the 240Z, the 1975-1978 Datsun 280Z had remained a tremendous bargain—until recently. Still, the 280Z is a lot more affordable than the original Z-car.

After shooting up quite a bit to kick off 2020, current 280Z #1 (Concours) values look a lot like 240Z values at the beginning of 2019 and are also quite similar to the one-year-only 1974 260Z. Even the longer-wheelbase 280Z 2+2 has seen its #1 values jump up considerably, gaining more than 40 percent while #2 (Excellent) values remain temptingly affordable.

This is not a new phenomenon, as desirable models will typically drive up the price of similar cars, even when they’re not the same brand. In the case of the 240Z vs the 280Z, the later cars still share much of the gorgeous 240Z styling but add crash-resistant bumpers—the scourge of many mid-‘70s sports cars. Thankfully, Datsun stylists did an admirable job integrating the big bumpers and the original lines still shine through.

Between late 2017 and 2019, the 1975-1978 Datsun 280Z saw only very small increases in price, and it was simply riding the market average with a Hagerty Vehicle Rating (HVR) score of around 50. But between January 2019 and January 2020 the median #2 (Excellent-condition) value increased 33 percent. This shot the HVR score up to a 62 in our latest look at the numbers.

[Note: The Hagerty Vehicle Rating takes auction and private sales results, insurance quoting activity, and the number of new policies purchased into consideration, to sort hundreds of car models and compare them to the collector car market as a whole. Our valuation team then assigns a score from 1-to-100, with a 50 denoting a car that’s perfectly following the overall market trend. Popular cars that are gaining interest and value will score higher, those with flagging interest or sale prices score lower. A vehicle’s position on the list isn’t always a sign of future collectability, it’s more of a pulse of the current market.]

The 12-month change in number of quotes was down for 19 of the last 24 months on the 280Z, meaning that the number of quotes has been steadily dropping for the last two years, even before the newest surge in price, and it reached its lowest point in August of 2019. Since then it has rebounded a bit, although the recent uptick in values may have priced some buyers out of the market.

Hagerty valuation specialist James Hewitt had this to say about the 280Z: “It’s odd to see a Japanese car that has been a recent topic of discussion be held down by such a low quoting score, let alone an actual drop in quotes. Recent movement in the 240 market will hopefully bring increased interest as buyers play the substitution game for drivers’ cars.”

There’s a cottage industry for back-dating air-cooled Porsches to look like older examples, so it may not be too long before we see the same kind of treatment lavished on later Z-cars. Until then, it seems that buyers might be more tempted by the cleaner styling of the 260Z, the last real bargain in the Z-car market.

Like this article? Check out Hagerty Insider, our e-magazine devoted to tracking trends in the collector car market.

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