1973 Datsun 240Z Restoration - [PART 3]
A Japanese leader has found the formula to penetrate the US and purse heart with a cheap sports car.
Just a few weeks a shudder went through the spines of many Nissan car enthusiasts announced the relaunch of the brand Datsun An instant flashback to the early 1970s has returned and with it the Datsun Z cars, starting with the 240Z unforgettable, the first mass-market Japanese sports car like the flashback faded, however, the news sank in Nissan will not revive the past glories Datsun; it is to be a market brand down for cheap car for emerging markets.
The idea of the Z-car started in the early 60s when Yutaka Katayama, a senior Datsun, was sent to the US to do research on the market Japanese automakers have tried to enter the US market and Katayama, who later became famous in the US as Mr. K, felt that the Americans talk about cars talk about sports cars one of its missions was to sort out the best way to import cars in the United States, he realized it would be better to do it with your own business rather be dependent on commercial companies have made this recommendation, he was appointed to establish and run their operations in the United States.
In his new position, Mr. K has lobbied for the production of a sports car really built and designed for the US market in 1968, Nissan began selling the Datsun 510 with an engine 1 6 liters In 1970, the 240Z is Nissan came originally wanted the car to be named Fairlady, but Mr. K already aware of American tastes, convinced corporate bureaucrats to add the 240Z to the original name, which is now almost forgotten the Z becomes one of the most famous brands in the automotive world for the Japanese 240Z was the exception to the rule that directed the sports car Styling, keeping single Yoshihiko Matsuo, written in 1999.
There are approximately 35 years, Japan was just beginning to make inroads into the US market, but when our products were not popular, they sold because they were cheap when M. Katayama returned to America, he said that we could go to the cheap economy cars forever, but in doing so we would never be able to progress Nissan export markets, and Japan as a whole needed to build something beautiful, something original that would make foreign manufacturers sit up and take notice of us in October 1969 two silver Datsun 240 Z s arrived on the west coast of the United States for tests.
After completing several thousand miles they returned to Japan before the start of production model of Mr. K expects sales of 3,000 units per month; but officials didn t think that this projection and production assigned to the Nissan Shatia Koki Company, where Nissan was later proven participation of 16 percent This is totally inadequate to feed the American appetite for new car Japanese Sport 240Z was equipped with an in-line engine 2 4 liter 6 cylinder a single camshaft actuated two valves per cylinder, the engine may rev in an impressive 7000 rpm.
Output was measured at 151hp and 146ft-lbs of torque transmission are three options two keyboards with four or five speeds and three-speed automatic transmission The 240Z came with an independent suspension at all four corners, disc brakes at the front and drums at the rear, he weighed only 2355 pounds and had a top speed of 125 mph at the time in 1970, there was nothing quite like in the United States during 70s, the 240Z has become a popular rally racing car and he took part in the race on American and European and African road rally, as his most memorable victories were achieved in East Africa Safari rally.
In 1969, the Datsun 1600 SSS sedan, driven by Rauno Aaltonen was eighth on RAC Rally in the UK and proved he could actually rally a year later Aaltonen was driving a 240Z Coupe with 200 ch This time he took early retirement due to differential failure but Tony Fall, a rally driver in the UK, has its 240Z home in 7th place Edgar Herman, a Kenyan of German origin, won the fearsome Safari Rally in 1971 and Shekhar Mehta won in 1973, he covered 3,300 miles of difficult terrain Africa there was no special stages in this rally, it was actually a long special that was to be treated in order to keep the car in one piece.
The original 240Z was sold from 1970 to 1973 before being replaced by the 260Z and later by the 280Z In 1998, Nissan launched a program in which he bought old cars Z and restored them to the specification of factory and sells them to concessions for 24,000 He was a great way to keep alive the dynasty.
Japanese Sports Cars Part 3 Datsun 240Z, Japanese, sports, cars, party.
Performing Arts and Radio-TV Center, 32 Campus Dr, Missoula, MT 59812, США