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Datsun 240Z
The 240Z was the first highly successful Japanese sports car on the American market. And it is a legend that is still highly desirable, even today. The 240Z was a proper sports model that featured a bigger engine and better construction. And it delivered more power and performance than anything coming from Japan in those days.
Some critics say it was a copy of several European designs. Nevertheless, the 240Z managed to win many buyers over and create its own segment. They introduced it in America in 1970, and the 240Z was a perfect car for the times. The muscle car craze started to wind down and the safety regulations killed domestic performance cars.
So, people were looking for alternatives that could provide similar driving excitement with better handling at budget prices. The European models were too expensive, so the Datsun 240Z was the right car for the moment. The early models got 150 HP from a 2.4-liter six-cylinder and that was more than enough for a lively performance.
Over the years, Datsun improved the original model with bigger engines, 2.6 and 2.8-liter units, and several restyles. But the demand was always fantastic. So, when they discontinued the first series of Z cars in 1978, Datsun had made over 300,000 of them. This makes the 240Z one of the most successful sports cars in history.