Lineage · S30 · Gen 1
Datsun 240Z
1969–1973 · Fairlady Z · HS30
The car that started it. A cheap, beautiful grand-touring sports car with an independent rear and a smooth straight-six — sold as the Fairlady Z in Japan and the 240Z in export markets.
Yutaka Katayama fought for a true sports car for America. Yoshihiko Matsuo’s long-hood, short-deck shape arrived in U.S. showrooms in late 1969 and immediately undercut the European GTs on price without looking like a compromise. Club archives still treat a clean 240Z as the origin story.
- Inline-six, rear-wheel drive, independent rear suspension
- Sold as a 1970 model after an 18 October 1969 on-sale date
- The shape every later Z still quotes
Stills