Nissan Fairlady Z: 1969-1978 жылдардағы спорт машинасы

Japanese sports car produced 1969 to 1978

The Nissan S30, sold in Japan as the Nissan Fairlady Z and in other markets as the Datsun 240Z, then later as the 260Z and 280Z, is a grand tourer produced by Nissan (Datsun in USA) from 1969 until 1978. The S30 was conceived of by Yutaka Katayama, the President of Nissan Motor Corporation U. S. A., and designed by a team led by Yoshihiko Matsuo, the head of Nissan's Sports Car Styling Studio. It is the first car in Nissan's Z series of sports cars. Aiming to compete directly with established European sports cars, Datsun priced the new 240Z within $200 of the British MGB GT in the United States, a five year old design that showed its age. The 240Z's styling, engineering, relatively low price, and impressive performance resonated with the public, received a positive response from both buyers and the motoring press, and immediately generated long waiting lists. As a halo car, the 240Z broadened the acceptance of Japanese car makers beyond their economic image. Datsun's growing dealer network—compared to limited production imported sports cars manufactured by Jaguar, BMW, Porsche, Alfa Romeo, and Fiat—ensured both easy purchase and ready maintenance. All variants of the S30 have four wheel independent suspension consisting of MacPherson struts in the front (borrowed from the Nissan Laurel C30) and Chapman struts in the back. Front disc brakes and rear drums were standard. The 240Z used twin SU style Hitachi one barrel side draft carburettors. These were replaced on the 260Z with Hitachi one barrel side draft carburettors beginning with model year 1973 to comply with emissions regulations, resulting in diminished overall performance. A Bosch designed L Jetronic electronic fuel injection was added to US market 280Zs in 1975 to compensate. Continuing through the 1975–1978 model years, markets outside of the United States (and Japan, which only offered the 2 liter engine from 1974) still received the 260Z coupé and 2+2. The S30 240Z is unrelated to the later 240SX, which is sold as the Silvia in Japan.

The Fairlady Z was introduced in late 1969 as a 1970 model, with the L20 2.0 liter straight six SOHC engine, rear wheel drive, and a stylish coupe body. In Japanese specs the engine, based on the Datsun 510's four cylinder, produced JIS and came with a four or a five speed manual transmission. For 1973, power of the carburetted engine dropped to to meet stricter regulations. In Japan, the Fairlady was exclusive to Nissan Japanese dealerships called Nissan Store. Japanese buyers could also get the L24 engined Fairlady 240Z model (HS30), although the larger engine placed it in a considerably higher tax category. The Japanese spec 2.4 liter engine produces a claimed JIS at 5,600 rpm but was discontinued in 1973 as sales had dropped considerably as a result of the fuel crisis, and so until the August 1978 introduction of the Fairlady 280Z only two liter Fairladys were available. When export models changed over to the larger 2.6 liter 260Z in 1974, only 2 liter models remained available to Japanese buyers. A Fairlady 260Z had been planned for release, but the impact of the oil crisis stopped the model, although the 260Z was available in Okinawa (which drove on the right side of the road until 1978). The Fairlady Z received all the changes as applied to the export models, including the addition of a long wheelbase 2+2 model. Introduced in January 1974, this received the GS30 chassis code. In 1975 the L20 engine gained fuel injection to meet new emissions standards (A S30, A GS30) and once again provided JIS. At the end of July 1976 the car received the NAPS system, including an EGR system, to meet the stricter yet emissions standards in effect for this year, bringing with it a change in model codes to S31 (C S31/C GS31). At the same time, the more luxurious Fairlady Z T model was introduced

The Fairlady ZG was available in three colors: Grand Prix Red, Grand Prix White, and Grand Prix Maroon. The "G" in Fairlady ZG stands for "Grande." Although the ZG was not sold in the US and was never sold outside Japan, in order for it to be eligible for competition in the US, Nissan sold the nose kit as a dealer's option which is known as the "G nose". With the nose added, these 240Zs are often referred to as 240ZGs outside of Japan.

Packaging the S20 engine (originally designed by the former Prince engineers) from the Skyline GT R created a faster Fairlady. "Z432" referred to 4 valves per cylinder, 3 Mikuni carburetors, and 2 camshafts. The model code is PS30. Approximately 420 were built. Some Z432s were used by the police in Japan.

A Japan only model Fairlady Z equipped with the twin cam 2.0 L inline six cylinder "S20" engine shared with the KPGC10 Skyline GT R was released in the Japanese domestic market (JDM) for homologation purposes (to enable its use as a rally car). The Z432R were all painted orange with black aluminum wheels and a low luster black hood. Z432R had lighter front guards, doors, and bonnet, as well as further engine enhancements over the Z432. In January 2020 a 1970 Z432R sold at auction in Japan for a record , about US$.

From 1997 to 2002 Nissan did not offer the Z car line outside of Japan, where the Fairlady Z (Z32) remained available until 2000. In 1998, Nissan launched a program to bring back the Z car line by first purchasing original 240Zs, then restoring them to factory specifications, and finally selling them to dealerships for $24,000. This was an effort to keep Z car interest alive. Nissan over estimated the market for the cars and low demand (and the high price) meant that less than fifty cars were re manufactured and sold. Furthermore, in 1999, a concept car was shown to the public in a plan to return to the fundamentals that made the 240Z a market success. Now, in 2024, the latest Z car is simply sold as the Z. Its design stems from multiple Z's that came before it.