The Z you Didn’t Know You Needed

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Everyone remembers the Datsun 240Z, the Japanese E-Type with prices to match.  Twenty years ago a really nice 240Z could be bought for under $20k and we all thought they were outrageously expensive then. Well try buying one now. So does this bode well for the 240z’s younger, bigger boned, Cousin? This very original survivor is available at Turners Hamilton. Read on... 

It can be difficult to predict what cars are going to be sought after collectibles of the future but we can try. The original Z car was pitched against the MGBGT sports car that was quite popular in America at the time. The Datsun was a success due to being faster, better looking, more reliable and cheaper than the MG. In fact the 240Z was more powerful than the far more expensive Porsche 911 at the time. So it seems the 240Z was always destined for classic status. So how does the 300ZX stack up? 

In its day the 300ZX was competing favourably with much more exotic European and American machinery and proved to be very popular. Sure, the 300ZX is pretty porky for a sports car (it is 500kg heavier than the 240z) but then again, lots of cars got fat in the 80s and 90s. This longer 2+2 model with normally aspirated V6 is perhaps not the most desirable model from the range - that accolade goes to the twin turbo coupe with its impressive 300hp - but this car at least has the manual transmission that will always be more popular with sports car enthusiasts. All in all, the 300ZX probably has the attributes to become a future classic. 

This particular car is well worth looking at due to being a one NZ owner car since arriving in New Zealand 22 years ago. It’s rare to find this sort of car with low ownership and generally bodes well for a solid service history and originality. It’s available to buy now at $12,920 from Turners Hamilton. More details here.