240Z (S30)

Mister K's idea

The Z was driven into existence by Yutaka "Mister K" Katayama, president of Nissan Motor Corporation U.S.A., who wanted an attainable, youth-oriented sports car for the American market with the look and feel of something far more expensive — his own touchstone was the Jaguar E-Type. The car went on sale in the US as a 1970 model in October 1969, and in Japan as the Nissan Fairlady Z (the "Fairlady" name carried over from Datsun's earlier sports roadster).

The design-credit debate

Who actually styled the S30 is one of the most persistent arguments in collector-car history, so we present it neutrally. The factory and the Nissan enthusiast community credit a team led by Yoshihiko Matsuo, head of Nissan's Sports Car Styling Studio, and there is a well-documented trail of his sketches showing the shape evolving. A competing popular story gives credit to German designer Albrecht Graf von Goertz (of BMW 507 fame), who consulted for Nissan from 1963–1965 on an unrelated two-liter sports-car project (a stillborn Nissan–Yamaha collaboration) that was never produced. In a 1980 letter — written to head off a threatened lawsuit — Nissan stated that the 240Z was the work of its own design staff, while acknowledging that those designers had been "influenced by" and "had the benefit of" Goertz's earlier work for Nissan. Most marque historians today credit Matsuo's team for the production S30 and treat the "Goertz designed the Z" claim as a myth; we record both positions rather than pick a side.

Why it mattered

The 240Z undercut its rivals dramatically while offering things they didn't: an overhead-cam straight-six (not a four), four-wheel independent suspension, front disc brakes, and a comfortable, well-equipped cabin. Period reviewers and buyers responded immediately, and the car generated long waiting lists. It also won on track and in rallying — including the 1973 East African Safari Rally in Shekhar Mehta's hands — and is widely credited, alongside the Datsun 510, with kick-starting the Japanese performance-aftermarket industry in the US.

One car, several names

In export markets the car was the Datsun 240Z (chassis HLS30 for left-hand drive, HS30 for right-hand drive). In Japan it was the Nissan Fairlady Z, normally with the smaller 2.0-liter L20 six so it fell under a lower engine-displacement road-tax band; a 2.4-liter Fairlady 240Z (HS30) was also offered there at a higher tax cost. The Japan-only Fairlady Z432 (PS30) used the Skyline GT-R's exotic S20 twin-cam 24-valve two-liter, with the lightweight Z432-R as a homologation special. The Japan-only 240ZG (HS30-H) wore the aerodynamic "G-nose."

The 240Z ran in the US through the 1973 model year, after which a larger-displacement 260Z (2.6L) took over for 1974, followed by the fuel-injected 280Z (2.8L) — but the 2.4-liter original is the car enthusiasts mean when they say "the Z."

Rust (the defining problem). The S30 unibody rusts in the floors, frame rails, rockers/sills, battery tray, front fenders, rear quarters/dogleg, wheel arches, windshield and hatch surrounds, and spare-wheel well. It is the single biggest factor in 240Z values and restoration cost.

SU-type carburetor tuning. The twin 1.75 in Hitachi SU-type (constant-velocity) carbs reward correct setup with smooth response and good economy, but they drift out of balance, wear (throttle-shaft/needle), and clog after sitting — and modern fuel doesn't help. Specialists often use a Gunson Colortune and a carb balancer to set mixture and synchronize them. A poorly running 240Z is very often just out-of-tune or tired carbs rather than anything catastrophic.

Emissions-era running changes (1973). For the 1973 model year US cars got emissions-oriented "flat-top" SU carburetors and a revised (E88) cylinder head; the flat-top carbs in particular are widely considered harder to keep tuned, and many owners convert to the earlier round-top SUs.

General age items. Perished suspension bushings and body weatherstripping, tired cooling systems, and decades-old wiring are routine on unrestored cars. The L-series six itself is robust and parts support (including upgrades from the later 280ZX) is strong.

Rust is the number-one issue — assume it until proven otherwise. These unibody cars rot in well-known places: the floor pans, frame rails, rocker/sill panels, the battery tray area (battery acid accelerates it), the front fenders behind the wheels, the dogleg/rear quarter and wheel arches, around the windshield and the rear hatch surround, and the spare-wheel well. Even a car advertised as "rust-free" frequently hides rot or past filler/fiberglass repairs. Sound metal here is worth more than almost any other attribute.

Check for bad past repairs. Because they were cheap for so long, many 240Zs were patched with body filler or fiberglass over rot. Most panels are now reproduced, so budget honestly rather than walking away from an otherwise good car — but price accordingly.

SU carbs that have sat. The twin Hitachi/SU-type carbs are simple and excellent when set up, but they fall out of tune and gum up if a car sits, and modern ethanol fuel is hard on them. A car that's been parked will usually want the carbs cleaned/rebuilt and properly balanced and tuned — ask the seller directly.

Originality / running changes. Nissan made constant running changes across Series I–IV; verify part numbers, badges and stampings if originality matters to you, and be wary of top-dollar cars with no paperwork. The earliest 1969–mid-1971 "Series I" cars (chrome sail-pillar 240Z badge, hatch vents) are the most prized.

Drivetrain and rubber. Listen and drive: the L24 is tough but check for the usual leaks/smoke; budget for perished suspension and weatherstrip rubber (all readily available) and old tires (check date codes).

The 240Z spent decades as a cheap, attainable classic, which is exactly why so many were modified, neglected, or lost to rust. That has changed sharply. Hagerty's buyer's guide noted that a #2 ("Excellent") condition 240Z worth roughly US$20,000 around 2011 had climbed to about US$54,500 by early 2021, with especially strong appreciation in the 2015–2018 window and several recent six-figure outliers for exceptional cars. Interest skews younger than most classics, toward Gen X and millennial buyers.

At the very top of the market, rarity rules: a 1970 Fairlady Z432-R sold at a Japanese auction in January 2020 for about A$1.17 million (roughly US$837,000) — but that is a Japan-only, sub-50-unit homologation special, not a US 240Z, and should not be read across to ordinary cars.

For an ordinary US 240Z, the value story is condition-and-rust-driven: early "Series I" cars, documented originality, and clean metal command large premiums, while rusty or heavily modified cars trade for far less. These are directional, date-stamped observations (the Hagerty figures above are early-2020s), not a price guarantee — collector values move. Use the Fully Sorted Value Guide for live comps before buying or selling.