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History
From the Datsun 240Z to the Nissan 300ZX
- 26 years of success!

Datsun 240 Z

1966	Nissan Motors identifies a market for a new kind of sports car. Its product planners envision an agile, compact GT, whose performance and comfort would outrun its price. Nissan engineers begin work on a prototype, which would become the 240Z.
1969	The 240Z goes on sale in the U.S. on october 22, 1969. It features a 2400cc six-cylinder, 150 hp engine, and delivers a 0-60 mph time in under nine sec - all for a price of only $3,526.
1970	Less than a year after the its debut, demand for the 240Z is so high that the Kelly Blue Book rates the value of a used Z at $4,000! Bob Sharp and Pete Brock take the Datsun 240Z to the race track in SCCA competition - driver John Morton wins the C-Production national championship for Brock Racing.
1971	John Morton wins his second straight C-Production national title with BRE.
1972	Bob Sharp drives a 240Z to the first of his two consecutive national C-Productions national championships.
1973	At the close of the 240Z's fourth and final year, all-time sales reach 116,712 units.
1974	The engine diplacement of the 1974 model is increased to 2.6 liters, and the car is renamed the 260Z. Due to stricter emissions requirements, horsepower is down to 139. 1974 also brings the introduction of the "2+2" body style, which accommodates fold-down rear seats. In its only year of existence (in the North American market), the 260Z sets a single-year Z-car sales record at the time, with 63,963 units sold. Walt Moss extends Datsun's Z-car dominance by claiming the C-Productions national championship.

Datsun 260 Z

1975

Needing increasingly complex technology to meet even tougher emissions regulations, Nissan boosts the Z-car's diplacement to 2.8 liters and adds a version of Bosch's L-Jetronic fuel injection, creating the 1975 280Z. Horsepower rating is increased to 149.
Sharp moves up to the IMSA GTU (Grand Touring Under 2.5 Liter Engines) racing circuit, winning eight races and capturing the championship. He also wins his third SCCA C-Production title.

Datsun 280 ZR

1977	A five-speed overdrive transmission is added to the 280Z and horsepower climbs to 170. 1977 is also the Z's highest sales year to date, with 67,331 units sold.
1978	The first Z to be painted black is sold - The Black Pearl Edition. This is also the last year of the first generation body style.
1979	An all-new, second-generation Z-car is developed, debuting as the 280ZX. The 280ZX offers a higher level of luxury to meet the growing demands of the sports car customer. Named Motor Trend's "Import Car of the Year" for 1979, the 280ZX sets the all-time sales record for the Z line with 86,007 units sold. The Z-car captures its 10th consecutive SCCA C-Productions national championship. Don Devendorf wins another IMSA GTU title for Datsun. A special edition 280ZXR i sold to the public.
1980	A new T-bar roof option is introduced. Cumulative American Z-car sales reach 500,000 units.
1981	A turbocharged engine is offered for the first time on the 1982 280ZX. Sales remained brisk trough the 1983 model year.
1982	Devendorf and his Electromotive racing team win Datsun's first ever IMSA GTO (Grand Touring Over 2.5 Liter) championship.
1984	The third-generation Z, the all-new 300ZX, makes its debut. The 300ZX offers sleek new styling and powerful new 3.0 liter V6 engine, elevating the car's performance to even greater heights. The normally-aspirated 300ZX produces 160 hp, while the turbocharged version offers 200 hp. The 1984 model becomes the second-best selling Z ever, with 73,652 units sold. The 50th Anniversary Edition 300ZX is sold to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of NISSAN MOTORS OF JAPAN (1934)
1985	Paul Newman, splitting time between the SCCA's professional Trans-Am series and the amature ranks, sets 10 track records in his 280ZX Turbo and leads the national championship race wire-wire to win his third title.
1986	Newman wins his second straight SCCA GT-1 national crown.
1988	Scott Sharp, son of the legendary Datsun racer Bob, wins his second straight SCCA GT-1 national championship, and his third title overall.
Late 80's	Toward the end of the 1980's the overall sports car market faces a downturn due to a significant increase in consumer demand for multi-purpose vehicles such as minivans and sport utilities. Back-to-basic is the name of the game when it comes to sports cars, and for Nissan, it means a return to more of a performance orientation during the development of the next generation Z-car.
1990	In response, the fourth-generation Z -- the dramatic 1990 300ZX -- takes on tighter proportions and a much more aggressive stance. The all-new DOHC 3.0 liter engine offers increased output of 222 hp for the normally-aspirated model, and a incredible 300 hp for the 300ZX Turbo. The 300ZX Turbo is named many awards the following years. American Z-car sales reach the million sales mark in the 1990 model year, making it all-time best selling sports car.
1994	A race-modified Z wins both the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 hours at Sebring. It goes on to win the GTS class at the 24 Hours of LeMans, making it the only car ever to accomplish such a record within the same year.
1995	1995 marks the 25th Anniversary of the Z.
1996	Regrettably, 1996 signifies the final year of the Z-car. The heritage and tradition, however, lives on...Although the 300ZX does not meet the safety and emission standards for the US market, it is still being built and sold in other countries around the world...
1997	Rumors of a new fully redesigned Z Car begin to be heard.
1998	...it's called 240Z and asperities on the classic from the seventies.

Source:Datsun-Nissan Z Car Homepage

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