On October 22, 1969, the Datsun 240Z was introduced to America. For a mere $3,626 base price (approximately $21,500 today) the average Joe could come home with a state-of-the-art Japanese sports car. Sold as a 1970 model, a carburated 2.4L SOHC straight-six powered 150-horsepower through either a 4-speed “standard” or 3-speed automatic transmission. Keeping all that horsepower to the ground was a 4-wheel independent suspension and 175 SR 14 radial tires wrapped around 14″ x 4.5″ steelies. Thanks to the rack-and-pinion steering, front disc brakes and stiff hardtop chassis, the 240Z was also a nimble and responsive sports car.

On the inside, a wooden shift-knob and steering wheel complimented the driver’s controls while the vinyl covered the high-back bucket seats and the door panels. RPM and speedometer gauges were set deep within the dash while a pod of gauges lined the very top of the middle console. From the driver’s bucket seat all the mission critical factors could be seen with a quick glance.

The 240Z became an instant hit at dealerships as the reliable, stylish and exciting sports car that was incredibly affordable. It was so popular that it was one of the first Japanese cars that American buyers were willing to pay more than sticker price for. Over 16,000 units would sell that first year and double that during the year after.

To celebrate the 40-year mark of the Z-car, Nissan recently announced an upcoming 370Z 40th Anniversary Edition for 2010. Although the new Z packs a bit more punch than the original with it’s 3.7-liter 332 horsepower DOHC V6 engine and a few extra gears (6-speed in manual, 7-speed in automatic), it still offers the same essence of a sports car as it did back then.

It will also include the Sports Package that comes with the front chin spoiler and rear spoiler, plus a handful of performance upgrades. Such goodies include 19″ Rays Aluminum-Alloy wheels to clear the larger sport brakes, and a rear limited-slip-differential. Nissan states that the Anniversary Edition will be limited in production but has not released an official sticker price yet.

PRESS RELEASE

Nissan Celebrates Four Decades of Sports Car Leadership With New, Limited Edition 370Z “40th Anniversary” Model

October 15th 2009-Franklin, Tenn. – Forty Years After the Debut of the Original Datsun 240Z, the Iconic Z® Continues to Capture the Imagination and Passion of Sports Car Enthusiasts Worldwide

The 25th anniversary is silver, the 50th is gold.  And the 40th?  Another precious metal, or more correctly metal, rubber and glass – the Nissan Z®.  Forty years ago, on October 22, 1969, the Datsun 240Z arrived in North America, heralding a new era in sports car design.

Where previous sports cars were primarily a.) imported from England or Germany b.) expensive c.) fragile or unreliable or d.) all of the above, the new import from Japan offered the performance of a Porsche, the looks of a Jaguar and the price and reliability of, well, a Nissan.  The 240Z was a revelation to the automotive world – an affordable sports car that could be driven every day and was accessible to anyone with the $3,626 base price.

And though the price of a new Z® might have changed a little in the past 40 years, its unmatched value, style, performance and segment leadership remains stronger than ever.  To celebrate, Nissan has created a special, limited production version of the current 2010 Nissan 370Z Coupe, the 370Z 40th Anniversary Edition.  It will be available at select Nissan dealers nationwide beginning in spring 2010.

“Throughout the history of the automobile, a rare handful of cars stand apart as vehicles that not only capture the imagination of the world but also embody the essence of the automaker’s brand, engineering and ideals.  The Z® is just such a vehicle,” said Al Castignetti, vice president and general manager, Nissan Division, Nissan North America, Inc.

Changing Times – Literally
When the original Datsun 240Z debuted as a 1970 model, its design and performance were considered state-of-the-art: a 150-horsepower 2.4-liter single overhead cam inline 6-cylinder engine, 4-wheel independent suspension, 14-inch wheels, choice of a 4-speed manual or 3-speed automatic transmission, and a quarter-mile acceleration time of 17.1 seconds at 84.5 miles per hour.  The 240Z was conceived as a closed coupe body, rather than the typical open-top sports cars of the age, to enhance body rigidity and, therefore, improve handling and durability.

Needless to say, a lot has changed.  Today’s definition of state-of-the-art, as expressed in the sixth generation Nissan 370Z, includes a 332-horsepower 3.7-liter dual overhead cam V6 engine with VVEL (Variable Valve Event and Lift), lightweight 4-wheel independent suspension with extensive use of aluminum components, available 19-inch super lightweight forged alloy wheels, choice of 6-speed manual transmission with innovative SynchroRev Match™ or refined 7-speed automatic and independent quarter-mile acceleration times of 13.5 seconds at 106.6 miles per hour.  And today, the recently introduced 370Z Roadster – with its automatic-operation fully lined cloth top, offers nearly the same body rigidity and performance as the rock-solid 370Z Coupe.

Also, where the 240Z offered what many considered “luxuries” in a sports car – including roll-up windows and radio, today’s 370Z is offered with items such as Nissan Intelligent Key™ with Push Button Start, Bluetooth® Hands-free Phone System, XM® Satellite Radio and an advanced Nissan Hard Drive Navigation System with touch-screen, XM NavTraffic® Real-Time Traffic Information and NavWeather®  (XM® subscription required, sold separately), Zagat® restaurant guide, 9.3GB Music Box hard drive for digital music storage and playback and a USB fort for iPod® connectivity.

About the Nissan 370Z 40th Anniversary Edition
The 370Z 40th Anniversary Edition starts out as a 370Z Coupe Touring model equipped with manual transmission and Sport Package (including SynchroRev Match™, front chin spoiler, rear spoiler, Nissan Sport Brakes, 19-inch Rays forged aluminum-alloy wheels and viscous limited-slip differential) and adds a premium “40th Quartz” exterior color and red leather-appointed interior.

Additional exclusive equipment includes a high-luster smoke wheel finish, red brake calipers and 40th Anniversary badges on the rear hatch and front strut tower brace.  Inside, along with the red leather-appointed seats are red door panel inserts, 40th Anniversary seatback and floormat embroidery, red stitching on the center stack, shift boot and kneepads, smooth leather steering wheel with red stitching and a plaque of authenticity.  Every 40th Anniversary Z® also comes with a commemorative premium satin car cover.

Pricing of the 370Z 40th Anniversary Edition will be announced closer to its on-sale date next spring.

A Brief History: Six Generations of Z®
The journey from the original 240Z to the current 370Z, of course, made a number of interesting stops along the past 40 years.  Interestingly, the 240Z might not have made the journey to America in the first place, if not for the efforts of one man.

Though many, many people were responsible for the design and engineering of the first generation 240Z, its success in North America can be attributed to Yutaka Katayama, who was president of Nissan’s U.S. operations at the time.  Known affectionately as “Mr. K,” he was convinced that the company’s new sports car design would be a hit in the U.S.  There was just one problem – the vehicle’s name: the Fairlady Z (which is still used in the Japanese market today).

With a name change for this market to “240Z” and some aggressive marketing, including early motorsports success, the Z® became an instant hit – bringing attention and buyers not just to Z®, but also to the entire brand.

After overseeing Nissan’s growth in the U.S. in the ‘70s, Katayama returned to Japan and remains, to this day, linked to the Z®’s success here and around the world.  On September 15th, 2009, Mr. K celebrated his 100th birthday and received cards and birthday greetings from Z® lovers everywhere.

In 1974, as the engine displacement climbed to 2.6 liters the name changed to 260Z.  The 2+2 model with an extended roofline and tiny back seat also appeared.  In 1975, engine size increased again to 2.8 liters and the name changed to 280Z.  Z® cars continued to dominate on the racetrack, with Pete Brock, John Morton, Bob Sharp and P.L. (Paul) Newman among the many talented drivers.

Z® sales continued to climb with the introduction in 1979 of the new second generation 280ZX.  Now priced at just under $10,000, the 280ZX was named Motor Trend “Import Car of the Year” and sales passed 86,000 units.  T-tops and a turbocharged engine followed in the early ‘80s.

In 1984, Z® engine displacement increased again, with a 3.0-liter V6 replacing the classic Z® inline-6, and the 300ZX was born.  Also, a specially equipped model celebrating the company’s 50th anniversary and priced at $25,999 was introduced.  The 1984 Z® was the best selling sports car in America.

The next breakthrough in Z® history came in 1990 with the arrival of the totally redesigned, fourth generation 300ZX.  Offered in two-seat and four-seat 2+2 models, it offered an unheard of 222 horsepower and a top speed of 150 mph.  A few months later, the 300ZX Turbo followed – with 300 horsepower, a 160-mph top speed and a $33,000 price tag.

The 1990 300ZX captured the Z®’s second Motor Trend “Import Car of the Year” award, along with a spot on Car and Driver and Road & Track “10 Best” lists.  The 300ZX also captured Automobile’s “Design of the Year” and the first of four “All-Stars” awards.

By the mid-‘90s, however, sports car sales in general were slowing and the Z® had lost its “affordable” sports car positioning.  With Z® sales declining sharply and the core “value” positioning no longer part of the “Z® DNA,” sales of the Z® in the U.S. slumped and sales were stopped following the 1996 model year.  The last 300ZX imported into the U.S. was inducted into the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.

The next chapter of the Z® history came just before the end of the century.  In 1999, Nissan and Renault formed what has become the highly successful Renault-Nissan Alliance.

Mr. Carlos Ghosn was assigned by Renault to head the new management team.  Among his first tasks was not just to look at the business aspects, but to find the “soul” of the company.  In interview after interview, people inside and outside the company brought up one model to him, one letter: Z®.

Development of the new Z® began later that year, with the return to the values of the original 240Z – a car that sports car enthusiasts would look forward to driving everyday; quick, inspiring and affordable.

In summer 2002, the Z® was reborn with the introduction of the 2003 350Z.  It was delivered, as promised, with an MSRP of under $30,000.

Following the 350Z’s unprecedented success, the sixth generation Z®, the 2009 370Z was launched last December.  Now the little sports car that could comes full circle with the announcement of the 370Z 40th Anniversary Edition.

“It’s almost inconceivable that it has been 40 years since the original 240Z changed the course of Nissan and the concept of affordable, everyday sports cars,” said Castignetti.  “In a year, 1969, marked by the first man to walk on the moon, the 240Z made a remarkable first step of its own.  Happy anniversary, Z®.”

CONTACT: Nissan North America, Inc.

After that it was pretty much a blur of ecstasy. There were Honda N600’s that were so clean, if it was put next to your mother’s fine silverware, she would surely be ashamed. A couple of the custom-chopped CRX’s were also on display. These were some of the original few hundred standard CRX’s which were chopped by R. Straman Co. of Costa Mesa, California in the early 80’s.

On the Nissan/Datsun block, the SR-swapped Sports Roadsters definitely stole the show. In one of our favorites, a red-top S15 SR20DET was shoe-horned into the sub-2000lb roadster chassis. Considering the factory 2-liter naturally aspirated and carburated motor could already take it over 100mph, we could only imagine how quickly we would bury the needle with the updated Silvia motor.

Across the aisle from the Sports Roadsters were a impressive line dance of the Z-series Fairlady’s. Many of them with more curves and dressed in wheels with fatter lips than Angelina Jolie.

Although there weren’t as many spectators going far back into the field, most likely because Sevenstock was just the weekend before, Mazda really brought out the big toys. Many people don’t realize the heritage of Mazda’s racing programs both over seas and here in the States.

Down further from the Mazda’s were a “Ken and Mary” Skyline and it’s older brother the Box Skyline. Both very rare to find in pristine condition let alone any condition in the United States.

In the rest of the Toyota camp there were also some very well equipped Toyota Corolla’s ranging from the TE series to the later AE series. In addition some spectacular Celica’s and Supra’s, one of which was stuffed with a Cobra V8. Close by three generations of the Cressida came in sedans and wagons.

We know most of you are here for the pictures and quite frankly we’re surprised you even made it this far. We definitely saved the best for last though. At JCCS this year, Toyota brought out their trailer and spare no expense bringing along not one or two, but THREE 2000GT’s.

That ends our tour of the 5th Annual Japanese Classic Car Show. For those who weren’t there, you all definitely missed one hell of a show. We’ll keep you posted as soon as the official list of awards gets released.

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List of Awards and Winners:
5th Annual Japanese Classic Car Show – Irvine, CA – Oct. 3rd 2009

BEST OF JCCS
1st Place Kyle Ranauro
DATSUN/NISSAN 1959 1000 988cc
2nd Place Glenn Roberts
MAZDA 1967 COSMO SPORT 4M 2.6L
3rd Place Arnel ilog
MAZDA 1972 Rx-3 13brew Turbo

BEST JDM
1st Place Paul Bischoff
DATSUN/NISSAN 1971 Skyline rb25de
2nd Place Mikey Castillo
DATSUN/NISSAN 1971 Skyline L28
3rd Place Oliver Dienzo
TOYOTA 1972 Corolla 2tg

THE OLDEST JCCS
Frenchy Dehoux
TOYOTA 1958 CROWN 3RC

THE FARTHEST DRIVEN
Robert Gallagher
HONDA 1979 Accord B18C5A

BEST ORIGINAL CLASS
1st Place Kyle Ranauro
DATSUN/NISSAN 1959 1000 988cc
2nd Place Glenn Roberts
MAZDA 1964 R360 L24
3rd Place Richard Scharf
DATSUN/NISSAN 1970 240Z 2.4 Litre

BEST MODIFIED CLASS
1st Place James Standridge
DATSUN/NISSAN 1967 Fairlady Roadster SR20DET
2nd Place Eric Straw
DATSUN/NISSAN 1969 Fairlady Roadster SR20DET
3rd Place Jojo Rumbaoa
TOYOTA 1969 Corolla sprinter 2tg

BEST RACE CAR
1st Place Mario Castaneda
MAZDA 1971 R100 13B turbo

BEST WAGON
1st Place Run Calisch
TOYOTA 1978 Cressida I6, 2.6L
2nd Place Audrey Reese
DATSUN/NISSAN 1972 510 L20B-4cyl
3rd Place Martin Valle
DATSUN/NISSAN 1972 510 wagon SR20DET

BEST DATSUN- 240Z –
1st Place William Parks
DATSUN/NISSAN 1972 240z l28et
2nd Place Paul Ajari
DATSUN/NISSAN 1970 240Z L24
3rd Place Scott & Aggie Mount
DATSUN/NISSAN 1971 240Z Small Block Chevy

BEST DATSUN OTHER Z – 260Z-280Z, 280ZX, 300ZX
1st Place Brian Avery
DATSUN/NISSAN 1978 280z L28et
2nd Place Ron Sino-Cruz
DATSUN/NISSAN 1985 200zr rb20det
3rd Place Robert Heckendorf
DATSUN/NISSAN 1975 260Z Stock 2600cc

BEST DATSUN – 510 –
1st Place mark ritchie
DATSUN/NISSAN 1972 510 SR20DET Black Top
2nd Place Matt Gardella
DATSUN/NISSAN 1971 510 KA24DE-T
3rd Place Aole Espy
DATSUN/NISSAN 1969 510 KA24DE-T

BEST DATSUN – PICKUP-
1st Place Robert Laag
DATSUN/NISSAN 1974 620 L18
2nd Place Lawrence Keller
DATSUN/NISSAN 1972 620 LZ22
3rd Place David Krouse
DATSUN/NISSAN 1977 620 L-18

BEST DATSUN – ROADSTER- MODIFIED
1st Place James Standridge
DATSUN/NISSAN 1967 Fairlady Roadster SR20DET
2nd Place Eddie Wu
DATSUN/NISSAN 1966 Fairlady Roadster Nissan S15 SR20DE 2.0L I4
3rd Place Eric Straw
DATSUN/NISSAN 1969 Fairlady Roadster SR20DET

BEST DATSUN – ROADSTER- ORIGINAL sponsored by Deal’s Cosmetics
1st Place Chris Breyer
DATSUN/NISSAN 1966 Fairlady Roadster R16
2nd Place Ralph Rodheim
DATSUN/NISSAN 1967 Fairlady Roadster 1600
3rd Place Christine Rincon
DATSUN/NISSAN 1967 Fairlady Roadster 4 cylinder

BEST DATSUN – 1200-
1st Place Mark Duncan
DATSUN/NISSAN 1971 1200 Sunny A12
2nd Place David Gonzales
DATSUN/NISSAN 1974 1200 Sunny A14 1397cc
3rd Place Jose Serna
DATSUN/NISSAN 1973 1200 stock

BEST DATSUN – OTHER –
1st Place Kyle Ranauro
DATSUN/NISSAN 1959 1000 988cc
2nd Place David Chick
DATSUN/NISSAN 1970 1000 A10

BEST TOYOTA – CELICA/ SUPRA-
1st Place Steven Sego
TOYOTA 1977 Celica 2.2
2nd Place nestor rodriguez
TOYOTA 1985 Supra 6mge
3rd Place Irwin Aquino
TOYOTA 1972 Celica 18RG

BEST TOYOTA – COROLLA- PRE84
1st Place Oliver Dienzo
TOYOTA 1972 Corolla 2tg
2nd Place Erwin Lu
TOYOTA 1971 Corolla 3K Stock
3rd Place P.J Bonifacio
TOYOTA 1980 Corolla PJ

BEST TOYOTA -COROLLA AE86-
1st Place Oliver Sanchez
TOYOTA 1985 Corolla GTS 4AGE
2nd Place Dennis David
TOYOTA 1985 Corolla 4AG
3rd Place Dave Palacios
TOYOTA 1985 Corolla 4AGE

BEST TOYOTA – CRESSIDA –
1st Place Marvin David
TOYOTA 1979 Cressida stock
2nd Place Art Macabuhay
TOYOTA 1984 Cressida 5M-GE
3rd Place Edward Feliciano
TOYOTA 1978 Cressida .

BEST TOYOTA – OTHER –
1st Place Victor Rivilla
TOYOTA 1982 Starlet 4AGE 20V
2nd Place Oscar Ramos
TOYOTA 1967 LAND CRUISER stock
3rd Place Kirk Hubbard
TOYOTA 1974 Century 4VU HEMI V8

BEST MAZDA – RX2-
1st Place Carlos Radriguez
MAZDA 1973 RX-2 13B
2nd Place Edgar Sanchez
MAZDA 1973 RX-2 13B
3rd Place RENE GARAY
MAZDA 1972 RX-2 12A

BEST MAZDA – RX3-
1st Place Arnel ilog MAZDA
1972 Rx-3 13brew Turbo
2nd Place shingo konuma
MAZDA 1973 RX-3 13B
3rd Place Catherine Harrison-Smith
MAZDA 1974 RX-3 12A

BEST MAZDA – RX-7-
1st Place Juan Galindo
MAZDA 1985 RX-7 13B
2nd Place Jim Balderrama
MAZDA 1985 RX-7 13B
3rd Place Sergio Lopez
MAZDA 1979 RX-7 13B

BEST MAZDA – OTHER-
1st Place Glenn Roberts
MAZDA 1967 COSMO SPORT 4M 2.6L
2nd Place Esteban Rodoriguez
MAZDA 1972 R100 13B

BEST HONDA – PRE 1973 –
1st Place Dick Kartozian
HONDA 1970 N600 600cc air cooled
2nd Place Maurice Kleiman
HONDA 1970 N600 600 cc
3rd Place William Yee
HONDA 1970 N600 600cc

BEST HONDA – ‘74-’85 –
1st Place Ken Uk
HONDA 1975 Civic ED1 1500
2nd Place Scott King
HONDA 1979 Prelude original 1600
3rd Place Scott Ngov
HONDA 1979 Civic Wagon CVCC

BEST MITSUBISHI
1st Place James Dean Recto
MITSUBISHI 1978 Dodge Colt 4g32

We arrived in the mid-afternoon, hours before the general public, and grabbed our press passes from the booth. The other members of the press and models were all anxious to get inside the gates. Like an over-caffeinated mob, everyone waited through the sound of burning rubber and the smell of high octane gasoline as it hung in the air. Only a hundred yards away the Formula D Pro-AM drift racers had already begun their warm up.

Outside the gates the energy coming from the event could already be felt. The music was loud and the cars glittered in all their glory with the afternoon sun beating down on them. The owners finished up the last details on their cars, shined up the tires and gave them one quick final wipe-down.

Getting there early was imperative so that our photographer could snap some clean shots of the cars well before the majority of the crowd began to pile in. After the first run through, it wasn’t hard to see that the true Japanese classic cars were few and far between. Even at an event such as Hot Import Nights where Japanese makes hold reign, it really starts to settle in that prime features of the golden days of Japanese cars are dwindling.

Of the hundreds of vehicles at the show, there were only a handful of cars from the pre-1980’s era, including a couple of Datsun Z’s and a Mazda RX-2, the car with the first rotary ever to come stateside. Their owners were all standing nearby and after a quick talk with each of them it was impressive to find that most of them had owned the cars since they were sixteen! (The owner of the RX-2 actually had a scrap book detailing with pictures the immense amount of work that it took to restore the vehicle.)

An unfortunate part of the search for the classics was the wishful thinking of seeing a few of them in the drifting competition. Although the drift event was quite furious, not even an AE86 made an appearance.

As the day quickly turned to night, it was becoming more obvious that the car scene doesn’t always stop to remember the originals that pushed the scene to where it is today. Those who appreciate the classics are a rare breed indeed. But those that understand where the culture has come from hold a truly unique love for the cars.

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Why don’t we feature any of the other cars from HIN? Because you can find all the other cars featured everywhere else on the internet. Here at JDM Origins Magazine we look beyond the big rims and flashy stickers: we focus purely on the classics.

Nothing symbolizes the coming of summer like a convertible cruising in the warm breeze with the radio playing a good oldies tune. With that in mind, let’s take a look back on some of the greatest classic convertibles to come from Japan as we count down our top 5 Japanese classic convertibles.

In the 1970’s, there was a period of time when rollover safety standards robbed Americans of opportunities for true fun-in-the-sun. The fact that Datsun did not manufacture convertibles did little to sway our rebellious nature and convertibles were not out of hands reach for long. Being one of the most popular Japanese sports cars of all time, there were many Z-coupes that undertook the surgery to become Z-roadsters.

A decade later in the 1980’s although convertibles were on the rise again, the market was still not strong enough for Toyota to produce convertibles from the factory so they authorized Griffith to modify production coupes. However, the Toyota Celica Sunchaser was not just a standard Celica coupe with the top chopped. The Sunchaser was a unique convertible in the sense that it was a targa top (removable hard top) and it had the more recognizable rag top. The targa style roof spanned from the top of the windshield to the B-pillar and the cloth style convertible top was collapsible from the b-pillar back. When the targa was off and the top was down, it resembled that of a dune buggy with it’s B-pillar roll bar.

The Sunchaser was originally given the 2.2 liter 20R engine producing only about 90 horsepower, but in ’81 was upgraded to the 22R which was essentially the 20R bored out to 2.4 liters. There were only approximately 2000 produced, each one individually numbered in the glovebox, so these cars are a rare find especially in pristine condition.

Refurbishing a Sunchaser can be a daunting task, but the good news is that they share mechanical parts with standard Celica coupes and convertible, hardware may be found from a few specialty shops. In the end of things, a restored Sunchaser is still a real head turner especially since most of them came with a bright red paint job.

(Note that full convertibles without the Sunchaser’s B-pillar may also come to the marketplace from time to time, but they were not factory authorized conversions from Griffith.)

The Nissan Fairlady (marketed as the Datsun Sports here in the states), the predecessor to the Z series of cars, was specifically intended for the US market and marketed in competition to the MG and Triumph sport convertibles. Historically, it started in 1959 with the S211 which used a 988cc 36hp model, of which only about 20 were actually built. The SPL212 Fairlady 1200 was introduced a year later as the first Datsun sports car in the US. It was powered by a 1.2 liter engine with 47hp and a 4-speed manual transmission.

Honda’s entry into the automotive production world was marked in 1963 by the S500, Honda’s first production car. (In that same year, Honda also entered Formula 1 racing with a 1.5 liter V12 engine and chassis which went on to win its first race in 1965.) It featured an evolved half-liter engine from Honda’s motorcycle heritage which had four Keihin side-draft carburetors and a 9,500rpm redline, outputting 44hp. The driveline utilized a 4-speed standard transmission which drove the rear wheels through a set of chains. The S-series had four-wheel independent suspension with torsion bars and coilover shocks which were ground-breaking at the time. At $1,275 it was available with an optional fiberglass hardtop, but only in Japanese market.

A year later at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1965, the S800 replaced the former. Equipped with a 791cc engine, it topped out at around 70 hp which doesn’t seem like much these days, but it let the little roadster up to triple-digit speeds. It was plenty of power to do the job for cruising on a hot Sunday with the top down.

First seen as a prototype at the 1965 Tokyo Motor Show, the Toyota 2000GT was put into production in 1967. The cars came off of the production line as a hard top coupe and were unavailable to the general public as anything else. Altogether, there were about 350 of these built and two were special convertibles made exclusively for the James Bond film “You Only Live Twice.”

Powered by a 2.0 liter straight six that was designed together by Yamaha and Toyota, the 2000GT sported three Mikuni-Solex side-draft carburetors to breathe easily while it smoothly churned out 150 hp at 6,600rpm with another 400 left before redline. With a curb weight of 2,400 lbs, the 2000GT had a admirable 49/51 weight distribution and superb handling abilities.

Considered one of the highest collectible Japanese cars, most people will never have the privilege to be able to ride in it with the top down. One of the convertibles is in the Toyota Museum in Japan and the other is rumored to have been long misplaced, most likely in some private collector’s underground sanctuary. (A third replica which was originally a coupe is on display at “The Cars of the Stars Museum” in the James Bond section.) For the rest of us, we’ll have to wait in line for the Miata or 240Z replicas. The 2000GT ranks at number one on our list of convertibles due to it’s status as the most desired, most rare and most untouchable Japanese classic.

It is obvious that there are many more Japanese convertibles that are not covered here. We also decided not to include any targa and t-top models for the sake of simplicity.

The model which arguably had the most influence on the industry in the late 70’s to early 80’s was the 1978 280ZX. When it was released in the US, it was a complete redesign from the previous Datsun Z’s. With aerodynamics and efficiency in mind, the 280ZX was designed to have a low center-of-gravity, near 50/50 weight ratio and high speed stability. The development of the 280ZX marked the first time that Nissan used wind-tunnel testing.

With all those advancements to go fast, the 280ZX was also fitted with braking and steering improvements. Lucky for us, the whole package gave us the opportunity to drive faster and with more enjoyment whether it was straight towards triple digits or weaving through a slalom course.

Upon it’s debut the 280ZX really was something new and exciting from ‘The Land of the Rising Sun’. The new 280ZX eventually became the car that raised the bar for Japanese performance sports cars in the 1980’s decade. It was universally praised by the automotive press industry and was later named Motor Trend’s Import Car of the Year. From 1979-1980, Nissan sold over 140,000 vehicles in the United States alone.

Of course a car that had so much praise has not been forgotten to John Renna who still owns the 1983 280ZX that has been a part of his family for a number of years. So beloved is his Fairlady that he even had it strapped down to and trailored 1,000 miles up to Philadelphia to accompany him through his studies in Mechanical Engineering.

In order to keep up with the style of the current times, this 280ZX has been mildly modified and restored. With a few minor interior cosmetic upgrades, such as the Grant GT Corsa D racing steering wheel with a fashionable ‘Z’ logo horn button, a set of ProSport gauges, and upgraded 300ZX seats. On the exterior, the Z has been cleaned, prepped and repainted to an glossy finish of “Performance Red” (2000 Mustang Cobra GT color palette). It currently sits on 17″ ADR wheels wrapped with Hankook Ventus HRII tires.

For the future, this 280ZX will continue to bathe in the glory of being one of the earliest trend setters in the Japanese performance sports cars segment. John also hopes to do some serious suspension work. With plans to adapt a full coilover setup for the S130 chassis, along with strut bars, anti-roll bars and modern 4 caliper front brakes, this Z will become a serious contender once again.

An avid photographer and car enthusiast, John Renna considers himself a “rotorhead at heart”. He owns a couple RX7s (both FC and FD models) and this Datsun 280ZX. He shoots with Canon and Nikon gear, plus has a few DIY tricks up his sleeve. Go Phillies!