1972 Datsun 240Z | The Game Changer

When released in 1969, the Datsun 240z introduced America to what Japanese automobile manufacturers were truly capable of. Prior to its release, Datsun was known for economy cars and small pick-up trucks, but that all changed when the 240z landed on American shores. Think of it like this, back then the interstate system in the United States was growing rapidly. Americans were used to cars with under-stressed V8s that would eat up hundreds of miles of tarmac at a clip. Station wagons were still the main transport for families, and while the muscle car movement was still strong, smog regulations and high insurance premiums meant that they’re time was coming to an end.
By the early 1970s performance enthusiasts were looking for other vehicles with an expanded appeal that weren’t just fast in a straight line. BMW had the 2002, Porsche the 911, Ferrari had the 246 Dino, Chevy the Corvette, and Datsun… you guessed it, the 240z. On this episode of TESTED presented by American Collectors Insurance, host Mike Musto gets behind the wheel of a stunning 1972 Datsun 240z and explains why it’s quite possibly one of the most important sports cars of all time.
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[@brandonpierce2086]

That’s my dad!

[@dannyg6592]

The 240Z was not just a great sports car, but it was also the beginning of the end of the British sports car industry. For the same price as an MGB GT or a Triumph GT6, the Z was light years ahead of those cars in technology, sophistication and performance. I love British sports cars of this era, but the Z is a much better car. My friend had a red '73 240Z back in the day, and I remember how incredibly well it performed and how much fun it was to drive. If the Opel GT was a mini-Corvette, the Z was a bargain E type Jaguar.

[@drivebigmuscle8080]

Couldn't agree more!

[@racketman2u]

As a TR6 to 240Z convert I have to agree, they were the same age but a generation apart. I'd still own either in a heartbeat, if my car club days weren't behind me. I loved the Triumph woodgrain dash, but the Z was just such a good platform for building a really fast car with relatively simple mods (stiffer suspension, better carbs); and it didn't break!

[@charlesdalton985]

I quote the philosopher Joan Jett when I see a 240Z, “I hate myself for loving you”. You’re right, they opened the door to Japanese car companies, and it does do its job well (and was the 70’s Miata). Not a new concept but a new way of thinking of the concept. Thank you as always - well done! ~ Chuck

[@drivebigmuscle8080]

Yup - just a really fun, reliable and well build sports car!

[@crenge]

One of my favorite cars it’s pretty beautiful!

[@harringtonbenton334]

I WOULD SAY THE 5-10 PUT DATSUN ON THE MAP. THE 240 SEALED THEIR LEGEND

[@bondgabebond4907]

We need the 510 today. I had the 510 station wagon, great car and super easy to work on. Damn thing had a chain for the overhead camshaft. I bought a Datsun 2000 sports car in 1969 that had 135hp and a 5-speed gearbox. These cars need to be driven on sweeping mountain roads like the ones around San Jose and San Francisco. Wish we had cars like this today, bare bones, simple to work on, reliable and fun to drive.

[@AlanShirtsink]

I have had 90 automobiles and the 240Z is top 2. Great car that was fun, fast, and tuneable for even more thrills

[@ryanwalker1376]

Top tier as always, I have a new appreciation for the Z!

[@drivebigmuscle8080]

Thank you!

[@zrunner240Z]

I LOVED MY 240Z.OWNED IT 26 YEARS AND DRAG RACED IT FOR 2 DECADES. BEST RUN ON STOCK CARBS 12.801 @ 107.26 MPH ON SHITTY STREET TIRES!!

[@pi.actual]

As a teenaged sports car enthusiast when the 240z was first introduced I can say that not everyone was enthralled by it. It's biggest draw was that it was cheap but there were compromises like McPherson struts, four speed, single cam, drum brakes and a lot of plastic. They were popular though and by 1973 Datsun had built over 150,000 of them.

[@willyhwang1059]

i always felt the 240SX Silvia is the true spiritual successor of this car.

[@drivebigmuscle8080]

Ya know... that's the first time I've heard that and I think you're dead on!

[@bondgabebond4907]

It all began with the Datsun 1600 and 2000 roadsters of the mid to late 60s. In 1969, I bought a Datsun 2000 roadster. Few years later the 240Z hit the road. What is nice about the six is the power, smooth power. The 4-banger in the 2000 can rattle a lot at 7000 rpm. Those were great days of sports cars. And the one that really shone was the Jaguar XKE. Pure beauty. I believe it was the inspiration for the 240Z but then I may be dreaming.

[@kurtstephan7039]

Great video! I was a kid when these came out and to this day it's my all-time favorite "I might be able to afford this someday!" sports car. In 1985, I got to drive a friend's 240Z for a couple of days and several hundred miles, and even though it was a high mileage and visually tired car, it drove beautifully. I never forgot how great that car was. All these years later, I finally got an ND2 Miata RF because it's about as close to a '72 240Z as you can get nowadays. But I still think about Z I drove forty years ago...

[@louislepage5111]

I remember seeing these things everywhere when I was a kid 😊

[@EchoSigma6]

What a beautiful example of a 240Z here, that car must be worth a pretty penny.

[@drivebigmuscle8080]

It was a such a wonderful automobile!

[@bigmountain7561]

My neighbor her fiancé and future husband got a 240Z in 70 when I was 10 years old. Since a Matchbox was my binky I walked over was like Wow!! Still the Best Bang for Your Buck Performance Car!!! Only One Problem, They Were Rot Buckets. But if you found a good one that hadn’t been in the Salt it’s a miracle. Also the manual B210 was another awesome car!!! Great Video Thank You for Jogging My Memory!!

[@drivebigmuscle8080]

Absolutely - and thank you for watching! Fortunately there are still some good ones out here on the West Coast, but they are not cheap!

[@christeitzel9609]

don't forget Australia, my gran had a yellow one, fond memories of helping push start it when the carbs were playing up :)

[@reverseffect]

thats my uncles car, i hooked up the speakers in that car. nice video

[@V8bgt]

Nice to discover Mike back… since The Drive I wondered what he was up to

[@cva1122]

I think the 510 introduced Datsun to America. Look at it's racing pedigree. Brock Racing.

[@drivebigmuscle8080]

Agree, but as a sports car, the 240 really put Datsun on the map.

[@DrZaius_3]

My mom had a 71 240z and 72 Camaro in the late 70s and said that while she loved her Camaro, it was a weekend car because you just couldn’t beat the reliability and efficiency of the 240z at that time.

[@drivebigmuscle8080]

Yup - the reliability was key

[@norm1815]

LOVED THE ELVIS COMPARO!!

[@loilt5091]

Once owned a couple of 280ZX's; an '83/5 spd & an '81 turbo/auto. Would've rather had the original 240Z. 🇨🇦

[@drivebigmuscle8080]

The 240z was such a pure driving experience with a gearbox that was just sublime!

[@loilt5091]

@@drivebigmuscle8080 I’ve never had the pleasure…this particular review was especially helpful. The driver’s my size, so it’s great to know the car literally fits!

[@CatamaxPor]

Bmw had the E9 series that was in the same category as the 240z but more luxury oriented. The 2002 like mentioned at the beginning of the video was a competitor to the 510 ,not the 240z .

[@drivebigmuscle8080]

The E9 was in a different league than the Z from a price point perspective, but I'd be curious to see how many people actually cross shopped them.

[@jimiverson3085]

The car did have one key driving flaw - front end aerodynamics. The front end channeled air under the car and over about 70mph you could feel the front end getting light due to the lift. There was a major after-market in under-bumper air dams for the Z and you can see the BRE cars all had big air dams in the front. The longer-term issue was rust. Japanese car makers hadn't figured out how to deal with American winters and Zs had the same rust issues as old British cars and Alfas. Mine was a 1973 and in that year Datsun was struggling to meet emission rules with carburetors. Running could be a bit tough and cold weather starts were reluctant. The earlier years of the 240 were better for that.

[@drivebigmuscle8080]

As someone from the east coast, rust was indeed an issue. So many of these cars simply rotted back into the earth...

[@jimiverson3085]

@@drivebigmuscle8080 Yeah, mine was a Minnesota car. Doomed from the day the original owner drove it off the lot. 6 years old when I bought it and didn't make 10.

[@unowen-nh9ov]

Datsun were already racing 510 in Trans-Am vs. Alfa & BMW.

[@drivebigmuscle8080]

True, but the 240 was the companies first true, massed produced sports car.

[@HANDBALLDIEHARD]

It looked like an domesticated updated 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO .Some even converted the bodies to Ferrari GTO copies, as the design is already a modernized looking version. The price was the big attraction ! Affordable makes it originally styled? nah

[@scottmcamis2127]

240,260,280z

[@davidsolloway9349]

like 6 !

[@jimk2880]

I bought a 72 new. Great car until it rusted out before your eyes. You could buy every body component and part from JCWhitney and other third parties to replace the rusted pieces. It should never have been driven in the rain or snow.

[@kennywatkins8762]

They proved what Neil Young said rust never sleeps

[@drivebigmuscle8080]

Nope, not on these cars!

[@The_Hollywood_Mission]

A lot of Corvette influence on the 240 z

[@Haffschlappe]

Fiat should have exported the 130 Coupe with the proposed 4500 V8 engine to USA

[@zrunner240Z]

TOMORROW IS THE NATIONAL Z CAR SHOW IN TAMPA SEPT 11 2024 AT FLORIDA FAIRGROUNDS!

[@w00002]

Know anybody who put a Scarab kit in a 240Z?

[@drivebigmuscle8080]

Nope.

[@Ardent445]

It is not a 240 Zeeee it is a 240 Zed.

[@drivebigmuscle8080]

In the U.S. it's Zeeee

[@Ardent445]

@@drivebigmuscle8080 In Japan where the car was named and around the rest of the world it is ZED - you mericans need to learn how to pronounce words in the english language - and I am not even english.

[@lars277]

Wrong! The Datsun 240Z came out in 1970, not 1972.

[@ddoty2073]

Why don’t you just take a little peak at the description, might learn a thing.

[@unowen-nh9ov]

Elsewhere says 240Z arrived in U.S. in '69, R&T test in April 1970 issue.

[@unowen-nh9ov]

1970 debut doesn't mean there was no 1972 model, Datsun sold Z for years.

[@mg_streetkandi]

Ok...I'm 1st view and Like..👍🏽🏁

[@Haffschlappe]

The Datsun ohc 6 Was a copy of the Mercedes Pagoda 230SL engine.

[@unowen-nh9ov]

No, Jag I6.

[@Haffschlappe]

It was much better than any Cirvette C3 and Jaguar XJS but not as good as the Toyota 2000GT or Mercedes Pagoda

[@unowen-nh9ov]

Didn't compete with any of those & actually created new market segment, budget knock-off of years old classic E-Type, XJS was V12 GT.

[@saintnificent5532]

"lime green", looks Yellow to me......

[@Au_Ag_ratio5021]

My father had that one in se florida. We called it key lime.

[@jadams3427]

I think it looks like a Fiat 124 Spyder as a coupé. The Fiat has the same style, with a less power and less weight.

[@unowen-nh9ov]

Fastback hatchback, 2 seater, sugar scoop headlights, I6, this is budget E-Type Jag, NOTHING to do with 4 cyl. Fiat apart from rendering it obsolete.

[@user-mp1up9yr4t]

How come you never talk the Datsun 1600 and 2000 roadsters that were the first American Japanese sports car

[@unowen-nh9ov]

They were knock-offs of existing British MGB, like 510 was Ford Cortina, 240Z was budget E-Type Jag & established whole new segment.