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Nissan Celebrates Four Decades of Sports Car
Leadership With New, Limited Edition 370Z
"40th Anniversary" Model
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– 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
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Mississauga, ON (Oct. 16, 2009) – The 25 anniversary is silver, the 50 is gold.
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And the 40 ? Another precious metal, or more correctly metal, rubber and glass –
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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 US base price.
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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
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the current 2010 Nissan 370Z Coupe, the 370Z 40 Anniversary Edition. Canada will
receive 80 vehicles 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
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essence of the automaker’s brand, engineering and ideals. The Z is just such a
vehicle,” said Jeff Parent, vice president of sales and marketing, Nissan Canada Inc.
“Because the exterior design concept for the 370Z was developed by Canadian
Randy Rodriguez, we expect the Anniversary Edition to become a collector’s item in
Canada.”
Changing Times – Literally
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Additional exclusive equipment includes a highluster smoke
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wheel finish, red brake calipers and 40 Anniversary badges on the rear hatch and
front strut tower brace. Inside, along with the red leatherappointed seats are red
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door panel inserts, 40 Anniversary seatback and floormat embroidery, red stitching
on the center stack, shift boot and kneepads, smooth leather steering wheel with red
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stitching and a plaque of authenticity. Every 40 Anniversary Z also comes with a
commemorative premium satin car cover.
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Pricing of the 370Z 40 Anniversary Edition will be announced closer to its onsale
date next spring.
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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,
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including early motorsports success, the Z became an instant hit – bringing
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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
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and remains, to this day, linked to the Z ’s success here and around the world. On
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September 15 , 2009, Mr. K celebrated his 100 birthday and received cards and
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birthday greetings from Z lovers everywhere.
In 1974, as the engine displacement climbed to 2.6 litres 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 litres and the name changed to 280Z.
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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.
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Z sales continued to climb with the introduction in 1979 of the new second
generation 280ZX. Now priced at just under $10,000 US, the 280ZX was
named Motor Trend ”Import Car of the Year” and sales passed 86,000 units. Ttops
and a turbocharged engine followed in the early ‘80s.
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In 1984, Z engine displacement increased again, with a 3.0litre V6 replacing the
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classic Z inline6, and the 300ZX was born. Also, a specially equipped model
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celebrating the company’s 50 anniversary and priced at $25,999 US was
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introduced. The 1984 Z was the best selling sports car in America.
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The next breakthrough in Z history came in 1990 with the arrival of the totally
redesigned, fourth generation 300ZX. Offered in twoseat and fourseat 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 160mph top
speed and a $33,000 US price tag.
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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 capturedAutomobile’s “Design of the Year” and the first of four “AllStars”
awards.
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By the mid‘90s, however, sports car sales in general were slowing and the Z had
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lost its “affordable” sports car positioning. With Z sales declining sharply and the
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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.
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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 RenaultNissan
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
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company brought up one model to him, one letter: Z .
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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.
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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 US.
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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
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with the announcement of the 370Z 40 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
Parent. “In a year, 1969, marked by the first man to walk on the moon, the 240Z
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made a remarkable first step of its own. Happy anniversary, Z .”
About Nissan Canada Inc.
Nissan Canada Inc. (NCI) is the Canadian sales, marketing and distribution
subsidiary of Nissan Motor Limited and Nissan North America, Inc. With offices in
Vancouver (BC), Mississauga (ON), and Kirkland (QC), NCI directly employs 250 full
time staff. There are 150 independent Nissan dealerships and 29 Infiniti retailers
across Canada. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan
Green Program 2010, whose key priorities are reducing CO2 emissions, cutting other
emissions and increasing recycling. More information about Nissan in Canada and
