1972 Datsun 240Z | The Summer Serenade Auction | 18th July

• Extensive nut and bolt restoration
• One of the finest on the market

It soon became apparent during its creation, that the Datsun 240Z represented all the requirements of sports-minded drivers by fulfilling their desires for superb styling, power and safety whilst providing them with the most thrilling and enjoyable ride available in any car at that time. Reporting 151bhp and 146lb/ft of torque at just 4,400rpm, Car & Driver said, ‘a brilliantly conceived car with twice as much thought having gone into it when compared to the Big Healey, MGC, Lotus Elan, Porsches and Corvettes’. Offering a 125mph top-speed and the 0-60mph dash in a shade under eight seconds, the well-spaced five-speed gear ratios made the most of the engine’s torque whilst retaining the ability to achieve in excess of 30mpg, this was to put the ‘Z’ ahead of many of its contemporaries and on a par with Porsche 911’s of the time. Very impressive, by anyone’s standards. Although Datsun didn’t invent the overhead-cam engine, disc brakes or all-round independent suspension, the 240Z incorporated all of these systems into a brilliantly conceived car. It was no surprise therefore that, for many years the Datsun 240Z was heralded as the most successful sportscar of all time and was very successful in rallying also.

Finished in striking 432 Orange, this beautifully restored example has undergone an extensive nut-and-bolt restoration with exceptional attention to detail throughout. The body and underside were comprehensively restored and refinished, with the underside detailed in matching orange and protected with stone guard coating. The exterior benefits from new front and rear chrome bumpers, restored and blasted components, and new lighting, while the interior has been fully retrimmed with restored seats and new carpets. Complementing the restoration are brand new wheels and tyres, together with a new exhaust system and Harpom spinner. Mechanically, the engine has been thoroughly inspected and serviced, with a new clutch, water pump and battery fitted during the rebuild. In keeping with the high standard of the restoration, all nuts and bolts were acid dipped and refinished. An original right hand drive example delivered to Australia; the car is accompanied by restoration photographs documenting the work completed. Consigned by James Good