April Fool?

[HS30-H]

I was browsing through the magazine racks at the train station the other day, and spotted the latest ( March 2004 ) edition of VINTAGE RACECAR magazine, which is published in the USA. Below the name of the magazine I spotted the headline "RALLY LEGEND", so I pulled the mag out of its top-shelf spot to have a closer look. My jaw immediately hit the floor.....

Underneath the "RALLY LEGEND" headline was an almost full-cover photo of a red S30-series Z car, along with the appetiser: "We test drive the African Safari-winning Datsun 240Z"

However, the cover photo showed what appeared to be a standard LHD road Z with some modifications that roughly resembled the outward appearance of a Works Monte-Carlo Rally specification Z. I bought the magazine out of curiosity and boarded my train......

Turning to the article ( an eight page job with lots of photos ) I was even more gobsmacked. What a load of rubbish! I almost started to believe that this was an April Fool joke that had hit the news stands a month too early.

To cut a long story short, the author - a Mr Ed McDonough - met two Italian gentlemen whilst he was in Italy. Mr Giuliano Musumeci Greco is apparently the President of Nissan Italia, and Mr Alessandro Cacciotti is Nissan Italia's General Manager. They had been taking part in a Sicilian motor sport event, driving this car ( registered in Rome with the number "RM9E0000" ). He test drove their car, and the magazine's photographer took some pics which feature - very largely - in the article.

Now, I don't know if this is the result of a huge misunderstanding caused by language difficulties or if indeed the two Italian gentlemen in fact had no idea about the real ientity of the car that they were driving, but I can state quite positively that this car is most certainly NOT a genuine Nissan "Works" competition car. It also is most certainly NOT ( as is stated in the article ) the Works rally car which was registered with the carnet plate "TKS 33 SA 4150" ( the car crewed by Aaltonen and Todt on the 1972 Monte Carlo Rallye - finishing in third place ). The article actually claims that the car took 3rd place in the 1973 event - but I'm sure they must be referring to the 1972 event. That particular car resides in Nissan's collection at Zama, in Japan.

The article also claims that this particular car also won the 1972 East Africa Safari Rally. However, a Z did not win in 1972! The cars that triumphed in 1971 and 1973 are also in Japan's collection at Zama.........

I can understand that there might be a misunderstanding due to language, but I would have thought that Mr McDonough would have been able to do a little bit of research about the genuine Works cars, and from that be able to deduce that the car in question was in fact NOTHING LIKE a genuine Works car. Unfortunately his article gives the impression that this car represents the specification of a full Works-built rally car, and a lot of people will presumably use it as a point of reference in the future. Now its in print, its history.

I've fired off an e-mail to VINTAGE RACECAR magazine, in the hope that they will be able to clear the confusion up in their next issue - but its too late now really. What a shame to think that the cover of a good magazine, along with several pages inside ( all too rarely seen on the subject of the genuine Works cars ) has been wasted.

You can view the cover, along with some details of the article, at the Vintage Racecar website, here:www.vintageracecar.com

Anyone see this article? Got any comments? As Z enthusiasts, I think we should defend the honour of the REAL Works rally cars. I'm all in favour of a well-executed replica, just as long as nobody claims it to be the 'real thing'. There's a big difference between a replica and a fake..........

Alan T.

[HS30-H]

Here's a pic of the real "TKS 33 SA 4150" that I took on a visit to Nissan's storage warehouse in Zama, Japan:

[Ed]

I feel your pain....

[Z Kid]

What are you talking about alan, they are almost identical, I mean they are both 240Z's what more could your general public want.

"I am impressed by the research, the detail, and the depth of Vintage Racecar. "

Sir Stirling Moss

Hmm someone cheapened their name for a free subscription maybe.

[HS30-H]

Originally posted by Ed

I feel your pain....

:D :D

[HS30-H]

Originally posted by Z Kid

What are you talking about alan, they are almost identical, I mean they are both 240Z's what more could your general public want.

"I am impressed by the research, the detail, and the depth of Vintage Racecar. "

Sir Stirling Moss

Hmm someone cheapened their name for a free subscription maybe.

Hi Z Kid,

I think you may well be right about Sir Stirling.

Maybe this article is just an unfortunate aberration. As far as I am aware, the magazine has a good name and is well respected in the historic motorsport community. Some of their contributors are legends in their field.

Mind you, at the bottom of the editorial page - as in most magazines these days - is a disclaimer which states:

"Every effort is made to ensure that the information enclosed is true and accurate. However, we must disclaim any liability for the timeliness, use, interpretation, accuracy and completeness of the information contained within."

I have a hunch that the author of the piece - Mr Ed McDonough ( the magazine's "European Editor" ) - is based in the UK......... Oh dear.

Alan T.

[26th-Z]

Alan,

I too, feel the need to write, phone, fax, and e-mail the publication to point out their error. However I wish to clear up some confusion stemming from your post and defend an excellent publication - VINTAGE MOTORSPORT. Vintage Motorsport, published in Lakeland, Florida, is a superb journal dealing with the subject of motorsport history. Their current issue chronicles the history of IMSA as part three of an on-going story. I highly recommend the magazine and it's coverage of historic racing events throughout the country.

VINTAGE RACECAR JOURNAL, on the other hand, apparently needs to be corrected. A quick visit to the website link will demonstrate your concern.

[HS30-H]

Hi 26thZ,

I agree about VINTAGE MOTORSPORT magazine, and I have a pretty good collection of back-issues. Superb.

I like it so much that I wrote Vintage "MOTORSPORT" instead of "RACECAR" in the middle of my first post. Now happily corrected. Thanks 26thZ.

I don't have any back-issues of "VINTAGE RACECAR" magazine, although I remember buying it a few times in the past.

Alan T.

[TomoHawk]

they even have a statement on the home page:

"I am impressed by the research, the detail, and the depth of Vintage Racecar. "

Sir Stirling Moss

Oh really??......

[Victor Laury]

But, What is the cover art car? I see an HLS30, with GB market bumper and indicators, rally jack-point and a reg plate, mounted on the hood, which appears to read, "SA 4158" , but no "Monte" plate. It looks way too clean to be an actual vintage champion. A weel done replica perhaps?

[26th-Z]

So, I'm in a vigilante mood this morning, and I read Alan's post, and I look at the website, and agree with Alan. So I write to Casey Annis, editor. I just got this reply:

Dear Christopher:

We had some question ourselves, but when we directly asked the director of Nissan Italy, he insisted that this was the car. Obviously it leaves us in a strange position when one of the directors of the company tells us that this is the car he claims it to be. Is there any chance, in your mind, that this actually was the car?

Thanks for the input,

Casey

[sblake01]

I, too have emailed Mr. Annis and am awaiting his response.