New book?

[HS30-H]

While the link to Amazon shows the Japanese cover - the description shows the language as English. The ISBN matches the English version I have - not the different ISBN for the Japanese version.

ISBN 1-56970-957-2 for the paperback.

So if anyone orders the book from Amazon - with the ISBN 1-56970-975-2, the'll get the English version.

Carl,

Watch out for typos. One of the above ISBNs must be wrong........

ISBN for the original Japanese version is ISBN4-87287-899-X.

So we are talking about two fundamentally different versions here. Anyone who wants to order one might need to be careful about which version they require ( get both! ).

Gareth,

The ISBN for "Fairlady Z Story - Datsun SP/SR & Z" with contributions by Yutaka Katayama, Yoshihiko Matsuo, Hideaki Kataoka & Brian Long - published by MIKI PRESS in 1999 - is: ISBN4-89522-244-6.

That article in 'Classic Cars' is pretty much the usual fare I'm afraid. They don't seem to try all that hard with the pages they dedicate to the Z.

Cheers,

Alan T.

[Carl Beck]

Carl,

Watch out for typos. One of the above ISBNs must be wrong........

ISBN for the original Japanese version is ISBN4-87287-899-X.

Oops.. thanks Alan.. one of these days I'll learn to copy/past... I corrected the error.

So we are talking about two fundamentally different versions here. Anyone who wants to order one might need to be careful about which version they require ( get both! ).

I don't know if they are fundamentally different versions - or just published in different languages.

I would think that the basic presentation of the story would be the same (yes/no?).

A quick and dirty summary of the sections of the English publication is:

Prologue - They Called It "Z" (the story starts in America as a young boy see's a 240-Z. Does it start in Japan in the Japanese version and a young boy in Japan?)

Chapter 1 - The Z Ensign - (Introduces Katayama, he starts the Tokyo Motor Show, dreams of producing his own Sports Car, runs the Rally in Australia in 58..which angers his management chain - he is cast out to America.... his brother gives him the Z Ensign flag as a going away present)

Chapter 2 - The Dream Sports Car - (Introduces Matsuo - he dreams of designing a car - goes to work for Nissan and is somewhat an "out of the box" thinker... who speaks to bluntly about the 411.. then gets to fix it so to speak, comes up with the image change to the SSS... and in 65 is reassigned to the Sports Car Design Studio..meets resistance to his plan "A" etc. )

Chapter 3 - Convergence - (Introduces Hiroo Miyate, Katayama in L.A. and Masataka Usami as Service Engineer in US in 1960; 1965 Matsuo in the studio, Hara introduces Matsuo to Katayama, )

Chapter 4 - Project Z - (with Katayama's selection of Matsuo's plan "A" and Nissan Managements approval - plan "A" moves from concept to full development. Matsuo fights to keep his original concept/styling clean... while engine is specified as six cylinder, and cab height must be raised so American's can fit with comfort... battles between Hisashi Uemura and Matsuo follow...

Chapter 5- - Fruition - (starts with American Road Test of Z, problem with front end shakes identified and solved, weak sugar scoop head nacelle identified and corrected,

Epilogue - The Z Reborn - (starts with Matsuo Tie Pin, Matsuo leaves Nissan, 25 years later in May of 1995 25th Anniversary of the Z Car Celebrated by US Z Car Clubs..Katayama invited back to the USA to attend. Z Across America Rally takes place.. Z Production stops, 1999 Renault takes over and assigns Carlos Ghosn.. 2002 New Z introduced

I know my summary is very brief - but is that basically what the Japanese book contains?

It would be interesting if there were significant differences..

FWIW,

Carl

[Carl Beck]

...snipped...

So has anyone ever bothered to compile a list of Z book over and above the usual 1 page mention in a "Best of Classic Cars" type compilation? Maybe Alan and Carl could join forces on this one? ...snipped....

Do you have an ISBN for the Katayama/Matsuo book Carl?

Gareth

Hi Garth:

Fairlady Z Story - DATSUN SP/SR & Z

by: Yutaka Katayama & Yoshikiko Matsuo

ISBN 4-89522-244-6

(translation by Brian Long, sold at 2002 ZCCA Convention)

If you don't have the translation - e-mail me and I'll loan you my copy in digital form. But you still need the book for the pictures etc. E-mail beck@becksystems.com

I have a partial listing of the reference books, magazine articles etc. related to the articles I've written on the Z Car Home Page at:

a href=http://zhome.com/History/Truth/BookList.htm TARGET=NEW> http://zhome.com/History/Truth/BookList.htm </a>

We also have book reviews and listings in the Library Section of the Z Car Home Page at: <a href=http://zhome.com/ZCMnL/Books/references.html TARGET=NEW> http://zhome.com/ZCMnL/Books/references.html</a>

If Alan wants to add the information about the books from Japan we can add them to the list in the Library.

FWIW,

Carl B.

Carl Beck

Clearwater, FL USA

http://ZHome.com

[Carl Beck]

Hi Alan:

I've scanned the "Introduction" pages 02 & 03.. of the English version, so you can compare them to the same pages in the Japanese version, (and everyone else can read them).

Just FYI..

Carl B.

Carl Beck

Clearwater, FL USA

http://ZHome.com

[HS30-H]

I don't know if they are fundamentally different versions - or just published in different languages.

I would think that the basic presentation of the story would be the same (yes/no?).

Carl,

When I wrote "fundamentally different", I meant that they are two different publications with two different ISBN numbers and in two different languages. The fact that they are in different languages seemed to me to be a major point ( especially as you were discussing the English language version when Gee's link showed the cover of the Japanese version ). I didn't want anyone to order one and get the other - if you see what I mean?

I am sure that the presentation of the story - and most likely all the original drawings - have stayed the same, but I can already see some slight 'tweaking' towards the perceived customer base for the English language version. In the grand scheme of things this will probably make little difference, as the original Japanese version reflected the content of the NHK 'Project X' episode that it was based on. There are mistakes and historical errors, and a large part of the story is left out whilst the whole bias of the story seems to be based on Katayama having some kind of 'vision' for the Z and everybody else working towards making that vision a reality. That's a huge oversimplification in my view.

Katayama or no Katayama, Nissan would have built a 'replacement' or successor to the SP/SR anyway - and indeed this is what Matsuo and his team were working on when Katayama came into that part of the story. Such a car would inevitably have been sold in the world's biggest single market and would therefore have been designed with such in mind ( like most of the cars that were sold alongside it - although we rarely hear about them, except for the 510 perhaps ). Matsuo says he was working on designing a car firstly for himself ( hopefully we all understand what he means by that ) and secondly for Japan and the rest of the World - not just the USA market. That's where the USA-market centric part of the story grates; It is presented as though this was the single reason and aim for the car's existence - which is not the case, is it?

But I don't want to criticise either the original NHK episode or the manga too much. At the very least, they introduced the names and identities of many of the key players in the story and left out 'The Lying Count'. There is a lot here that we should be glad about - but I don't think anybody ( including the main characters themselves ) thinks of this as the 'definitive' historical version, and the manga itself was something of a fun spin-off to the TV show.

And Matsuo did say to me with a chuckle that he called the manga ".......the Hollywood version......". He pointed out a couple of things in the manga that had been changed to make the story 'play' a bit better, and one of these was the full story surrounding the Z signal flag - which he recounts fairly differently.

Alan T.

[Cuong Nguyen]

Hi Carl,

can I pretty please bother you and receive the english translation by Brian Long for the Fairlady Z Story - DATSUN SP/SR & Z book?

I bough a copy while I was in Tokyo few years ago but always wanted to know the contents! (bottom three items in the attached picture, not the top two)

I have been told that this is a limited edition version of the "normal" Fairlady Z Story - DATSUN SP/SR & Z book???

[Carl Beck]

Hi Carl,

can I pretty please bother you and receive the english translation .....

hi Cuong:

I PM'd you...

regards,

Carl

[Victor Laury]

I've scanned the "Introduction" pages 02 & 03.. of the English version

The first paragraph pisses me off. It's like there was nothing between the 1959 P211, which could not hold it's own on the freeway, (48hp single throat Nikki, E motor) to the victory of the Z car. Nothing - a big hole - no RL411, no roadster, no 510, All Datsun's before the Z were junk. No that's really what is says, until the Z, all those other Nissan cars sat on the docks, ignored by the American consumer.

Please note - I'm describing my reaction to the first paragraph and not commenting on the value or merits of a book I haven't read.

Maybe it's that I'm not quite enough of a "Z" fan, and too much of a general early Nissan fan, to accept that. Or just need more therapy.

I spent last Saturday driving a sports car in a fashion that I believe for which it was designed. In that element, it's a masterpiece. I'm terribly sorry if I offend, but your Z car may be better, It may be the next phase in the evolution, But it's just not THAT much better. I'll venture to say, that with its loosey-goosey unitbody, it less of a sports car "out of the box" than it's full framed predecessor.

It's just that it seems that most I read revels in the commercial success of the Z and dismisses the design success before it. Sure in the corporate world, "Money Talks", but I'm a sports car enthusiast and not an accountant.

[26th-Z]

Holy Literary Misinterpretation Batman! It's a comic book! You think your'e pissed off now, Victor. Wait till you get to the part where Sgt. Rocka Michi san scraps three Toyotas with his bare hands whilst showing off his new Z ensign underwear! Come-on guys.

[Victor Laury]

Holy Literary Misinterpretation Batman! It's a comic book!

I know that,, Really I do! That was the reason behind my disclaimer. My rant is valid though if you take the prevailing theme of not just this single paragraph, in this single manga (I like mangas - the sicko sexy pervert ones).

I have read quite a few books on Nissan history. Most of which have been discussed thoroughly on these forums. Most were written, in my opinion, heavily influenced by the commercial success of the Z and discount every thing else it did before as primitive and failures.

There are even prominent members of this forum that often express as much. My rant addresses that, by using the quoted paragraph as my voodoo doll. It set me off, but it, in it's self, is not wholly responsible. I did say that it is possible that I just need more therapy,, yes?

[ChrisA]

Added it to my collection....

[HS30-H]

The next page in the Japanese edition shows that the car has a Japanese-market 'Z' emblem on its bonnet ( hood ) instead of the HLS30-U correct 'Datsun' emblem.

'Dad' explains that the car was "....named the 'Datsun 240Z' in America, and named 'Fairlady Z' in Japan."

Not your average Dad, then :-)