My clollection

[Mr Camouflage]

Hi Kats,

Not sure if I showed you this already, but the post about HLS30-00007 and the 1970 brochure got me thinking about it again. I got this photo from ebay Australia last year. It is the same red 240Z that was on the 1969 US brochure and I believe the same car used in the service manual. It looks like they just reversed the image to make it look like a RHD car. Note that they drew over the portion of the picture showing the front license plate with black marker, to cover the reverse image of the word Datsun. On the back side it says "Wed. P. 34". I am guessing that this photo was used in an article about the introduction of the 240Z on Wednesday Oct 22, 1969, like your US press photos. Interesting that they would use a reverse image of a LHD car instead of a photo of a RHD car, since they had several RHD cars produced before the Oct 1969 Tokyo auto show.

-Mike

Hi Mike.

That date (Wednesday Oct 22, 1969) is far too early for the Australian market. That is a photo from the Australian Press Release kit announcing the "new" 240Z, Dated Not for release before A.M. September 27, 1970.

Yes they just reversed the photos of the LHD cars for the 2 "Studio" type photographs include in the media release, the photo above and another rear photo with the hatch open (They did a better job of editing the license plate on that photo).

Also included in the release kit is one photograph of a RHD 240Z (HS30 00004) on location in Australia (Victoria I believe). All photos are black and white, but HS30 #4 was also red.

[Mike B]

Hi Mike.

That date (Wednesday Oct 22, 1969) is far too early for the Australian market. That is a photo from the Australian Press Release kit announcing the "new" 240Z, Dated Not for release before A.M. September 27, 1970.

Hello Mr. Camouflage,

Yes, I realize that Oct 1969 is far too early for the launch of the 240Z in the Australian market. I thought it might have been part of an article to cover the introduction at the Tokyo motorshow, or the launch in other countries (Japan, North America, etc.), but that was just a guess. Just curious though, if the Australian press release had a "do not release before" date of September 27, 1970 (a Sunday) why would the picture would be dated Wednesday (for a Wednesday article I assume)?

The picture I have also came with another of an Australia market 260 2+2 (if I recall correctly). I just assumed they were unrelated.

-Mike

[Mr Camouflage]

Further to my previous post, some more info in the Australian Press Release Kit. It came in a card folder with a picture of HS30 00004 on the front.

It (well the one I have) contained 4 photographs:2 reversed HLS30 images, one photographic paper print of the front and rear diagram suspension, and a photograph of HS30 00004. Photos had printed description detailing features in the photograph.

It contained 3, documents. The first one was a 3 page description of the car and its features. Second one was a 4 page listing of technical specifications. The third one was a 3 page list of quotes from US magazine reviews from Car & Driver and Road & Track.

Documents are dated September 21 1970 and marked not for release before A.M September 27, 1970.

The 240Z went on sale in Australia during October 1970.

[Mr Camouflage]

Hello Mr. Camouflage,

Yes, I realize that Oct 1969 is far too early for the launch of the 240Z in the Australian market. I thought it might have been part of an article to cover the introduction at the Tokyo motorshow, or the launch in other countries (Japan, North America, etc.), but that was just a guess. Just curious though, if the Australian press release had a "do not release before" date of September 27, 1970 (a Sunday) why would the picture would be dated Wednesday (for a Wednesday article I assume)?

The picture I have also came with another of an Australia market 260 2+2 (if I recall correctly). I just assumed they were unrelated.

-Mike

I expect the date on the back was added by whoever the press kit was sent to. There is nothing written on the back of the photos of the ones I have.

I expect the date was added by some newspaper staff, as part of an internal printing process. Possibly they received their kit, and decided to publish an article on a subsequent Wednesday on page 32, at 82% reduction, but since there is no month or year..... that too is just speculation. Maybe Mal Stevenson would know more

[Mike B]

Thanks for showing the press release info. Interesting that they would use a reversed image of a HLS30 instead of a right hand drive for those two photos. I wonder what the reason for that was?

Maybe Mal Stevenson would know more

Yeah, I did a google search for Mal after I got the photos, but didn't find anything related. I thought he might have been a famous Australian motorsport journalist, so I am surprised you haven't heard of him .

-Mike

[26th-Z]

As usual, great conversation. Thanks - many thanks.

[Mike B]

Today I added Nov 1969 Slide film No.2, L24 section.You will be happy these factory photos,and much better colour condition than No.1 General section.

Kats, those are great scans of the maintenance slides! Thanks for sharing them. I know it is expensive to have them scanned, but they are a great reference for all of us trying to restore their cars back to stock condition. The color is especially helpful. I'm not sure if I mentioned to you before, but I have the maintenance slides for the automatic transmission (model 3N71A). There are 126 of them with a booklet like yours, but they are more technical and show the internal components and principles of operation. I may just buy a cheap slide scanner to scan them rather than paying to have it done.

Does anyone see the chassis number and Engine number?

I think the engine is L24-107, if this is correct, it matches to the number on the owners manual.

So, I believe 1971 owners manual shows a chassis number HLS30-0000? This could be matches to this slide film car.What do you think of it?

kats

It's hard to read, but it does look like L24-107. Carl's zhome site says that the oldest known running L24 in a 240Z is engine #2079. I assume the engines prior to that were used in other Nissan vehicles. Do you know which ones?

Also, do you think that all of the L24s had the engine number stamping painted white like that, or was that just for the photos?

-Mike

[Carl Beck]

Hi Kats:

Some updates since you first started this Thread.

Re- your item #8:

Oct. 22nd, 1969 was the date that Nissan Motors Ltd. held its International Preview of the Datsun 240Z in New York, NY.

According to Mr. Dunn - who headed the PR Firm that handled the arrangements at the time -The International Preview {planned weeks in advance} was held in New York instead of the more usual US automobile model introductions held in Detroit - - because Nissan did not want to seem disrespectful of the U.S. Auto Industry. {by introducing an import car in the heart of the US Auto Industry aka Detroit } The Datsun 240Z was flown in from Japan the week before, so the display could be built in the Grand Ballroom of the hotel.

The introduction of the Datsun 240Z was made by Mr. M. Okuma, Managing Director of Nissan Motor Co. Ltd., Export Division, accompanied by Mr. Y. Katayama, President of Nissan Motor Corp. in U.S.A. and Mr. S. Kawazoe, Vice President of Nissan Motor Corp. in U.S.A..

Because most of the automotive reporters at the time were located in Detroit, Nissan chartered a plane to bring the Detroit media to New York for the event and to return them home after.

After the International Preview in NY - the 240Z was flown to L.A. - where it made it's West Coast Debut the 24th of Oct. 1969 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Hollywood. {the Hotel used in the movie Pretty Woman and many others}

If you look at the Picture with your #9 press kit - you can see that is the car used on the earliest 1970 Datsun Full Line brochure, as well as on the cover and in the article of R&T Jan. 70 issue. Note the white side wall tires. That is HLS30 00008 a Silver Z.

The photo's in your Item #8 - Press Kit seemed to have been used in the Newspaper reports the following day - 23 Oct. 1969.

N.Y.Times 23, Oct. 69 - "Datsun Enters the Middle-Priced Sports Car Market"

L.A. Times 23 Oct. 69 - "New Sports Car Gets 1970 Datsun Spotlight"

For example: the lead paragraphs read:

N.Y.Times 23, Oct. 69 - Datsun Enters the Middle-Priced Sports Car Market

"Nissan Motor Company Ltd., which has built it reputation on economy cars, is making a determined bid for the middle-priced sports car market. The company showed its Datsun 240Z sports car at it international preview yesterday at the Pierre Hotel. The car is expected to be competitive with Detroit-built sports-type of cars and European sports cars.".....

L.A. Times 23 Oct. 69 - New Sports Car Gets 1970 Datsun Spotlight

"A new high performance sports car, aimed directly at such American competition as Buick's Opel GT and American Motors Corp's AMX, highlights the 1970 model lineup of the Japanese built Datsun. Nissan Motor Co. Japan's second largest auto maker and producer of the Datsun line, announced Wednesday that it will offer the 240Z sports car as its "answer to the high performance personal car market".....

FWIW,

Carl B.

Edited June 27, 2010 by Carl Beck

[AZ-240z]

Kat,

Great addition to your site which I reference often. I just have a question about something I noticed in one of the engine pictures in the new picture slides. This may bore most readers, but, originality is my motivation. Anyway, I apologize for not knowing how to cut, paste, etc., but, in one of the engine slides showing the Servo Diaphram and the Control Valve,which are mounted on the emissions control vaccum manifold, the servo diaphram is mounted with the vaccum hose pickup pointing toward the front of the car. In one of your blue car engine pictures, as well as on my car, which have both been restored, the little vaccum hose pickup is pointing to the rear of the car.

Have we got the Assy-Servo Diaphrams on our cars mounted 180 degrees out?

I know, "Get A Life, Dan". Just something I have to live with.

Dan

[HS30-H]

Oct. 22nd, 1969 was the date that Nissan Motors Ltd. held its International Preview of the Datsun 240Z in New York, NY.

According to Mr. Dunn - who headed the PR Firm that handled the arrangements at the time -The International Preview {planned weeks in advance} was held in New York instead of the more usual US automobile model introductions held in Detroit - - because Nissan did not want to seem disrespectful of the U.S. Auto Industry. {by introducing an import car in the heart of the US Auto Industry aka Detroit } The Datsun 240Z was flown in from Japan the week before, so the display could be built in the Grand Ballroom of the hotel.

The introduction of the Datsun 240Z was made by Mr. M. Okuma, Managing Director of Nissan Motor Co. Ltd., Export Division, accompanied by Mr. Y. Katayama, President of Nissan Motor Corp. in U.S.A. and Mr. S. Kawazoe, Vice President of Nissan Motor Corp. in U.S.A..

Because most of the automotive reporters at the time were located in Detroit, Nissan chartered a plane to bring the Detroit media to New York for the event and to return them home after.

After the International Preview in NY - the 240Z was flown to L.A. - where it made it's West Coast Debut the 24th of Oct. 1969 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Hollywood.

Carl,

I'd like to query some of the above.

First of all, Nissan Motors Japan held their first 'Press Preview' of the new S30-series Z range in Japan on 18th October 1969. At least one Export Model LHD 'Datsun 240Z' was present too. Considering the fact that this was intended strictly for the 'Press' ( ie - not open to the general public ), would it not be fair to call the description of the event at the Pierre Hotel in New York ( on 22nd October ) something rather less grand than the "International Preview" of the Datsun 240Z, and point out that this too was aimed only at the Press? If it was for the general public, then it wasn't anything more than a local 'Preview', and if it was only for the Press, then it was too late to call it the "International Preview" anyway.

I think those dates are significant. The 1969 Detroit Auto Show was held from 30th November to 8th December, whilst the Tokyo Auto Show was several weeks earlier - starting on 24th October. Mr Dunn may very well claim that the decision not to debut the new model in Detroit was out of "respect" ( although it'd make me wonder what car shows are actually for, and whether Nissan showed anything else at the '69 Detroit Show? ) but it looks to me as though the NY and LA hotel events were all rather last minute, arguably organised in reaction to what was going on in Japan, and also arguably looking all a little bit last-minute, despite Mr Dunn's apparent claims that it was all organised "weeks in advance" ( I'd have expected several months, but that's just me )...

And considering the lengths that were gone to ( flying a single car into both NY and LA, and then flying the press in from Detroit...?! ) I think it all got precious little coverage in the "International" motoring press.

So isn't it actually the case that the Pierre Hotel event wasn't "The International Preview" of the Nissan S30-series Z range or the 'Datsun 240Z', and that any such grand title would go to either the Japanese 'Press Preview' day ( on 18th October ) or the opening of the Tokyo Motor Show to the general public ( on 24th October )?

I'd say that the whole thing smacks of Yutaka Katayama - in a fairly typical example of the tail trying to wag the dog - making a concerted effort not to be 'outdone' by the men in black hats back in Ginza.

But again, I guess that's just me. :classic:

Alan T.

[26th-Z]

Observation must be your middle name, Dan!

Service slide shot v.s. "original" car from the Syracuse convention.

[Mike B]

Service slide shot v.s. "original" car from the Syracuse convention.

And also from the 1970 US brochure.

-Mike

Edited June 27, 2010 by Mike B