Yutaka Katayama, 'father Of The Z' Nissan Sports Car, Dies At 105

[TomoHawk]

  I always sensed the notion that Ford would like to forget that they ever built those.........

There is a Mustang II club here with about 50  members, and ever one of the cars is superbly restored or customized with the latest stuff.  They get a good response everywhere they go. 

Edited February 22, 2015 by TomoHawk

[TomoHawk]

Autoweek summed it up pretty well.

 

 

They got it wrong too.  they said he was "Nissan’s first U.S. president" when he was the first President of Nissan U.S.A.

[Mike]

Thank you, Mr K.  I know without your management and dedication this car probably would have been stuck in Japan.

[TomoHawk]

It's because there are so many people that know about him, but have never cared to read, carefully or otherwise, any of the biographical texts, so they don't really "know" him.  At least we know the facts.

Edited February 22, 2015 by TomoHawk

[TomoHawk]

Thank you, Mr K.  I know without your management and dedication this car probably would have been stuck in Japan.

that's a good point. Please start a new topic to discuss that, but not right now. ("what would we be driving if there was no Mr. K, or the Z.")

[Mike]

Guys, please stay on topic....  Unrelated posts will be removed.  Thanks.

 

m

[TomoHawk]

Does anyone know if there are any related TV shows  planned?  Maybe Motorweek will do one.

[TomoHawk]

I remember the first time I "interacted" with him.  It was during a Skype video-call  at the 2008 ZCON.  Participants were able to get up to the microphone (a computer with a webcam setup) and ask him questions in real-time.  I didn't ask a question, but I was there, and he did pick out a few people, like "Mad-Mike,"  our club liaison Yoichi (who set up the call) and some other people he recognized.

 

Since then, we had a video-call to him at each Z meet hosted by the Cleveland club, and I think most of the ZCONs since 2008 did likewise.

 

A few people from the Cleveland club made a trip to the Nissan museum in Japan, and visited Mr. K as well.  Has anyone else met him personally since 2008?  I mention 2008 because after the 2008 ZCON his doctor wouldn't let him travel abroad.  He said he was sad about that, because he wanted to visit the Ohio Z meet, since our club visited him.

[Z fan]

There is a Z very close to my home that has Mr. K signature on one of the inspection doors ,  A very nice touch of DATSUN history  on a Z, and a lucky Z owner to have this on his car.

Edited February 23, 2015 by Z fan

[gundee]

I love the 240Z I purchased as  I mentioned in my earlier post or I would have sold it by now.

What I wish was that I could have kept the TR6 as well. It was the first year they came out.

As it turns out the 240Z carbies are a direct bolt on to replace the origional anemic Zeinth

Stromberg carbies. That is the one mod I would have made to it to make that old British

car run like it should have. Some trivia.

OK I'm done off topic now so It doesn't get removed.

[sblake01]

Somewhere I have a picture of Mr. K at the car show in 1999 that I mentioned earler.  Been looking for it since this thread began.  Hope it didn't get lost in one of our moves.

 

So far, all I've been able to find is a picture of me next to a life sized cutout of him at the Heritage Museum......I doubt that anyone wants to see that.

Edited February 23, 2015 by sblake01

[26th-Z]

I don't think he ever got east of the Mississippi,

Mr. K was in Syracuse for the 2005 ZCCA convention.  Steve Millen took both Mr. and Mrs. K for hot laps around Watkins Glen.  I think that was the last ZCCA convention he attended.