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

[S30Driver]

I was thinking that with the passing of Mr. K, it might prompt Jay Leno to do a special segment on the 240Z.

One of his local car guys must have a series 1 car that he can bring over to the garage, like the tonight show guy with the 510.

[Z fan]

^^^ Mr. Leno has a video on the Fairlady Z when he visited Japan and feature what might be coming from Nissan as a future tribute to the 240Z . 

[Z fan]

Here a picture of OJ's Z( former kicked out for no rational reason member), his car next to Mr. K and the PO .  .

[TomoHawk]

I was thinking that with the pa**ing of Mr. K, it might prompt Jay Leno to do a special segment on the 240Z.

So why don't you head this idea? Get on your 'puter and find out how to contact him.  Then let us know how, and we can all make this special.request.

Edited February 23, 2015 by TomoHawk

[Z fan]

^^^^ And FWIW , Jay Leno does responds to his  website by his show fans  on the net.

[S30Driver]

So why don't you head this idea? Get on your 'puter and find out how to contact him.  Then let us know how, and we can all make this special.request.

Mr Leno or someone on his staff apparently read the comments on his videos, so I left a comment with the suggestion in his most recent, Daimler upload.

[TomoHawk]

Mr. K was in Syracuse for the 2005 ZCCA convention.

Here is a reports about the event, if you're interested in some

 

http://www.classiczcars.com/topic/15248-05-convention-the-great-northeast-z-adventure/

 

I was unable to find any videos, probably because there were few, if any, video cameras back then.

[Carl Beck]

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

Mr. K's first return to the USA for a Z Car event - was at the invitation of the Georgia Z Car Club. That was for the 25th Anniversary of the Z and held in Atlanta, GA 1995.  Much of the HISTORY CHANNEL "History of the Z Car"  was filmed there at that time.

 

FWIW,

Carl

Edited February 24, 2015 by Carl Beck

[TomoHawk]

We had invited Mr. K to Cleaveland  for the 2008 convention.  Heck, we even invited Mr. Paul  Newman.  Had both of them made it, it would have been a miracle...

 

The next best thing was meeting John Morton for the 2010 vintage races in 2010.  He signed my program.  I didn't want to take stuff off the car to get autographed.

[bartsscooterservice]

I mailed a Dutch newspaper, and they seemed to have picked it up cool..

 

http://www.telegraaf.nl/autovisie/autovisie_nieuws/nissan/23719356/__Datsun_240Z-bedenker_overleden__.html

[TomoHawk]

Thank you Google translator!  The Dutch language is much nicer to understand (the translation to English) than German, or even Japanese.   I like how they referred to it as the "S-types," like it was a kind of Jaguar.

 

Deceased Datsun 240Z creator

by Bart Oostvogels | Autovisie

YOKOHAMA - 

Yutaka Katayama, creator of the Datsun 240Z, last Thursday after heart problems in a hospital in Tokyo deceased. Mr. K, as he was known, was 105 years.

 

Datsun 240Z Photo: Datsun

Datsun 240Z Photo: Datsun

Datsun 240Z Photo: Datsun

 

DOCUMENTARY - In a three-part video series entitled Life & Times of Mr. K, Yutaka Katayama is portrayed throughout his eighty-year career. Watch the documentary.

Reticent

Under the responsibility of the Katayama was born in 1909 Nissan put on the map in North America. In the 50s were Japanese automakers reluctant to enter the North American market, because there were, according to the then management teams chances. Katayama also saw the market as something negative, but was by the then management required to do market research. In the eyes of Katayama an 'exile'.

Success

After market research Katayama came late 60s with the plan to introduce a Z sports car, also in the United States. The management agreed. The sports car was born. According Katayama was not a good idea to introduce the GT and Fairlady Z in the US That designation would be successful under him in Japan, but definitely not in the United States. He stated that the car will be named Datsun 240Z. And so she also appeared in American showrooms. His decision proved to be a hit. In the first year of sales Nissan sold 45,000 S-types, followed by 50,000 units in 1971 and another 40,000 in '73. Partly enormous fame generated by the Datsun 240Z Nissan on American soil and it is selling the model hundreds of thousands of cars per year.

Critical

Even when the Z-label by Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn in the 2000s new life was blown into, Katayama was fetched. Remarkably, for he was already retired since 1977. From Z-project originated the 350Z, which later his successor 370Z was based. In the eyes of both Katayama overpriced cars, especially compared to the simple and affordable concept of the 240Z. The Japanese was someone who always spoke like criticism, even to the management team. He found it extremely unwise that the Datsun name was lifted in 1983 and replaced by Nissan in the United States.

Never retire

Katayama was never actually retired, because even when he passed the age of 100 years, he still lectures. He was a diligent car enthusiast, Nissan which owes much both sports field as sales numbers. Katayama leaves two sons, two daughters, eleven grandchildren and eighteen grandchildren behind.

[Z fan]

^^^^ Thanks for sharing , I do like the  S -type designation , it makes the Z a special GT.