Nissan Z: 50 Years of Exhilarating Performance

[zed2]

This may be of interest to some forum members:

https://www.autoweek.com/car-life/a32700964/new-book-will-celebrate-50-years-of-nissan-z-cars/

https://www.amazon.com/Nissan-50-Years-Exhilarating-Performance/dp/0760367132/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&qid=1590900223&refinements=p_27%3APete+Evanow&s=books&sr=1-1&text=Pete+Evanow

Keith

 

 

 

 

[Z50for2020]

Thanks for the plug, zed2.

[zed2]

My copy was on Amazon pre-order.  I was looking for a way to have the author sign the book.  Any suggestions?

Keith

[HS30-H]

I see the new book repeats the oft-repeated mistruth about the Z's "debut":

"Datsun formally introduced the car in New York City on October 22nd, 1969, following that with its Los Angeles debut two days later with the same car."

In fact, Nissan had formally introduced the S30-series Z range (not just one variant...) to invited press, dealers and key suppliers at their Ginza, Tokyo head office and showroom on October 18th and 19th 1969, as a preview of the new cars before the general public would see them at the opening of the Tokyo Motor Show.

How does the New York Pierre Hotel event on the 22nd trump the Tokyo Ginza showroom event on the 18th? Both were private, invitation-only events for the same types of attendees. If the Pierre Hotel event counts as significant, then so should the Tokyo, Ginza event. And the Tokyo, Ginza event happened FIRST.

The REAL debut - the public debut - of the new S30-series Z range was on 24th October 1969, at the Tokyo Motor Show. Over the course of two weeks more than 1.5 million visitors would pass through its doors:
 

   

[240260280]

Technically the public in North America could see the un-badged cars on the roads a few weeks earlier, and most likely in Japan too but the formal public appearance events occurred in Japan first.

 

 

LHD on public road in Japan 69 or 70

 

Test cars on public roads in USA started between Oct 2nd to 15th 1969.

 

 

[26th-Z]

"following that with its Los Angeles debut two days later with the same car."  Oh gosh, we have been down this road so many times...the Los Angeles debut was the next morning with a different car.  This just grabs my craw.  I can do the research from the comfort of my rocking chair.  Why can't the "experts"?

[HS30-H]

18 minutes ago, 240260280 said:

Technically the public in North America could see the un-badged cars on the roads a few weeks earlier, and most likely in Japan too but the formal public appearance events occurred in Japan first.

I'd like to introduce you to the term 'Formal Introduction', as it appears you have not met.

[HS30-H]

14 minutes ago, 26th-Z said:

This just grabs my craw.  I can do the research from the comfort of my rocking chair.  Why can't the "experts"?

I think the 'research' on this particular aspect of the story appears to have been confined to visiting zhome.com for Carl's - ahem - slightly "Made For The USA" take on history.

I'll be surprised if there's any coverage of the October 18th and 19th Ginza, Tokyo HQ activities on zhome.com, and its not because its any big mystery. We've discussed it here many times, and for the same reasons. 

 

[HS30-H]

I've got the preceding 'Z - 35 Years of Nissan's Sports Car" (from 2005) and the new book could well be published with the blurb "15 More Years Of Mistakes".  ?

[SpeedRoo]

5 hours ago, HS30-H said:

"Datsun formally introduced the car in New York City on October 22nd, 1969, following that with its Los Angeles debut two days later with the same car."

Well at least he got the first half of the statement right.

[HS30-H]

42 minutes ago, SpeedRoo said:

Well at least he got the first half of the statement right.

Two points here.

First, do you think it is accurate to describe the Pierre Hotel event as a 'formal introduction' without specifically mentioning that this was a press-and-dealers preview, not for the general public, and had been preceded by the Tokyo, Ginza event which took place on the 18th and 19th?

Secondly, how could 'Datsun' introduce a car? 'Datsun' was a badge. The company doing the introducing at the Pierre Hotel was 'Nissan Motor Company in USA' and the car was a product of 'Nissan Motor Co. Japan'.

[SpeedRoo]

Datsun was a brand in the USA, sold by Datsun dealers. There were no Nissan dealers in the USA when the 240Z was introduced. So technically Datsun introduced the Datsun 240Z in the USA in 1969. Therefore the author of the book is correct, the rest is just semantics. Eventually the brand name was changed to Nissan in the USA but long after the 240Z was sold.