The Datsun 280Z was an evolution of the 260Z, which in turn was the successor to the popular 240Z. All of these were 2-door sports cars designed in Japan to compete against the outcrop of English runabouts of the same ilk. They were in production from 1975-78 and used 2.8-liter six-cylinder engines with fuel injection instead of carburetion. The seller’s ’78 edition looks like a survivor, though it may have been repainted. Located in Prescott, Arizona, this sharpie is available here on eBay for $16,500 as the opening bid (which has yet to be cast).

Nissan got into the enclosed sports car game in the U.S. with the 240Z in 1970 (the company wouldn’t drop the Datsun moniker in America until the mid-1980s). With fuel injection, 170 hp was delivered, which helped the 280Z compensate for the added weight of bigger bumpers (thanks to the DOT clamping down on safety standards). The 280 was the last of the original Fairlady Z cars and was replaced in 1979 by the 280ZX. All of Datsun’s Z cars were susceptible to corrosion, which has led many of them to already be in the scrap heap.

We’re not given a lot of details by the seller, and most of the photos provided tend to zero in on specific things. The odometer reads 20,600 miles, which – if accurate – would explain the Datsun’s above-average condition. We’re told it runs quite well, and there is no mention of any repairs recently done or needed.

The green paint may be an older respray, but it could have been done so well that the seller can’t be sure. The interior is less perfect, with some signs of wear and tear, and a couple of cracks are present in the dashboard. The little Japanese car has no factory air conditioning, but who needs it with both windows down at 60 mph?