It’s an S30! Well, most don’t know this car as an S30, they know it by its more common moniker of Datsun 240Z. And in the early ’70s, the 240Z was everywhere; it was the mass-produced go-to two-seat sports car. Found in Englewood, Colorado and available here on eBay is a fantastic example from 1972. Current bidding is at $16,200, reserve not yet met.

When I was in college, a good friend and a fellow student had a ’69 Datsun 2000; it was the first car that I can recall with a five-speed manual transmission. It was a small and a rough-rider, to say the least, but it was fast and a very tight handler. Those are the qualities that I remember most about it. For the ’70 model year, Nissan moved forward with its sportscar in the form of the S30, known then as the Datsun 240Z. It was quite a refinement over the old 2000 and a big leap forward in terms of sophistication and road manners. This 1972 example, which is considered the second generation, is pretty much a follow-on to the introductory first-generation ’70 model.

The seller states that this 240Z has received one repaint in its original color and is free of rust. There are certainly no identifiable issues with the body. Many images are included with the listing and this 69K mile Z car appears as new. Being a ’72, this is the last year for manufacture with svelte 2.5 MPH bumpers. U.S. regulations for the ’73 model year required 5 MPH battering rams for the front end and all manufacturers had to comply. While a larger car could absorb what looked like a park-bench grafted on to the front end of its structure, smaller, lighter, stylish cars like this Z were just overwhelmed by the imposition.  Of note is the presence of the Panasport aluminum wheels which the seller indicates were a dealer-installed option. They are sharp-looking indeed, similar to Minilite wheels which frequently graced sportscars of all ilks back in the ’70s. The original steel wheels are included in the sale.

Under the hood, is Nissan’s 2.4 liter, in-line, six-cylinder engine, delivering 151 HP and that’s where this Z gets its go. These engines produce a nice torque band to get moving but provide plenty enough power to keep the forward motivation fun. Regarding the engine, the seller claims, “The inline six-cylinder engine starts right up very easily every time. The twin carburetors operate beautifully and are currently jetted and adjusted for around sea level, but their excellent design allows them to operate quite well all the way up at 5000 feet where the car is currently located.” That’s an interesting consideration as I had not given thought to altitude adjustments that could be encountered in a locale like Colorado. Gear changing is conducted via a four-speed manual transmission which I find to be a curious inclusion considering that the three-year-old (at this ’72 point) Datsun 2000 referenced earlier was sporting a five-speed. One nice option is the inclusion of A/C which is supposedly rare for this model.

The interior looks just as I remember, a high-quality, pleasant environment that lends itself perfectly to some spirited driving. The seller indicates that there is some seat foam degradation occurring but beyond that, the black vinyl-clad upholstery and dash pad are as originally intended. Note the brass colored vents in the seatbacks, I haven’t seen that feature in a long time on any car seat. No word regarding instrumentation but I would assume, based on this car’s overall condition, that everything works. The seller adds that it is obvious that this car has been stored indoors its whole life and I would agree and add that it has been stored well too.

There are seven bids tendered so far for this Z car, I couldn’t hazard a guess on its reserve but with five days to go still, I’d expect some northward action. When it comes to consideration for classic cars, Japanese models are frequently left out of the discussion. An example like this 240 Z, however, will place them squarely back in the discussion going forward, don’t you think?