Filed under: Automotive History
by Forbes @ 12:01 pm on December 9, 2009
Sadly the man who went behind Nissan’s back and began importing Datsuns to the USA passed away last month on November 13th. Nobushige Wakatsuki initially saw Nissan/Datsun as a company that could export well to the US market but was shot down for some time by the head execs until he took the job into his own hands.
He started importing the cars in 1960, three years after Toyota, and it took another full year to convince Nissan Corporate to take over the small dealer network. Thankfully for all of us the plan worked and Nissan began importing cars like crazy over the following years. Now almost 50 years later Nissan is a household name on these shores and we owe it all to him. Maybe I will name my ’71 510 “Waka” as a thank you.
Many of you know the huge impact that Mr. K has had on our lives. For those who don’t, Mr. K is the person responsible for the both the original Datsun 240z and 510. Holding those credentials makes him a very important person in my book. So when I came across an article on Autoblog the other day I was astonished to read that he preferred driving his Nissan Versa over the 350z that he owns or even the new 370z!!
Most of his feelings seem to stem from the fact that modern day sports cars have gotten too heavy and are now overly controlled by computer systems. At one point he goes on to mention that the Mazda Miata is more of what a modern 240z should be like.
Another point that he makes against modern Z cars is that they have gotten too expensive. The high price point really drives away the customers that the Z was initially designed for. The original 240z had an MSRP just over $4,000 back in the early seventies before options, now the price can regularly top $40K!! I can see his point.
The article goes on to mention that he would like to see the “Datsun” moniker return to future sporty cars from Nissan. I haven’t really thought of Datsun ever coming back, but why shouldn’t it!? It would be a great way for Nissan to branch out and offer cars at a lower price point in the future, sort of like what Toyota did with Scion. Seemed to work pretty well for them. Maybe we will see a lightweight sedan come back to the market and channel some vintage 510 styling. I’d buy a couple of those, rear drive of course.
Thoughts?
Side note: Mr. K’s 100th birthday was on the 15th of this month, so happy belated B-day to him. He’s still a feisty old dog isn’t he!? Good for him.
We do quite a few restorations here at Z Car Garage but this one holds a special place in our heart and I would like to share it with all of you. This 280zx has been a few years in the making and will be coming to a close soon once a couple of the nearly impossible to find parts are sourced.
Most of the parts that we are still searching for have been out of production for a decade, so you can see why this has taken some considerable effort to close out. Almost all of the interior pieces needed to be repaired and redyed to match the new dash and the newly upholstered seats, but no expense has been spared to get the highest quality items available. As these parts slowly trickle in from around the country (and world) the car is being re-assembled to better than original condition.
I have over a thousand pictures that have been taken over the course of this project so here are a few of the significant ones that show what lengths we have gone through to make it one of the cleanest restorations around. It has truly been a labor of love to restore this car and it will be a sad day when it gets delivered to its owners once again. I hope that they will enjoy it once completed as much as we have while building it for them.
Click on the pictures for the full-size and click the read more for more…
I can’t believe it’s that time of year again!! The Japanese Classic Car Show (JCCS) is taking place this Sunday, Oct. 12th at Hidden Valley Park in Irvine, CA. This is the ultimate show for you if you like all things vintage Japanese or true JDM.
There are huge sponsorship deals at the event this year from most of the OEM car companies, all sorts of media groups, and a large group of aftermarket supporters from around the globe (a complete list is on the JCCS website.) Most of the sponsors will have booths set up so expect free gift bags, entertainment of all sorts, and stickers galore!
In 2007 Mazda brought out an entire trailer loaded with race cars and even a rare Mazda Cosmo, of which there are only few in the world. They are a major sponsor again, along with Toyota, this year so expect some great things from both manufacturers.
The cars at the event are of the utmost quality and most everyone that attends is of the same caliber. Not only does this event show off some of the best original Japanese classic cars but it also offers the latest and greatest in innovations and customization that the aftermarket has to offer. Individuals and shops alike bring out their latest and greatest every year to be unveiled to the world. One of the best parts about JCCS is the approachability of all who attend. For example, if you see Pete Brock, of Datsun BRE fame, walking around the grounds make sure you walk up to him and say hi. Most “celebrities” here are happy to talk with anyone who shares the same passion for cars that they do.
Check out the video below for some footage of last year’s event and make sure to visit the Japanese Classic Car Show website for all the official updates as well as an awards, vendor, and sponsor list. The JCCS site also has an amazing gallery of years past where I borrowed most of these pictures from.
This event is a MUST ATTEND. If you have the weekend off we hope to see you there. Feel free to stop myself or any of the Z Car Garage people to say hi or talk cars. Long Live the Z and JCCS.
Look for an update right here next week when we return with our original pictures and a full event report.
Here are the first set of pictures from the Historics that I promised. These are mainly from the Z Car Corral on Saturday. I will be posting more of the paddock, pits, and the race action as I get to editing them. I hope these will hold you over until then.
