Z-nophobic Z-maggedon

The automotive prophets predicted the coming end times…wish I bought the destroyer of the classic car world when I had the chance

As always, our Raffi Minasian is a never-ending fount of automotive insights. As you’ll read in this issue, this month he takes a look at the Datsun 240Z, both in terms of its unique design and its far-reaching influence on Japan’s automotive emergence. On the design side, I was genuinely surprised when I read Raffi’s comment that the Ferrari Daytona bore “more than a passing resemblance” to the 240Z. Huh, isn’t it the other way around? I had to question Raffi on this, as for decades I was always led to believe that the 240Z was “derivative” of the Daytona. Of course, Raffi set me straight, “It is a commonly held misperception, but the Daytona was released in 1968 when the Z had already more or less been committed to final design. The Daytona (at least to the Japanese team) was a significant confirmation of their concept. Having the top sports car company and design house convey essentially the same basic design and overall concept at triple the price is nothing short of amazing, when you consider the Japanese Nissan team were largely unknown sports car builders.” Schooled yet again.