A 43-year-old Datsun 280ZX has just found a new owner who paid $231,000 for it, more than the $197,200 starting price of the latest Porsche 911 Turbo in the USA. Reasons? Limited status and near-zero mileage.
The Datsun 280ZX was dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the Nissan Z sports car series. The company made 3,000 cars like this, but only 500 were finished in red and black.
The automaker distributed the cars between America’s select dealerships, and this one was shipped out to Gerry Lane Chevrolet-Datsun Inc. Its owner, Gerry Lane, bought it out and kept it as a trophy of sorts – a confirmation of the fact that his company was one of the Japanese marque’s chosen distributors in the USA.
He had held onto the coupe for 42 long years, after which its current owner purchased it with just 20 km (12 miles) on the odometer. At the moment of sale, the 280ZX had 45 km (28 miles) on it.
Powering the retro classic is a 2.8-liter inline six-cylinder engine mated to a five-speed manual transmission. At a Datsun owners’ meet in the USA last year, this particular 280ZX was recognized as the most well-preserved vehicle in the entire lineup. Among other things, it still had the original Goodyear Wingfoot tires on, not to mention other OEM parts.