Today’s AutoHunter Spotlight is a groundbreaking car: a 1973 Datsun 240Z offered by a private party in San Jose, California. This might sound like a weird way to start off an AutoHunter Spotlight, but for years I simply hated the Datsun 240Z. This had nothing to do with the way the car drove, the way the car looked, or anything else logical. I hated the 240Z because it represented the final nail in the coffin for both the British and small-bore Italian car markets.
Looking at it logically, if you were in the market for a sports car in 1970 and bought, say, an MGB, TR6, or Alfa GTV instead of the 240Z, you were quite honestly making a choice to pay more for a lesser car. Some people did this, but the 240Z was so far ahead of every single one of its competitors—including on the racetrack—making that choice was nothing short of crazy. That’s why I hated the 240Z: It made so many cars I loved not only seem arcane but also instantaneously irrelevant in the world of sports cars.
My feelings began to change in the late 1980s, when I got to drive my friend Kevin Jordan’s 240Z for the first time. At that point I grudgingly accepted that the 240Z was truly a revolutionary car for its era.
Fast-forward 20 years: while working for Classic Motorsports magazine, I had the opportunity to help manage the Classic Motorsports Mitty, where we were celebrating both Datsun and the BRE racing team. I spent the week with literally every living member of the BRE team from that era, including Pete Brock and John Morton. Listening to their stories of that time made me understand that the Datsun Z’s history was just as amazing—and in some ways more so—as that of all the cars I felt it had killed. Today I love the 240Z and not only think it is probably the best choice for a first-time classic sports car buyer, but also that every important sports car collection should include one.
The seller describes this 240Z as powered by a reportedly numbers-matching 2.4-liter inline-six mated to a four-speed manual transmission. The car is finished in its correct Lime Yellow (paint code 112) over an interior in the correct black vinyl pattern and material. It is being offered by the seller with an owner’s manual and a clear title.
The seller reports this 240Z underwent a frame-up restoration in 2007, and it shows. The paint and bodywork look excellent; the only flaw I saw was the lack of the 240Z emblem on the rear hatch of the car (something easily corrected, which I would personally see to). The car also features dual black side mirrors (technically not correct, but they look good) and era-correct dealer-offered rocker side stripes. This is a nice-looking example. Oh, and as an aside, Lime Yellow is my absolute favorite color for the 240Z.
The interior is just as nice. The dash, which is prone to crack, looks to be in excellent condition. The seats are also correct, with the right vinyl used and the 240Z seat vents in place. The only changes I could see were the aftermarket steering wheel (which I would replace with a stock wheel, as it looks cooler) and the addition of an Alpine stereo, which I would leave alone, as the stock Datsun radio is terrible.
Under the hood is a correct (and what the seller says is numbers-matching) Datsun L24 2.4-liter SOHC inline-six engine with two correct Hitachi carburetors. It is backed by the standard Datsun four-speed manual gearbox. Everything looks to be excellent and pretty much correct. According to the seller, this engine was rebuilt when the car was restored in 2007. I personally appreciate that while everything is super clean, details like the cam cover have not been polished to an incorrect mirror finish, something I see all the time.
The 240Z has bounced up and down in the market for the last 10 or so years, with some of the very best examples selling for more than $100,000. The market has settled down a bit in the last few years, so they are now more affordable. To me, that makes a 240Z as nice as this example something I would not hesitate to make some serious bids on, as I feel we have not seen the end of what this model will do in the classic car market.
The Datsun 240Z is a true iconic sports car of the 1970s, combining great performance and incredible reliability in a very fun-to-drive package, and examples this good are becoming harder and harder to find. If you are interested, though, I would either register on our site or log in if you are already registered, as the auction for this very nice 1973 Datsun 240Z ends Wednesday, September 24, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. (PDT). If you need any more inspiration to bid, read the copy on the vintage 240Z magazine ad above—it says it all.
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