When did the 240z go on sale in Australia?

[Mr Camouflage]

Does anybody know for sure when the 240Z went on sale in Australia?

 

I've seen people selling cars claim that their car is a 69 car, or a 3/1970 car.

 

I just saw the advert for car #134 which says its a 11/1970 car, which seems to fit with the official press release kit for the 240Z that I have, and was probably among the first shipment of cars to come to Australia

 

The press release kit is dated September 21, 1970, and specified not for release before am September 27, 1970.

 

So if the car was for sale since March, why wait untill the end of September to release details to the press?

 

If anyone Knows for sure when the 240Z went on sale let us know.

 

I'll be asking a someone I know that worked for a datsun dealer around that time, to see if he remembers.

[NZeder]

I can't answer the sale date thing. But I believe a lot of people in the RHD world get confussed with the info from the US. In the US the first 500 were 69 cars (I believe) however having once owned HS30-00016 (should never have sold it but it is now in Australia, thing you do to purchase your first house) and most of the date stamps on the car (seal belts, spark leads - yep still had the originals ones on they were failing, dates on guages etc) were early 70 so that would have meant the car sold 1st or 2nd 1/4 of the year and this is a very early build we are talking about #16 so we can assume that in RHD (and going by the production figures/date range from a Nissan parts catalog) did not get built in the numbers or same dates as the LHD or even JDM I would guess (I assume Nissan was focusing on the US and home markets first)

 

Anyway this info might help

[lambs]

There is no such thing as a RHD Oz spec 240Z. At the absolute earliest they were sold in Oz in the second half of 1970. This matter has been researched to the nth degree by a number of people who tried to get the 240Z recognised for competition in Group Sb (basically 60's sports cars). Nissan's own records showed there were no 60's 240Z's.

 

Even in the US which was the first market to get teh model there are probably less then 1000 or even 500 genuine 1969 240Z's

[Mr Camouflage]

There is no such thing as a RHD Oz spec 240Z.

 

Huh? You mean 1969 240Z right?

 

I really didnt want to get into the Australian 1969 240Z thing. Thats not what I was asking. (By the way, latest research indicates that RHD HS30 #3 was build in/from oct 1969, but no one knows where the car went, if anywhere or whether it was used in crash testing. Eariest Z in Aus is #4 which may have been built months after #3, but I doubt the owner will want to start pulling it apart to find dated parts in it. It's currently thought to be a early 1970's car, so yes there are no 1969 datsun 240Z's in Australia).

 

Currently I'm guessing the 240Z went on sale around September 1970. (these cars would have been built in early to mid 1970). Thers a photo of what I believe is car #4 in the press kit. (Vic) Rego number KNL 127.

 

If anyone has any early Australian car magazines with 240Z articles from around that period i'd be interested in getting scans of them so i can read them (send me a PM for my email address). I've collected some from magazines from ebay, but the earliest I have is Wheels June 1971.

[warrenz]

Hi

 

I have Modern Motor April 71. This is the road test of Chassis #4.

 

I am off to Sweden tonight so PM me and if you want a copy of the whole article I can send it when I am back.

 

I also have Wheels May 76 with 260Z Road Test and Wheels April 74 240z v's Alfa 1.6 GT.

[lambs]

Huh? You mean 1969 240Z right?

 

Obviously......

[sjcurtis]

Hey guys good thread, but I beg to differ... Australia was prime to HS30 as HLS30 was to the USA. We where the prime RH drive export market with Australian sales securing the future HS30 export for other markets. If sales had flopped here I dont think we would have the spread of HS30 that we have. The earliest build requirements of the HS30 are Australian build requirements built in at the factory. HS30 had australian build requirements built in at the factory and that makes it a market specific zed for Australia. The EURO version of HS30 was adapted from existing spec with removal of some AUS requirements, so a lot of the late 71 to late 73 zeds delivered in the UK South Africa Hong Kong Malaysia and Australia have overlapping specs As far as delivery goes we all know that HLS30 pre sales delayed HS30 how much who knows, but as we all know when someone produces the early delivery paper work with HS30-000 003 in Brisbane it will rewrite some existing folk lore.

 

another heretic view

 

Steve

[webmanic]

This old thread may  be resolved but it came up on a recent search and I have 2c.  No.84 240z is a Sept 1970 make bought from Ira Berk in Qld late Dec 1970. I understand it be part of  the first shipment of cars to this state. I don't believe the 240z was on sale in the first half of 1970.

[d3c0y]

It's not so much to do with when they were sold but more about when they were built in Japan. Cars can sit for months before being sold, I would say in the case of a new model launch maybe even more so.

[dat2kman]

This topic bugs me!

Ok, as far as motorsport in Australia is concerned, ie Historic, the requirement for, Group N Touring cars is, the car must have been actually sold to the public, within the given years period, model run on permitted.

Group N Hist Touresrs cutoff date is December 1973. For Group Nc.

IF, and or WHEN, they introduce Group Nd, ie a later years/models, and if that were to go to, say,, December 1976,

THEN, our Datsun 260Z in 2+2 form only, WILL comply, it practised and qualified at the Bathurst 1000, and meets the requirements.

Also, the Group N tourers get radiator, ignition, carburrettor, and most importantly brake freedoms, ie a vented rotor to stock diameter, AND four piston calipers!!

 

Now, back to Sports Cars, ie Group S Historics, the ruling is, there must ge documented proof, ( not heresay, he said she said, my mate has no 4 etc) but documented original proof that a 240 Z WAS SOLD to a purchaser prior to December 1969, ANYWHERE in the world.

Group S does not have the requirement that it must have geen deliverd and sold in Australia only.

 

Ie a Shelby 350GT Mustang, a Group Sb car, was not sold here, they were LHD. That sets the precedent.

 

My other isdue is the fitting by dealers, OR the factory, of items from the Options Parts Catalogues, we MUST have proof, documented, that cars were made available to be purchased with items fitted, not bought, and fitted later.

 

These did exist, in Africa, the UK and Europe, in period 1970 through to 1975, these were actual cars built from NEW, and registered for use on public roads, with the extra bit fitted, ie wide rims, triple carbs, vented four spot brakes.

 

It comes down to actual proof,

Not third hand rumour and conjecture, or the recollections of those who have been around Datsuns around the world, for many years.

 

The above requirements are those in effect by the Australian Motosport official body CAMS, not FIA.

[NZeder]

The above requirements are those in effect by the Australian Motosport official body CAMS, not FIA.

Correct CAMS is the issue as FIA there is the document 3023 for the 240z which including all its extensions shows all the parts needed and under FIA Appendix K all these parts an be fitted when making a period correct race car to group 4 spec. Then said car can apply (does not mean it will be approved) for HTP papers. Will CAMS accept FIA HTP papered cars in Group Sc??? Again FIA HTP does not mean a car can run at a given event that is still up to the event/grid organizers and that is one of the walls we hit all the time - it is Japanese and to many of those we race against don't see a 240z as a Classic/Historic as it is Japanese...well that is an opinion what I said an MGB is not Classic or a 911 that again is just an opinion.

 

I am not down with the CAMS rules but if you can't run FIA approved 4 pots then an Ford Escort should not be able to run AP closed back calipers (forestry or montecarlo depending on spec) or Steel bubble flares (can't be anything else but steel as that is what is down on the FIA papers for the Escorts) as these parts were only available under Group 2 which was for Modified Saloons back in the day much like FIA 4 pots etc were for Group 4 for the 240z aka modified Sports and GT cars.

 

By modified = standard series production cars (aka Group 1 for Saloons and Group 3 for Sports and GTs) that are then fitted with factory options (or parts as approved/listed on the FIA papers) ie Steel bubble flares (Escorts) or FIA approved Sumitomo MK63 on vented disks for the 240z. These modifications be they made by the factory or you installing the parts after the fact make no bearing on FIA rules of the day aka Appendix K today (or for the period in question Appendix J for the years the 240z/260z/280z we are interested in)

 

However I feel CAMS have got their rules sooo soooo wrong. Using their rule of "sale documents" is not right. First and foremost FIA homologation papers based on the groups deemed correct for the local CAMS groups. Example FIA Group 1 (for the period we are concerd with) = Standard Series Production cars as approved in the config approved under FIA Group 1. So that is a bog standard  Escort made in the numbers required to qualify for the Group 1 rules. That does not mean a 911 sold with a sales document to Bob with a 3.0 engine (when that standard was 2.7), or wide fenders and 16x8 rims. The FIA papers are trumps. If however CAMS allows Group 2 and Group 4 approvals under their local group x (whatever x might be) then this is for the modified cars based on Groups 1 and 3 aka Bob's 911 with the bits however only if number made met the rules of the day aka at least x made/sold/could be made to the spec in question.

 

If a car does not have FIA approved papers from back in the day then sales documents need to come into play however a single 1 off sales document of Bob's 911 does not mean all 911's were build or sold like that so should never be allowed under Group 1 or Group 3 based rules. Group 2 and Group 4 sure then all 240z group 4 mods are in too.

 

The issue with all this stuff is opinions and egos come into it - they should not but they do.