Nissan Z I (S30) photos

The first generation of Nissan's celebrated Z-car lineage, internally designated the S30, was introduced in late 1969 and remained in production until 1978. Spearheaded by executive Yutaka Katayama and styled by a team led by Yoshihiko Matsuo, the S30 succeeded the body-on-frame Datsun Fairlady roadsters by introducing a modern unibody three-door fastback coupe featuring a long hood, short rear deck, and four-wheel independent MacPherson strut suspension. In 1974, the body style lineup expanded to include a longer-wheelbase 2+2 model with rear occasional seating. In the Japanese domestic market, the car was sold as the Nissan Fairlady Z and was primarily powered by a 2.0-liter L20 inline-six engine to comply with local displacement tax brackets, alongside a prestigious, limited-production Fairlady Z432 variant powered by the dual-overhead-cam, 24-valve S20 inline-six shared with the Skyline GT-R. In export markets, particularly North America and Europe, the car was badged as a Datsun and evolved through three distinct displacements during its production run: the original carbureted 2.4-liter Datsun 240Z, the interim 2.6-liter Datsun 260Z introduced in 1974 with reinforced bumpers, and the 2.8-liter Datsun 280Z launched in 1975 with Bosch L-Jetronic electronic fuel injection to maintain performance under stricter emissions regulations. Transmission choices across the S30 lifespan included 4-speed and 5-speed manuals as well as a 3-speed automatic.