The original Datsun 240Z paired its long bonnet with a 2.4-litre straight-six. Nissan developed it for the North American market: the export audience is central to its story, so this is not a list limited to cars sold only in Japan.
Its case is the appeal of a recognisable sports coupé beyond a specialist niche. We place that invitation above the 2000GT’s exclusivity, but below later engineering experiments. Readers who value the foundation of the Z family over complex technology can reasonably move it up.
Source: Nissan · Photo: Dllu · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized/recompressed; image retains source license.
