1973 Datsun 240Z

Anyone familiar with the classic offerings of Nissan (nee Datsun) will know the name of the long-established Nissan (other brands are also available) dealership, Glyn Hopkin.

In addition to being the name above the door on a thriving chain of car dealerships, Glyn Hopkin is also a person – and one who happens to be the owner and vendor of this splendid 240Z, which has been part of his personal collection since 2015.

We’re told that, since then, around £6,000 has been spent on keeping this car in the fabulous condition you see today.

That expenditure included re-chroming all the shiny bits, refurbishing/replacing the dashboard, glove compartment, steering wheel and upholstery.

The chassis number is HS30-101399 and the car’s odometer is showing 73,042 miles.

It has done barely any miles in the last 22 years since it was the happy recipient of a very thorough bare metal restoration (inside and out), courtesy of West London Nissan Ltd, who committed over £20,000 of the then owner’s money to the project.

We believe that the car had one private owner until West London Nissan and then onto Glyn Hopkins in 2015.

It was during the 2000/2001 restoration that the car underwent some significant changes.

One invoice states that the job involved rebuilding the car back to factory specification (but using new, original parts), except for the key additions of an upgraded cylinder head, cross-flow exhaust system, triple Weber carbs and alloy wheels.

Today, the car presents extremely well in its livery of metallic blue paint.

We can also report that it goes very well, too, to the throaty accompaniment of a triple-Weber induction roar that it wouldn’t have had when it left the factory in Japan.

It presses on with plenty of enthusiasm and has a balance, steering accuracy and ability to stop that would have shamed most 1973 competitors.

We noticed a few extraneous pops and coughs that appeared to be emanating from somewhere in the vicinity of the exhaust system and couldn’t quite decide if they were a good thing or not.

The car was serviced (by Glyn Hopkins Ltd) in June 2022 before coming to us.

There’s no denying it – this car is a proper head-turner and presents very handsomely from every angle.

Overall, the bodywork is excellent and there are no dents, creases or warps of any real significance anywhere.

All we’ve found are some stone chips in the usual places – around the front valance, in the wheel arches and on the leading edges of the bonnet and doors.

The panel gaps and shut lines are probably every bit as consistent and even as they would have been when the car was new.

Given that it’s Japanese, that’s probably pretty consistent and even then.

The blue metallic paintwork fair gleams with shine and lustre.

The lights, lenses and badging are in good order.

The chrome is in fine fettle all over.

The wheels are good, though there is a little tarnishing in evidence here and there.

The tyres look barely acquainted with the notion of wear.

The good news continues unabated on the inside, where the ambience and patina combine to take you right back to 1973.

Luckily, the colour ways and fabrics tend more towards the muted and tasteful than the Bay City Rollers, so you’ll be spared the worst of that decade’s style aberrations.

Given that the interior has been comprehensively refurbished, restored and replaced (according to need) in the not-too-distant past, it all looks unsurprisingly good.

The black leather seats are untroubled by creases or other indicators of the passage of time. They are supportive and comfortable.

The door cards and headlining are beyond reproach, as far as we can tell.

Ditto the dashboard, instruments, carpets and mats.

As far as we’re aware, all buttons, knobs, dials, levers, switches and stalks do what they’re supposed to do.

The boot, which is also in very good condition, contains a spare wheel and some tools.

Some of the rubber trim around the doors and windows looks a little deformed and squashed but is nonetheless intact and, apparently, functional.

For proof that this car has barely been used in recent years, take a peek underneath.

Even road grime is barely in evidence, let alone rust.

It all looks pretty solid to us and everything we’ve seen seems to be possessed of the right amounts of structural integrity.

It’s the same story in the engine bay, where all appears to be clean, dry, present and correct.

The car doesn’t currently have an MoT certificate.

On the occasion of its last MoT in 2015, the mileage was recorded as being 72,830.

So, in the last 7 years this car has clocked up around 200 miles.

While it doesn’t come with a bulging history bristling with dealership stamps, it does have significant receipts and invoices for the work carried out 20 years ago by West London Nissan, plus the more recent work courtesy of Glyn Hopkins Ltd.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to a very good standard.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

The days of these cars being underrated and something of a ‘sleeper’ bargain are long gone.

Today, everyone knows how good they were (and are), and their rising values reflect both the underlying pedigree of the vehicles and a degree of scarcity that only going to increase.

The point is that the Datsun 240Z ‘s star is rapidly ascending and these now rare cars are only going to get rarer and more valuable.

This car is pretty much unique in its provenance, quality and exceptional condition.

It’s very hard to believe that when it first rolled off the production line Slade were wishing everybody a merry Christmas and Bruce Lee was making all manner of weird noises in Enter the Dragon.

It’s quite a car – it really is.

We’re happy to offer this superb vehicle for auction with an estimate in the range of £45,000 - £55,000.

Viewing is always encouraged. This particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays between 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.