All-original, 21k mile 1971 Datsun 240Z sells for more than a brand-new Ferrari!

Nissan has had a pretty rough time of late what with its fugitive ex-CEO Carlos Ghosn making all the headlines for all the wrong reasons but its cars are still doing really well – especially on the secondhand market as this classic 1971 240Z has just proved. Beloved for its sleek design and reliable inline-six engine, prices for these cars have been shooting up as of late, but this sale price was a shocker…

The Japanese giant imported the Datsun 240Z in the US decades ago and it became an instant hit. The carmaker was known for making fuel-efficient vehicles but it surprised everyone with the beautiful coupe which literally came out of nowhere.

It was Nissan man Yutaka Katayama, also known as "Mr. K" – considered the father of the Z-Car by the Datsun community - who convinced the brand to set up shop in the US and to import the 240Z there as there were enthusiasts who wanted a fun sportscar but did not want to pay Chevrolet Corvette money for one.

Now, this perfect condition, all-original 1971 Datsun 240Z has just sold on Bring A Trailer for an astounding $310,000. That is more than double the previous highest sale price for the website. For that money, you could get a brand new Ferrari F8 Tributo - and have plenty of change left over too!

Finished in Racing Green with white rocker stripes, there are also factory 14in steel wheels wearing new 175-series Vredestein Sprint Classic tyres.

Apart from the distributor being converted to electronic ignition, the 2.4-liter straight-six engine is all-original and makes 150 horsepower. Since it doesn't get any more original than this it isn’t entirely surprising to see someone fork over Ferrari money for this museum-quality 240Z, especially as values for them have been increasing recently.

The interior is covered in brown vinyl upholstery. There's even a diamond-pattern center console, aluminum sill plates, and Z-branded floor mats.

It has only 21,750 miles on the clock and the lack of miles for a car that's nearly 50 years old is because its original owner was gifted the car by his father as a dental school graduation present. The son barely drove it and instead preferred to store it in a dealership showroom and then at his home. The car was recently bought by a friend and fellow dentist and again, hardly driven.

Power is sent to the rear wheels through a four-speed manual transmission.

The Z car is sold as the Nissan 370Z today but rumour has it that the next-generation model will feature retro-like styling. We really hope so…