1980 Datsun 280ZX 10th Anniversary

Boys will be boys, better let them have their toys/
Girls will be girls, cute ponytails and curls/
Must put an end to this stress and strife/
I think I want to live the sporting life – Chic/Good Times/Risqué/Atlantic Records

Nissan followed a path from sports car to grand tourer with its Z-car. From the 240 to the 260 to the 280, the engine kept enlarging to keep up with the car's increases in weight from added sound deadening material, high-end audio systems and more power assist gadgets.

Made at Nissan's Shatai assembly plant in Japan during March 1980, this example exudes disco and New Wave vibes. This example is one of the special 10th anniversary models Nissan (then known as Datsun in the U.S. and would remain so until 1983) created to honor the Z-car.

Three thousand total anniversary units were made and they were divided as follows: 2,500 were dressed in black with gold trim while 500 of them wore red with black trim. The difference? All 1,250 Datsun dealers in the U.S. received two black-and-gold models but only the top 500 dealers in gross sales also received a red-and-black model.

This example, which spent some time in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, was lovingly stored in a garage by its previous owner. It has had the owner since 1987 - 37 years of ownership. The Nebraska title reads Actual Miles!

The paint and trim are in overall very good condition, the bodywork is straight and solid, the engine bay is very tidy, the red carpeted cargo area looks great and is ready to stow some luggage. The chrome and rubber bumpers fit tightly to the body. As was a fad at the time, the rear window comes with louvres. Simply lift them out of the way to clean the rear window, which also has these handy features – rear defroster, rear washer and rear wiper.

This Z-car rolls on generic blackwall radials, size 195/70R14, mounted on factory alloy wheels that are trimmed in black paint and look dynamic when the car is stationary. The tires are in very good condition while the wheels are in excellent order.

Under the front-hinged hood is a 2.8L, SOHC inline six-cylinder engine with flat-topped pistons and Bosch L-Jetronic fuel injection, one of the first Japanese-produced vehicles to introduce the technology. Backing the motor is a five-speed manual transmission and 3.55:1 rear end. Driver convenience features were lengthy for the time – air-conditioning (blows at 49 degrees), power steering, power four-wheel disc brakes, cruise control, power windows, power sideview mirrors and power antenna.

Inside, the red leather interior shines. The bucket seats look fantastic, the complementing carpet retains its redness, The headliner looks good and a two-spoke steering wheel faces the driver. The red dashboard and center console look great and the console-mounted shifter has its own patina – a testament to previous drivers' enjoyment. The original dash does have some cracks covered by a dash mat. To round out the interior is a Hitachi AM/FM stereo with separate bass and treble controls, five station presets and a period-correct eight-track tape player.

From 1980 onwards, the 280ZX was available with a T-bar roof (on both the two-seater and 2+2 body styles). The T-bar roof panels could be removed and stored in bags in the rear of the car. The car also featured a new warning system that checked functions at startup - if everything was fine, an 'OK' signal was given.

Competition to this Datsun in 1980 included American Motors' AMX, Chevrolet's Corvette and Monza Hatch, Mazda's RX-7, Plymouth's Fire Arrow, Pontiac's Sunbird Hatch and Porsche's 924.

If you're a Nissan collector, if you like Japanese two-door cars or if you're simple a sports car fan in general, you should make it a point to visit MotoeXotica Classic Cars to check out this Nissan Z car.

In my mind and in my car/
We can't rewind, we've gone too far/
Pictures came and broke your heart/
Put the blame on VCR – The Buggles/Video Killed the Radio Star/The Age of Plastic/Island Records

VIN: HS130219515

This car is currently located at our facility in St. Louis, Missouri. Current mileage on the odometer shows 50,201 miles. It is sold as is, where is, on a clean and clear, mileage exempt title. GET OUT AND DRIVE!!!

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