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This was found in storage, the 21st production of the Datsun 240Z, is one of the rarest early survivors of Japan’s iconic sports car.
One of the earliest Datsun 240Z sports cars was unearthed in a dusty New Orleans warehouse, marking a rare and important discovery for Japanese car enthusiasts and collectors.
According to records maintained by Z enthusiast Site Zhome.com, the shipped Coupe chassis number 00021 00021 is the ninth 240Z ever sold to the public and the sixth largest 240Z known. In the initial model year in 1969, there were only 543 examples, which made the car one of the 195 early survivors of the first run.
The discovery was made by veteran barn-candid expert Tom Cotter, who stumbled upon the car while stocking up for his 1939 Ford Woodie. Cote learned that the owners of the property are maintaining the historically important Z car, which has been around for more than a decade.
The Datsun is still equipped with its original 2.4-liter inside engine and four-speed manual transmission, which is very complete. Despite being covered in dust, the body was barely rusted, a typical feat known in the early 240Z for its corrosion problems. The odometer shows more than 27,000 miles, although weathering suggests the car may have logged in for more than 100,000 miles.
It was originally purchased by a mechanic who delayed its repair for years and changed hands two years ago. The current caregiver is a collector named Brett, and now plans to do a full nut restoration that brings the iconic coupe back to its former glory.
Newly tied, the 240Z provides affordable performance for European sports cars, such as the Jaguar Model E and the BMW 2800 CS. Today, early examples have become increasingly collectible, with cars in top-level conditions taking six figures at six figures at auctions.
Given its excellent source and condition, the chassis 00021 is expected to be one of the most valuable Datsun Z cars of all time.
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