Option — Shōwa Car Tuning & Buyers Guide (2000 Edition)

The S30 debuted in 1969 (Showa 44) as the third Fairlady and the first “Z.” The main model was the 2.0-liter version, but the flagship 432 used the same S20 engine as the Skyline GT-R. Its high price and temperamental engine discouraged buyers, so it was replaced by the 240Z with the export-market L24 engine. The long-nose 240ZG with overfenders became so popular that many replicas appeared, but the oil crisis took it off the market in 1973.

The S130 arrived as a model change. Its styling retained the basic concept but shifted from a sports focus to luxury. Since reportedly 90% were sold in America, it was inevitably more suited to cruising the highway than attacking Japan’s mountain passes. In 1980, Japan’s first T-bar roof appeared, further strengthening its luxury-car character. In 1982, however, the Z received its first turbo engine, the L20ET, and from then on its main engine was always turbocharged. The 1983 model change introduced the 2.3-liter Z as an even more luxurious car, now with all-V6 engines. But to shed its image as insufficiently sporty… [continues].