This vintage Japanese sports car just sold for more than a brand-new Lamborghini

Tim Levin

Feb 1, 2020, 01:45 IST

Bring a Trailer

Datsun 240Z.

A near-mint 1971 Datsun 240Z sold for $310,000 on online auction site Bring a Trailer earlier this week.
With its sleek design and classic status, the Datsun 240Z has been gaining value on the used market.
But $310,000 was practically unheard of for the car, with most Datsun 240Zs on Bring a Trailer selling for less than $50,000.
The highest sale on the site before this one, which was considerably higher than other sale prices at the time, went for $124,240 midway through last year.
Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

With its plummeting sales figures and fugitive ex-CEO making headlines, Nissan has been having a rough time as of late. But its cars are doing just fine on the secondhand market.

This week, a near-mint 1971 Datsun 240Z listed on auction site Bring a Trailer sold for $310,000 - far more than doubling the previous highest sale price for the website. For that money, you could buy 10 Nissan 370Z Coupes, or a pair of well-optioned GT-R supercars. Or a house.

The 1970s-era 240Z, beloved for its sleek design and reliable inline-six engine, has been shooting up in value as of late, but this sale price was a shocker. The next highest 240Z sale on Bring a Trailer raked in just over $124,000, still an astronomical figure for a car that was sold in high numbers and typically tops out at $50,000 for the cleanest of examples.

Scroll down to learn more about the pristine Datsun that's ruining our hopes of ever owning an affordable 240Z.

On Wednesday, this immaculate 1971 Datsun 240Z sold for $310,000 on Bring a Trailer, shattering the site's previous record for the model.

During the auction, competition was fierce, and five bidders were willing to pay at least $170,000 for the car.

That's way more than what 240Zs usually fetch at auction, topping out at around $50,000, but this example is in near-perfect shape.

A valuation information analyst at Hagerty said it's "the most original Datsun 240Z in existence."

The car shows only 21,750 miles on the odometer ...

... which works out to roughly 435 miles per year over the course of the car's life.

According to the listing, a Datsun dealership owner gifted it new to his son as a dental school graduation present ...

... after which it spent most of its life in the dealership showroom or at the family's home.

The car was only driven when it was sunny and at least 60 degrees out, according to the ad, which explains its impeccable condition.

The listing said the 240Z's coveted Racing Green paint job is all original ...

... and it features white rocker stripes.

The interior is upholstered in brown vinyl ...

... and includes Z-branded floor mats to match.

The car is entirely unrestored, but an electronic ignition was added.

It even sports the original protective plastic on the seatbelts, rear panels, and behind the arm rests.

The car is equipped with its original 2.4-liter inline-six engine ...

... which was rated at 150 horsepower and 146 foot-pounds of torque when new.

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

It truly is an all-around gorgeous vehicle ...

... and we'll have to wait and see if this astonishing valuation affects future sales of the once-affordable 240Z.

Next Story Wild pigs are a menace, causing over $1 billion in damages each year in the US alone. Here are 5 facts you probably didn't know about them.