Nissan may have been aware of a certain German car in the design phase of the Z car.

But imitation is always the sincerest form of flattery.

And they also made a crucial correction, which most German manufacturers already knew, and so put their motor in the front, like a proper car should have.   Imagine the concept and possibility of an air cooled one.

The original 240Z was known as a Fairlady in Japan.  Perhaps it had some mystique in folklore or random presumption of appeal to people in England or the U.S.A. Thankfully this was changed for overseas markets. At least the “Z” name had some virtuous toughness imbued.

Speaking of breeding, we need to look at the Nissan family tree. It’s a bit like the “Who Do You Think You Are” television show, where people sometimes find out that not every family are related to royalty, nor do they have an ancestral castle in Scotland.

So, Prince was married to Datsun and their overseas love-child became Nissan. The first-born, 240Z, was enigmatic. Lithe, streamlined and muscular; it immediately found an interested and admiring audience. It looked so good, even without moving. In motion it was sheer joy.

There were some genetic mutations in evolution where bigger and even faster was not necessarily better. In the interests of purity and political correctness I refuse to allude to a begging analogy of cars to women.

Then from car heaven , thunder and lightening included, came the 350Z; sleak, sinuous and in spirit a phoenix arisen , reviving the original purity of thought and imagination.

You really need to sit in one of these to absorb the inspired magic. Then do more and become part of it within its moving entity and flow.

Thank God that the 370Z maintained the purity of its older sibling and tweaked already sound things into something even better.  Next and maybe the last of ICE cars, will be a collector’s item.

 For now I don’t want to contemplate an e-Z, as don’t we all love the resonance of a screaming V6 under acceleration through a reverberating, motorway tunnel.