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Why so cheap
- Thread starter Nick
- Start date
Mr.G
Club Member
Nick,
I will try to shed some light, hope others will give there views.
Datsun didnt do too well with the 240Z in Britain, mainly because of the high shipping costs from Japan meant that they were not as cheap as they were for US buyers. This along with import tax, purchase tax as well as an unfavourable exchange rate meant low numbers being imported.
This brought the car into a different buying bracket, the best way of identifying this is to realise that you could purchase a 4.2 Lt E-Type Jag for a little bit over the price of a 240Z in the early 1970's!
Without offending anyone, we had alot of other Datsun models being imported that just werent as exciting as the 240Z (in my opinion). Suffered from the usual Datsun rust etc... And Datsun soon became the butt of many car jokes... Easy scape goat I think, as most of the British made cars where just as rusty and no way as reliable. Unfortunately, I think this then became a stigma for Datsuns. Once you get a stigma its pretty hard to shake off.
You also got to remember that at the time the Brits were very patriotic to our own brands Triumph, MG, Jag etc...
Someone else, pls add, disagree etc...
G.
I will try to shed some light, hope others will give there views.
Datsun didnt do too well with the 240Z in Britain, mainly because of the high shipping costs from Japan meant that they were not as cheap as they were for US buyers. This along with import tax, purchase tax as well as an unfavourable exchange rate meant low numbers being imported.
This brought the car into a different buying bracket, the best way of identifying this is to realise that you could purchase a 4.2 Lt E-Type Jag for a little bit over the price of a 240Z in the early 1970's!
Without offending anyone, we had alot of other Datsun models being imported that just werent as exciting as the 240Z (in my opinion). Suffered from the usual Datsun rust etc... And Datsun soon became the butt of many car jokes... Easy scape goat I think, as most of the British made cars where just as rusty and no way as reliable. Unfortunately, I think this then became a stigma for Datsuns. Once you get a stigma its pretty hard to shake off.
You also got to remember that at the time the Brits were very patriotic to our own brands Triumph, MG, Jag etc...
Someone else, pls add, disagree etc...
G.