Z Car Roots or "Z" Stands For ZERO

Contributed By: Carl Beck, IZCC #260
E-Mail: beck@becksystems.com

Engineering and Technology Utilized In The Design Of The 240-Z:
The Datsun 240-Z has one of the major roots of its origin firmly planted in the evolution of the Prince Motor Company. From an engineering perspective the chassis, body structure and drive train were all existing technologies being applied at Prince Motors when it was merged into Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. in 1966. In contrast, none of these were to be found in any previous Nissan automobile in production at the time.

Nissan Motors evolved after WW II by buying the designs of other companies, then producing them - so they developed Production and Manufacturing expertise - but they really didn't start to advance their own in-house Automotive Design and Engineering capabilities until around 1964. Merging Prince Motors into Nissan Motors couldn't have happened at a better time than 1966 for Nissan... Because by then Nissan knew they had to make revolutionary changes in their approach to Automotive Design and Engineering... if they wanted to remain competitive in a world market - - and they DID...

- At the end of WWII the "Nakaima Aircraft Company" and the "Tachikawa Aircraft Company" (both having produced the ZERO fighter aircraft during the war) were merged along with several others, into Fuji Sangyo. ( a large conglomerate formed under Central Command).

-In 1950 the huge conglomerate "Fuji Sangyo" was broken up into 12 parts, one of which was the "Fuji Precision Machine Company Ltd." One of the products that Fuji produced was an ohv gas engine used in their Tama Automobiles.

-In 1952 the "Tama Motors Company" was founded within "Fuji Precision Machine Company" and they marketed a car named the "Prince" (in honor of Crown Prince Akihito's birth).

- In 1955 the company name was changed to "Prince Motor Company".

- In 1957 Prince took its cars to the Paris Auto Show (planing exports)

- In 1960 Prince showed its Michelotti-designed Skyline Sport Convertible in Turin. (they also had an "Extended Cab Pick-up named the "Skyway" at that time;-)

- By 1960 the managing Director of Prince Motor Company was named Dr. Ryoichi Nakagawa and he was responsible for Prince's Engineering Policy as well. (During the war he had been the designer of the of the "Zero" fighter aircraft engine at the Nakajima Aircraft Company.)

- By 1961 Skylines are running in the "East African Safari Rally". (De Dion rear suspension, ZF type 4spd. with overdrive 5th, posi-track differential).

- By 1962 Prince Motors sold three models all built on the same chassis (Prince, Gloria and Skyline) and the Gloria received its first 2.5L OHV engine in 1963.

- In 1966 the Prince Motor Company Ltd. was merged into Nissan Motors Ltd.

- From its design phase in 1966 until it's production release in 1968 the Datsun 510 "somehow"" received:
a) a super strong and lightweight uni-body (monocoque aircraft technology)
b) an over head cam, 1600cc engine rated at 97HP (from Prince)
c) fully independent rear suspension (evolved from De Dion to Chapman)
d) a ZF style fully synchro's 4spd.

- From 1966 to early 68 The Dastun 240-Z is in design..
a) super strong and very lightweight uni-body
b) 2.4L ohc rated at 151HP with Twin SU's
c) IRS rear suspension (Chapman struts)
d) a ZF style fully synchro's 4 and 5 speed

The ZERO was built using modular production techniques, as opposed to the more common straight line "assembly-line" production. The application of these modular approaches revolutionized the auto industry in Japan in the late 60's and early 70's. Many industrial engineers believe that was a major factor in Japan's ability to take over automotive markets around the world. (Productivity Matters no matter how cheap the labor).

"Weight" was the enemy of the ZERO design team and maneuverability was their goal. Likewise the 240-Z.

Many of the engineers that worked from 1939 to 1941 on the ZERO, in the Japanese Aircraft Industry - were the engineers that after the war went into the Auto Industry - and mainly wound up at Prince Motors.. For that reason in the 1950's Prince Motors was the most advanced technologically and had the best automotive engineering capabilities in Japan.

All previous Fairlady Sports Cars were full frame, bolted on bodies, solid axle... rooted firmly in the design and technology of the 1940's and 1950's. They didn't get overhead cam engines until after Prince Motors was merged into Nissan.

Prince Engineers brought with them - new (new to Nissan Motors) Engineering Processes, Tools, Techniques and most importantly application experience with technologies not present at Nissan before they arrived. All of which take an Engineering Department years and years, if not decades, to evolve on their own. "Change" is something that Engineers just don't like to interject in anything - especially in the way they do things...;-)

It is quite possible to bring new Engineering Processes, Design Techniques, Analysis & Simulation Tools and Production Technologies into an existing Engineering Department - but it takes years and years if not a decade for engineers to accept them, to learn to use them and then apply them to a design effort. I doubt that the Nissan Engineers could have made that transition any quicker, without bringing new Engineering talent in from Prince Motors.

That is why it was not possible to "evolve" the Fairlady line of roadsters - into a car like the 240-Z. It took a revolution in the Automotive Design and Engineering Department at Nissan. Books written about the Fairlady Sports Cars from Nissan should end with the cancellation of the A550X project at the end of 1964... as that was the end of the line for the automotive design engineering and technology that had evolved on it's own within Nissan Motors after WW II.

Likewise Books written about the history of the Z Car should start with the ZERO as that is the true evolutionary path of the technology and Design Engineering that was used in the development the Datsun 240-Z.

The Datsun 240-Z represents "Engineering Ingenuity" and in that regard, Prince Motors was Decades ahead of Nissan.