There’s a debate in our Discord right now over what a car designed by coke might look like, with me completely on the side of those who say Lamborghini Countach. But if there was a car driven by booger sugar, it might be the 10th Anniversary Datsun 280ZX, aka the Black Gold Z.
One of the challenges for many of us, having once written for Jalopnik and now writing for this site, is that we sometimes carry over lore from that place and just assume everyone will get the reference. We call this shibbolething, derived from the Hebrew word used by the Gileadites to filter out the Ephraimites after a battle.
I think most of you know Black Gold, which is the name given to this particular Datsun that someone found in the early days of the site (maybe Murilee?). It’s so old I can’t even remember the first post, but the important thing is that the one version of the Z that sticks in the back of my head is this one, and it’s because of this incredible video:
I had forgotten how suggestive this video is because, well, I’d watched it so many times in the olden days that I just sort of skip over it when it comes up in my feed. That’s a mistake, because, wow, there are some moments.
The video features two models that look as if they were plucked straight from the dance floor of LA’s Studio One. Or maybe the bathroom.
Look at the magic that’s about to happen here.
That mustache is so suggestive, I’m pretty sure MSN is going to outright reject this post purely because of this image.
It’s not even subtle. Look at what flashes on the screen:
I mean, if that’s not acceptable, there’s always:
I think I know what that image is supposed to be, but …
At least Nissan/Datsun in the 1970s believed in the concept of enthusiastic consent, so there was always this option:
Thank you, Nissan. I guess this guy is just going to have to go home and shift his own gears.
Oh, he’s a righty.
The car itself is interesting. Datsun had been pushing the concept of a sports car since the original 240Z, which had morphed into the 280ZX by this point.
Here’s how Nissan itself described the car:
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the first Z, Nissan released a special edition 280ZX model with a limited production run. The success of previous Z cars opened the opportunity to equip 280ZX models with upscale materials such as leather seats and hi-fi stereos – a departure from the sporty yet economical approach of the initial 240Z.
With only 3,000 made, the 280ZX 10th Anniversary Edition is today considered a highly collectible car. The most popular model package featured a two-tone black-and-gold paint scheme with accent pin stripes, of which 2,500 were made. The remaining 500 wore a red-and-black paint scheme. Each 280ZX 10th Anniversary Edition had a dash plaque with the edition number. (Canadian models came with a Maple Leaf emblem.)
The 1980 Datsun 280ZX was powered by a 2.8-liter inline-6 that produced 132 hp and 144 lb-ft of torque. Power was transferred to the rear wheels via a 5-speed manual gearbox. Other special features include a golden Z hood badge, gold- or black-colored alloy wheels, commemorative wreath decals on the front fenders and hatch, headlight washers, a new style shift knob, tan or burgundy leather seats, a tinted T-bar roof, and a 40-watt, power-boosted four-speaker sound system.
There was a red-and-gold version of it? The commercial for that must be a lot.
Happy Black Friday!
Top photo: Datsun/YouTube
Wow, that shot of the gearshift grip is something else.
in the late 90s our local junkyard had one of these AND a 50th anniversary 300ZX, knew they were special then but they weren’t worth the time to even look at.
Sad to say, that guy pretty much looks like me in 1980.