The Super Samuri
The Datsun 240Z was the first generation of 'Z' two-seat coupés, produced by Nissan in Japan from 1969 to 1978 and its dramatic looks appear to owe a considerable amount to a 1960s styling concept drawn by Count Albrecht Goertz. The new car was powered by a lusty 2.4-litre, straight six developing around 150bhp and capable of a 0-60 time of 8 seconds and a top speed of 125mph, pretty good for the time. A five-speed manual gearbox was standard and the car featured independent suspension all round. In the 70s, 240Zs were hot property everywhere, and given that the car's drivetrain was heavily based on the Datsun 510 saloons used widely in motorsport, it was only a matter of time before 24OZs came under the scrutiny of those companies that like to modify the road-going products of mass manufacturers.
One of the most notable of these was the Samuri Motor Company, who in the early 70s, built modified 240 and 260Zs for sale as turn-key offerings. Its charismatic owner, Spike Anderson, had trained at Broadspeed in the 1960s working on Minis and Anglias before going on to set up his own business called Race Head Services. One of the first cars to benefit from his experience was a humble Datsun 1200 from which he managed to extract 105bhp and this was the first car to carry the ‘Samuri’ name, a deliberate mis-spelling as the 'Samurai' trade name was not available. His next project was a standard 240Z and, inevitably, the Z was taken apart and given the Spike Anderson treatment. The results were impressive and following a glowing review of the car in a national magazine, it wasn’t long before the Samuri Motor Company was born, offering modified Zs and performance parts to the buying public.
This 240Z was bought new in Cyprus by a serving British Army Captain while on a tour of duty - it still has a bullet hole in the rear deck from being ambushed by insurgents - and was later privately imported into the UK upon his return. The car was subsequently sold to well-known ‘Modsports’ racer, Eddie Stephens, who took it to Spike Anderson for conversion to ‘fast road’ Samuri specification around the end of 1974. The Samuri took in a few ‘production car’ races before Eddie, unfortunately, managed to drop it into a ditch on the way home one evening and, the following day, it was pushed into his barn where it was to remain for many years.
Eventually rescued by James Morris, the knowledgeable author of the Haynes Super Profile book, Datsun 240Z/260Z/280Z. A full restoration and upgrade was carried out during 1997/98 by James in collaboration with rally-driver and ‘Z’ specialist, Kevin Bristow and the project was guided and supervised by Spike Anderson himself. The car was de-bumpered and smoothed off, fitted with extended wheel arches and spoilers, and finished in the correct Super Samuri livery (Datsun 110 ‘Flame’ and Chrysler ‘Tango’ metallic) with hand-applied signwriting and coach lines.
Silverstone Auctions will be offering this 1974 Datsun 240Z ‘Super Samuri’ as part of their upcoming Race Retro Auction taking place on Saturday 27th March. For more information on this and other vehicles at the sale, click on the link below.
Photos: © Courtesy of Silverstone Auctions.