The Z-car Revolution Starts Here.
The year is 1969 and there’s a lot going on in the world. Vietnam is at its high point and the protests in America to end the war are getting louder and more frequent. The Beatles had just released Abbey Road and were on the cusp of their break up. Richard Nixon was president and working towards the debacle at the Watergate Hotel. Against this chaotic backdrop, Datsun introduced their new GT car—the 240Z—launching what would become more than four decades of Z-car development.
The new 240Z was an immediate hit in both the showroom and on the track where it went on to win numerous races and championships at the hands of drivers like John Morton, Bob Sharp and Jim Fitzgerald. Peter Brock spearheaded the West coast racing effort while Bob Sharp lead the East coast contingent, near dominating the C-production class for several years and sparking an intense rivalry that still triggers strong feelings to this day. As a testament to the 240Z’s enduring appeal, both the Sharp and Brock versions are still being vintage raced to this day.
You can get a sense of my creative process by visiting my story‚ From Sketch to Completion—the 240Z.
I’ve created four pieces of art to commemorate the little GT that could—a Datsun 240Z street car, Peter Brock’s #46 race car, Bob Sharp’s #33 car, and the #38 BSR 240Z once driven by Jim Fitzgerald. All four limited editions are available as framed or unframed archival prints, on brushed aluminum, or as large-scale fabric prints.
From $279