At the end of the 1980s, Nissan presented a successor to its 300ZX Z31 with a new model that was one of many sports cars to come out from the land of the Rising Sun during that period and through the 1990s, which many rightfully consider as the golden decade for Japanese performance and sports cars.
The 300ZX Z32 (called Fairlady in Japan) gained many awards, including Motor Trend’s “Import Car of the Year” in 1990, and was very successful, despite edging closer to a grand tourer than an outright sports car in terms of handling and performance, at least in stock form and compared to, let’s say, the Mazda RX-7 or Nissan’s replacement, the 350Z.
Over the course of its production from 1989 through 1996, Nissan offered the 300ZX in three body styles, include a T-topped two-seater coupe, a T-Topped 2+2 seater coupe with a longer wheelbase (2,570mm vs. 2,450mm) and a two-seater convertible featuring a manually-folding top and a fixed-safety bar.
There were two engine choices, a naturally-aspirated 3.0-liter V6 rated at 223hp (166 kW / 226PS) and 198 lb·ft (268Nm), and for those in need of speed, a twin-turbocharged version of the same engine delivering 300hp (224 kW / 305PS) along with 283 lb·ft (384Nm) of peak torque, as well as both manual and automatic transmissions driving the rear wheels.
The one we discovered on eBay, is a two-seater, 1996 300ZX Coupe with the naturally-breathing V6 paired to a five-speed manual gearbox. Amazingly, someone kept this beautiful black on black sports coupe on a dealership floor since 1996, having travelled a mere 144 miles or about 232 kilometers since new!
Here’s what the seller says: “I am selling my 1996 300ZX with 144 original miles. This car is brand new inside and out. Still has the new car smell and is perfect. It was sitting in a dealer showroom since its delivery from the factory. This is the last year the 300ZX was imported to the US. This car is destined to be a collector’s item”.
Well, we don’t know about “collector’s item” as sellers tend to have their own definition of the term, but we will say that it is indeed a very special find and we wouldn’t mind seeing it parked in our own garage…if it weren’t for the price, as the last time we checked, the highest bid was $21,100 and the reserve had not been met.
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