With sports cars like the Z and the GT-R, it’d be all too easy to forget about the Nissan Silvia. But this video is here not only to remind us, but familiarize us with the model’s history and its evolution over the years.
Better known to Americans as the 240SX (and 200SX before it), the Silvia has been long since left this world. It was withdrawn from the North American market in 1998, but saw one last iteration introduced elsewhere (including back home in the Japanese domestic market) that was still being sold as recently as 2002.
From the introduction of the original CSP311 (also known as the Datsun 1600 coupe) way back in 1965 to the final S15 rolled out in 1999, Nissan produced seven iterations of the Silvia before it was pushed out of the lineup. You can thank the GT-R for that, which split from the Skyline (also known as the Infiniti G coupe) and left little room for the Silvia to soldier on – especially with the 350Z drawing more water.
But it’s still fondly remembered by throngs of enthusiasts the world over – including this writer, who has warm memories of visiting Grandma Silvia, and learning to drive on a 240SX. It was a sporty little coupe that stuck resolutely to a classic front-engine/rear-drive format, and always offered a manual transmission, making it an ideal platform for drifting. And while the Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ may have taken its place (with a more sporting spirit), there’ll always be a special place in our hearts for the Silvia and 200/240SX.
So we’ll overlook the terrible spelling and grammar in this video from Cars Evolution and take a drive down memory lane, learning a bit along the way. There’s a seat open with your name on it.