The origin of the Fairlady Z dates back to the Datsun Sports sold back in 1959. This was a car made for the U.S. market, with a revolutionary FRP body. However, the inside of this car was a plain Datsun sedan, and the appearance of a true sports car was not until the Fairlady 1500 in 1962. The name was taken from the musical, "My Fair Lady", and the car became famous in this model. The 1500, also called the SP310, did not have anything spectacular to boast, but because it stuck to a very traditional sports car design, it immediately captured the hearts of car lovers in the U.S. With its high-level performance, the race spec 1500 defeated strong contenders such as MG and Triumph in the first Japan GP.

Greatly improving upon the 1500, the Fairlady 2000 appeared in 1967. The 4-cylinder engine enlarged to 2L became a full OHC model, producing 143 BHP. Combined with a strong 5-speed MT with Porsche synchro, its top speed was over 124 mph, boasting an unprecedented level of performance for its time. Further updates in 1968 delivered the 2000 with 167 BHP.

The Fairlady 2000, coded the SR311, had its windscreen...