“Bring a Trailer” Celebrates 100,000th Auction with a Special Datsun 240Z

Bring a Trailer (BaT), one of the world’s most well-known car auction websites, is celebrating their 100,000th listing with a special car supporting an equally special cause.

The car in question is a company-owned 1973 Datsun 240Z, and the cause is the Piston Foundation. This nonprofit charity provides post-secondary educational opportunities and funding to students interested in automotive careers in the collector car industry.

This particular Datsun was acquired by BaT back in 2018, used since for cross-country road trips, special events and as a display piece for the company’s San Francisco office. Despite the use, it’s still a proper exhibit of 1970’s sports car lore, albeit with some TLC over the years. The coupe has been tastefully modified, repainted in lime green and riding on 16-inch Panasport wheels, wrapped with Michelin tires. The wheels, complemented by the lowered suspension, sheath disc brakes on all four corners.

Aside from that, the car looks very much “normal” for a Datsun of this era– but the best, most delicious of mods is under the hood. There lives a Rebello Racing 2.7-liter straight-six engine, featuring triple Weber carbs and mated to a five-speed manual transmission and a limited-slip differential.

The entire sale price, including the 5-percent buyer’s fee, will be donated to the Piston Foundation.

“The Piston Foundation is proud to be chosen as the Bring a Trailer charity partner for this milestone auction,” said Jeff Mason, president and COO of Piston Foundation. “BaT’s support of our mission to bring more young people into the trades of the auto restoration industry highlights the importance of this issue for the collector car community and demonstrates their leadership in the industry.”

For those with the dough for this Datsun, bidding began on February 25th, live until March 7th. And for those who might prefer a modern alternative, check out our Road Test of the 2023 Nissan Z— literally 50 years apart from the BaT example, but still carrying much of the original spirit.