A modified 1973 Datsun 240Z has sold for US$124,240 (NZ$203,520) on popular US classic car auction website Bring a Trailer (BaT), making it one of only a handful of 240Zs to cross the six-figure mark on the platform.
The auction was BaT's 100,000th auction, a milestone reached in just nine years of hosting auctions on the site. The website launched in 2007 as an enthusiast website that connected buyers and sellers of rare, classic and collector vehicles, before starting hosting auctions on the website a few years later. It currently has more than 900,000 registered users and 400,000 registered bidders.
To commemorate the milestone auction, Bring a Trailer auctioned a company-owned 1973 Datsun 240Z, which has become well-known among the enthusiast community and a part of the BaT brand.
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Repainted in Lime Yellow, the 240Z has been modified with a Rebello Racing 2.7-litre straight-six, triple Weber carbs and a five-speed manual transmission, as well as a limited-slip differential, four-wheel disc brakes, lowered suspension and 16-inch Panasport wheels.
The straight-six was bored and stroked from 2.4 to 2.7 litres by Rebello Racing in 2011 and has triple Weber 40 DCOE side-draft carburettors with K&N filters mounted to its E88 cylinder head.
According to BaT, additional engine bay modifications include a polished valve cover, an MSD ignition system, and an inline fuel pressure gauge. A ceramic-coated six-into-one header feeds a single-pipe exhaust system with two MagnaFlow mufflers and a dyno run in February this year showed 203 horsepower and 190 lb-ft of torque (203kW and 258Nm) at the rear wheels after tuning by Z Car Garage.
While 240Z's are appreciating classics, the average sale price is generally between US$30,000 and US$60,000, but the combination of the BaT 240Z's profile, the milestone auction and the fact that all proceeds (including BaT's usual five per cent buyer's fee) are going to charity pushed well above average.
The 10-day auction went live on Bring a Trailer on Saturday, February 25, and closed on Tuesday, March 7. The entire sale price will be donated to the Piston Foundation to fund skilled trade education for automotive students and to develop and establish vehicle restoration apprentices.
