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Yoshihiko Matsuo won't be coming down for sushi

DeltaV

DeltaV

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R.I.P.

Yoshihiko Matsuo, Designer of the Legendary Datsun 240Z, Has Died

The visionary behind the instant-classic Z car was 86. Current design chief Alfonso Albaisa said Matsuo's design "expressed Nissan's DNA in one vehicle."

BY SEBASTIAN BLANCO
JUL 16, 2020



    • Not every automotive designer gets to work on a classic, but Matsuo's work from when he was in his 30s easily holds up today.
    • The 240Z is his legacy; it and the other Z cars that followed made new fans for the upstart Japanese brand and changed Nissan's fortunes in the U.S.
    • The Z-car spirit Matsuo started lives on in today's 370Z, which Nissan says offers up "50 years of exhilaration.”
People like to argue about cars, but when the subject is the Datsun 240Z, those arguments often revolve around whether the design is timeless or iconic or just plain beautiful. Whichever side of that divide you end up on, it’s thanks to Yoshihiko Matsuo that you’re talking about it at all.

Matsuo passed away July 11. He was 86.

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a33338595/datsun-240z-designer-yoshihiko-matsuo-obituary/
 
Ahhhh...so.

R.I.P. :(
 
Dude was a master at translating British road cars to production cars that actually ran. Amazing auto great. Passing of a legend
 
my dad bought a 72 240z brand new, cool little car, but it was plagued with problems.
 
I owned one, looked beautiful in and out. Ran great, but, the sheet metal was made out of beer cans, thin and you could hear it rusting. Front rail pockets were a real problem, rusting and breaking loose. It was fun to drive. R.I.P.
 
I drove a 280Z for a short time. It was a lot of fun to drive, so much so, it is one of the few foreign cars I would consider owning.

RIP Yoshihiko-san
 
I owned a couple Z's, good looking, fun to drive, great on gas & capable of running 140 mph for at least an hour..... Here in California rust was never an issue...
 
Bummer, saw some really cool 240 and 260Zs when I was in Okinawa, multi carb, lots of neat little options.
 
I had a 1973 240Z for a few years. It was a great little car, even while it was rusting away. Cool styling and engine ran like a clock - smooth.
 
I had an '87 300ZX. It was nice. Different designer though.

The original 240Z will forever be a cult classic. Great lines.
 
Last edited:
Alan Fiandaca said:
Cool looking cars but all I remember about them is broken timing belts and broken head bolts. Damn things had 3 sets of timing marks on the timing gears, one for new, one for used and one for worn out...lol. The salty NJ air wasn't kind to the body panels either.
.
Click to expand...

None of the Datsun L series engines used a timing belt....

They used chains, never saw one fail but I did see a few stretch... But it took allot of miles...
 
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