Fairlady

Fairlady is a name associated with a series of sports cars produced by Nissan. The original Fairlady, the Datsun Fairlady, was introduced in 1959. It was a small, open-top two-seater roadster inspired by British sports cars of the era. The first Fairlady was powered by a 1.0-liter engine and was primarily intended for the Japanese domestic market.

In 1961, Nissan launched the Fairlady SPL212, which featured a larger 1.2-liter engine. This model saw limited export success. The Fairlady name continued through several iterations in Japan, with the most significant evolution coming in the form of the Datsun 240Z (S30 chassis) in 1969. While officially known as the Fairlady Z in Japan, this model gained immense popularity worldwide under the Datsun 240Z designation. It was a fastback coupe with a potent inline-six engine and is considered a landmark vehicle in automotive history, credited with popularizing Japanese sports cars in international markets.

The Fairlady Z lineage continued with subsequent generations, including the 260Z, 280Z, and later models in the Z31, Z32, Z33, and Z34 generations. These cars consistently offered sporty performance and distinctive styling, maintaining the Fairlady's reputation as Nissan's premier sports car. The name "Fairlady" remains exclusive to the Japanese market for these Z cars, while international markets typically refer to them by their numerical designation or simply as the Nissan Z.