1983 Datsun 280ZX Is Today's BaT Auction Pick

• The second-generation Datsun Z is emblematic of the 1980s.

• This time-warp example has covered just 8000 miles.

• For sale right now on Bring a Trailer, the auction for this car ends on April 29.

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The seller of this 1983 Datsun 280ZX, Adamike, would appear to be quite a fan of the Japanese marque judging by the giant, dealership-sized DATSUN sign in front of which he parked this vintage Z. If that visual seems vaguely familiar, it may be because this seller has used it in previous BaT sales—for a 36,000-mile ’78 280Z that brought $61,000 back in October and a remarkable 355-mile 1976 280Z that went for $140,000 in November.

This 1983 280ZX is another exceedingly low-mileage example for sale right now on Bring a Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos. The second-gen Z debuted for 1979, and at the time, we said that it “evolves into a personal luxury car.” That genre had a powerful hold on the U.S. auto market back then, with buyers snapping up Monte Carlos, Cordobas, Cutlass Supremes, and the like by the hundreds of thousands.

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The new ZX was in tune with the swanky, decadent zeitgeist, and a glance at the (included) original window sticker for this car shows power windows, air conditioning, velour upholstery, and a cassette stereo all included amongst the standard equipment. This car takes things up a notch with its T-tops, the period’s most glamorous feature.

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Although the styling drew a clear connection to the original, Datsun ironed some creases into the sheet metal to update the organic curves of its predecessor. The champagne metallic hue (French Beige) is accented with red tape stripes that are remarkably intact. Extra points for the “Datsun Saves” license plate, which was the brand’s long-serving ad slogan during the fuel-crisis era. Sharp eyes will note the nascent “by Nissan” plaque on the tail, a whisper of change to come.

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The red-red-red interior stopped us in our tracks. Groove to its color-keyed uniformity and its sheer chromatic intensity. And while the automatic transmission was by this point an increasingly popular option on the Z, this car has a five-speed stick shift poking up between the seats.

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Under the front-hinged hood lives a fuel-injected 2.8-liter L28E inline-six. Here, we must pause to compliment the seller’s presentation, which borders on the obsessive and includes such elements as compression test results, mapped paint-meter readings, and nighttime images of the exterior lights and dashboard warning lights. Bravo, sir.

That presentation combined with this car’s condition and the ultra-low mileage is sure to lead to a strong selling price when the hammer falls this coming Friday. The winning bidder may not have a huge Datsun sign on the wall of their garage but hopefully does have the feathered hair and acid-washed jeans to fully live the Eighties dream.

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