Editor’s Note: We love scouring the internet for reasons to spend money we don’t have on cars we daydream about owning, and these are our picks this week. All prices listed are bid amounts at the time of publishing.
No matter how high price tags get for the most desirable vintage German and Italian sports cars, you can always count on the Japanese performers from the ’80s and ’90s to stay affordable. And that’s not because they were ugly, poorly made, or handled like crap — quite the opposite, actually. Japanese sports cars from the past three decades have always made fantastic, affordable alternatives to the more expensive offerings that could still hold their own when shown a canyon road or two. Whether they were simplistic in design, just a little over engineered or a downright world-beater, here are a few of the vintage Japanese sports cars you’ve always wanted.
1980 Datsun 280ZX
What we like: The 280 ZX was the first of the Z cars to be turbocharged — and this is ’80s turbocharging, so it was done purely for performance. Fuel savings, if any, were a happy byproduct. This particular example is near showroom quality, having been garage kept for a decade. It’s rare to see any vintage Z car in this great of shape and not modded out to hell and back.
From the seller: This 1980 Datsun 280ZX is finished in black over red and was purchased new by the current owner. It now shows 26,811 miles and has primarily been kept in storage for the past 10 years, during which time it was started monthly and regularly maintained.
Location: Colorado Springs
Mileage: 26,811
