Past Gas #235: Datsun, Pt 2: Why Datsun Had To Die

In 1967, Yutaka Katayama, or Mr. K, is now President of Nissan North America. He’s just been called to Nissan HQ to select a concept design to replace the aging Fairlady Roadster. But unbeknownst to the other executives on the selection committee, Mr. K has been quietly operating behind the scenes to push his preferred design through. The concept is referred to as codename “Z,” and it isn’t really a new generation roadster at all- it’s a powerful new sports coupe, and something that Mr. K believes will be a huge success in the US market. Today on Past Gas, part two of our series on Datsun and Nissan- how did Mr. K’s leadership of Datsun in the US change the entire company? How did he become known as “the father of the Z car”? And how did Nissan help create an entire generation of car enthusiasts?

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