Nissan Z: 50 Years of Exhilarating Performance is the Nissan-official chronicle of Z history, from Datsun's planning for the new model in the late 1960s through the latest 50th anniversary Nissan 370Z and the all-new Z Proto. The Datsun 240Z revolutionized the sports car industry and demolished established assumptions about Japanese automakers. With the Z, Datsun gave the world a sleek, sexy, fast product—one that forever banished the idea that Japanese manufacturers could only build economy cars. Over the past 50-plus years, six generations of the Z car have generated a massive, devoted following. More than 1.5 million cars have been sold worldwide. The retro-inspired 350Z followed by the 370Z reinvigorated the Z’s fortunes in the 21st century, continuing the tradition of high-performance in a modern, affordable package. In September 2020 Nissan debuted the Z Proto a stunning indication of the next-generation Z car.