Currently reading: History of Nissan Z cars in pics

We look back at Nissan's Z cars after driving the new Nismo 370Z last week

Last week, Autocar brought you a first drive of the new Nissan 370Z Nismo. To celebrate, we've gone though the archives to bring you a picture history of Nissan's iconic Z cars.

The first Nissan Z car was the Datsun 240Z, unveiled in autumn 1969. Current Nissan president Carlos Ghosn described this car as "a two-seat sports car that revolutionized the automotive world at the time. It had European styling, American muscle, Japanese quality and global desirability."

See the hi-res Nissan Z car timeline in pics

Despite it being the car that brought the Datsun name to the global stage, 240Z wasn't the firm's first sports car. Its roots can be traced back to the Datsun Sports of 1952 and 1957, as well as the Datsun Fairlady of 1968.

Many more Z models, including race and rally variants, have followed since, and the name still lives on today with the recently-launched 370Z.

Twitter - follow autocar.co.ukSee all the latest Nissan reviews, news and video

Join our WhatsApp community and be the first to read about the latest news and reviews wowing the car world. Our community is the best, easiest and most direct place to tap into the minds of Autocar, and if you join you’ll also be treated to unique WhatsApp content. You can leave at any time after joining - check our full privacy policy here.