Ok I feel it is time for me to chime in and start an arguement.
Don't think too hard on this. The fairlady came out in 1962. The MGB
came out in 1963. Who copied who?? We've had this discussion on the list
before, and basically it has been speculated that they were in more or
less joint development. I'm not sure if that's true, but Datsun/Nissan
and MG both developed something very similar at about the same time -
there isn't enough time to have done any copying without a massive
corporate spy ring for quite a while prior to the car's intro.
OTOH - I've heard that parts of a 240Z's engine are so similar to those of
a healey that they could actually be interchanged - possibley (I don't
know this for a fact, but have heard it) even as much as a cylinder head.
We know the hitachi carbs were lisenced from SU. So there's certainly
some overlap/collaboration/blatent theft of ideas going on.....but it
seems there is no real clear connection.
Phil Bates
> It continued for 1 year next to the 240Z, but the Z was so much more
> car, even if it wasn't a convertible...
and
--------------
> The Fairlady was "inspired" by the MG. The first was a 1500 and had
> a side-ways jump seat in the back.
>
> My brother's first car was a 67 1/2 1600. I loved that car. I was 12
> when he got it. It was a bucket of bolts and rust. He loved it too.
>
> He then bought a 69 2000 that was stripped down as an autocrosser. He
> made it a full race car, using the 1600 engine and got his license with
> it.
>
> The 2000 came with optional Solex side-drafts, weber copies. It was also
> an overhead cam. 150HP. Rich's 2000 had the Solex's but they weren't
> from the factory.
>
> The headlights are right up front, the hood (bonnet) folds forward. The
> "scoop" in front is functional. The trunk is a bit smaller and the rear
> is chopped off.
>
> The engine came from a fork lift, 1500's and 1600's started as 3 main.
> The 67 1/2 got a 5 main, but the wind shield remained lower, and better
> looking in my opinion. 68-70's wind shields looked bad, like the Aston
> Martin freshing of the B's wind shield.
>
> I got a poster from Nissan a while ago, I think it was the 40th
> anniversary. It has a picture of all their cars that were brought over
> to the US, with the Roadster (as it's called) almost as prominent as
> the 240Z.
>
> It started my love of sports cars. And actually, I was looking for one
> of them, when I found my first 'B.
>
> Paul.
>
> Paul Hunt wrote:
> > Local paper had a small feature on 50 years of Datsun/Nissan. Did a
> > double-take at the car at the top of the article as I started noticing
> > similarities with the MGB. It was a Fairlady made from 62 to 70 -
> > http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Pit/3823/fairlady.html
> >
> > I was struck by the overall similarity and particularly the rear
quarter,
> > windscreen and 1/4 lights. What's more the front treatment is almost
> > identical to the BL 1800 Landcrab that came along a couple of years
later
> > plus an MGC bonnet. When you start looking at the detailed photos
they are
> > as different as chalk and cheese, but that first 3/4 view is uncanny.
> >
> > PaulH.
> >
> --
> ______ Paul T. Root
> / _ \ 1977 MGB
> / /|| \\
> ||\/ || _ |
> || || ||
> \ ||__//
> \______/
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