Nissan Buyer's Guide

Nissan is the one marque in our records where the live listings tell the story before the results do: no tracked sales yet, but eleven lots live as we write, among them four Skyline GT-Rs, two modern GT-Rs and three Z-cars. British salerooms are catching up with a market that Japan and America re-rated years ago.

The story, briefly

The performance line the market cares about runs from the original 240Z of 1969 (the affordable GT that conquered America) through the Skyline GT-R generations (R32, R33, R34) whose twin-turbo straight six and ATTESA four-wheel drive earned the Godzilla name in period, to the 350Z/370Z and the modern GT-R. Import culture means UK cars are a mix of official supply and Japanese-market imports, and provenance paperwork matters accordingly.

Which Nissan, for what money

Guided by the wider market while our own results accrue: 240Z/260Zs trade in restored condition from £25,000 upward, R32 and R33 GT-Rs broadly £25,000 to £50,000, and R34s well beyond, with limited editions in six figures. 350Zs remain used-car money and are the value entry. We will publish our own medians here as the live lots convert to results.

What goes wrong

Rust decides Z-cars: floors, rails, arches and battery trays, with American-import cars often better preserved than home-market survivors. On GT-Rs the questions are modification and honesty: standard cars are the minority, tuned engines need dyno paperwork, and auction-grade Japanese import documentation should be verified rather than admired. Mechanical parts supply is strong; body and trim for early Zs and R-chassis cars is the scarcity.

Our view

The wave is still arriving, which is the opportunity: an unmodified 350Z bought now at used-car money follows the path every fast Nissan before it has walked. On GT-Rs and early Zs, pay the originality premium; it is the only number that compounds. Watch this page: our first tracked results will sharpen it considerably.