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Some cars get parked because they're broken. Others get parked because someone loved them too much to use them up. This 1989 Nissan 300ZX GS clearly falls into the second camp. Currently listed on Hagerty Marketplace, the Bright Blue Metallic coupe shows just 7,700 miles, wears its original-owner story proudly, and still pairs Nissan's smooth VG30E V6 with the five-speed manual that makes a Z31 so much fun to drive.
The Z31 Was Nissan's '80s Flagship
The Z31-generation 300ZX arrived for 1984 and carried the Z-car name through the rest of the decade with sharp, wedge-shaped styling that still looks right today. Pop-up headlights, a hybrid digital/analog gauge cluster, and available T-tops made it feel like a spaceship compared with the Datsuns that came before it. Buyers could choose the turbocharged VG30ET or, as here, the naturally aspirated 3.0-liter VG30E in GS trim.
That naturally aspirated setup is a big part of this car's charm. It's simple, durable, and rev-happy, and connecting it to a five-speed manual delivers the kind of engaging, analog experience that has made clean '80s Japanese sports cars one of the hottest corners of the collector market. If you've followed the rising interest in these cars, you may remember the 21K-mile 1984 300ZX 50th Anniversary Edition we covered, and survivors with this few miles are only getting harder to find.
A One-Owner Car in a Fantastic Color
The first thing that grabs you is the color. Bright Blue Metallic (paint code 426) is a wonderfully period-correct shade, and it's matched inside by blue leather upholstery for a head-to-toe coordinated look that screams late-'80s cool. Removable glass T-top panels let you bring the sky inside, while factory fog lights, alloy wheels (swapped for a set of chrome wheels here), and that long, low profile finish the package.
According to the listing, the car stayed with a single owner before the selling dealer acquired it. A State of New Jersey new car dealer inspection sticker is still on the windshield, which is the kind of small detail that makes a survivor like this so charming. The clean CARFAX shows initial New Jersey registration starting in December 1989, followed by later Florida and New Jersey registration.
Well Equipped and Freshly Serviced
This GS came nicely optioned for its day, with power windows, locks, and mirrors, cruise control, air conditioning, a leather-trimmed steering wheel, bucket seats, and an AM/FM stereo with a power antenna. Power steering and disc brakes round out the list.
Ahead of the sale, the selling dealer, Vantage Auto, gave the car a tune-up that included new spark plugs, an oil change, and a brake fluid flush. It comes with its owner's manual, a clean CARFAX report, and a clean New Jersey title. Paint meter readings and detailed condition photos are included in the listing's extensive gallery of more than 300 images, so bidders can see exactly what they're getting.
A Rare Chance at a Low-Mile Z
Z31s were built in big numbers, but finding one that hasn't been modified, raced, or used up is another story, and finding one with fewer than 8,000 miles is rarer still. Bidding stood at $3,000 at the time of writing, with the auction scheduled to end Thursday, October 8, at 3:20 p.m. EDT. The car is located in Moonachie, New Jersey.
For fans of the later Z32 cars, we've also featured a 34-years-owned 1990 300ZX Twin Turbo on Hagerty Marketplace and a final-year 1996 300ZX five-speed. But if you want the purest expression of the '80s Z-car formula, a blue-on-blue, T-top, five-speed GS with this kind of history is tough to beat.
Check out the full listing and photo gallery on Hagerty Marketplace.
