“Every move you make, every turn that you make confirms you are in the most technologically advanced Z car ever made.”
This Nissan/Datsun 300 ZX is not the generation with most of the glamor—that 300ZX was the one that followed in the 1990s. For 1984, Nissan moved from the inline 6 of the 280-ZX to a 3.0 liter/181 ci V6 with fuel injection, available either naturally aspirated (160 bhp) or turbocharged (200 bhp). The styling was completely and controversially revised for the first time in the history of the Z car—a massive revision akin to that of the Chevrolet Corvette for the same year.
Car and Driver recorded a 0-60 time of 7.3 seconds in a Turbo with the four-speed automatic. Fuel economy with the same powertrain was 19 city/28 highway by the day’s standards (15/20 by 2025 measures). With an 18.5-gallon gas tank, 300 ZX Turbo owner could expect a range of 295 to 390 miles with a 10% fuel reserve.
Standard exterior and mechanical equipment on the well-equipped $15,800 300 ZX (about $49,900 in 2025 dollars or almost what a current Nissan Z Performance starts at) included blue tinted glass windows, a fully automated motorized antenna, pop-up halogen headlights, ventilated four-wheel power disc brakes, power rack-and-pinion steering, and P215/60R15 tires (a size still readily available) on 15-inch alloy wheels. Inside, an eight-way manually adjustable driver’s seat, power windows, tilt steering column with memory, air conditioning, and a 40-watt AM/FM stereo with electronic digital display, scan tuning, a cassette deck with Dolby noise reduction, and four speakers were standard.
At $18,200, the 300 ZX Turbo added three-way adjustable shock absorbers, headlight washers, an oil temperature gauge, and a turbo boost gauge—in addition to the turbo engine itself. The Turbo also had different wheels, tires, and final drive ratios.
Packages, Options, & Production Numbers
The 300 ZX to have in 1984 was undoubtedly the 50th Anniversary Edition (released to celebrate Nissan’s half-century) which was an absolutely loaded turbocharged model with a Light Pewter Metallic and Thunder Black color scheme. All Anniversary Editions came equipped with flared front and rear fenders, Bodysonic bass speakers in the seats (individually adjustable for driver and passenger from the console), a T-bar sun roof with removable mirrored glass panels and fitted storage pockets, black leather bucket seats, and Pirelli P7 225/50VR16 low-profile tires (a specific tire still available) on 16-inch aluminum alloy wheels. Other equipment included a digital dash with MPG and compass readouts and steering wheel controls for the cruise control and the radio. Nissan even included a fitted car cover.
The only option available on the Anniversary Edition was the choice of a five-speed manual transmission or a four-speed automatic transmission. 5,148 out of the 75,351 (!) 1984 300ZXs produced for the US market were Anniversary Editions at a non-trivial list price of $26,000 (about $82,100 in 2025 dollars).
“Normal” 300 ZX coupes had few individual options beyond a T-bar sun roof with removable glass panels and fitted storage pockets. The Leather Package included leather bucket seats (natch!), an eight-way adjustable power driver’s seat with six power functions, an electronic instrument display, a leather-wrapped two-spoke steering wheel, and an 80-watt AM/FM stereo with electronic digital display, automatic program search display, memory presets, an auto-reverse cassette deck with Dolby noise reduction and metal tape compatibility, and eight speakers.
The View From 2025
According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, all the money for a base 1984 300 ZX in #1/Concours condition is $35,700, with a far more typical #3/Good car going for $9,600. Values for the Anniversary Edition are well more—about $58,600 for the very best. 300 ZXs make regular appearances in the Hemming’s Motor News classifieds and on eBay Motors, and Bring a Trailer, though you sometimes have to be careful to check under both Datsun and Nissan. As I update this blog post in March 2025, there’s a 50th Anniversary Edition with 65,000 miles for sale in Hemmings for $24,000.
Make mine Wine Metallic, please. Dark Green Metallic tempted me, but it’s believed that only one 300 ZX was painted in that color.
Other Datsuns and Nissans I’ve written about include the 1980 200-SX coupe, the 1980 280-ZX hatchback coupe, the 1981 810 Maxima sedan, and the 1989 Maxima sedan.
Last updated March 2025.
Eighties Cars 