The isn’t just any other racecar; it was driven by Paul Newman, who won multiple races with it
by Sidd Dhimaan, on LISTEN 02:30Paul Newman wasn’t just a brilliant actor, but also a race car driver. And, no, not the enthusiast type, but a proper race car driver with victories on the track under his belt. The 1979 season was one of the most interesting ones, especially because of the number of races he won.
He raced and won at Summit Point, Watkins Glen, Brainerd Minn, Lime Rock, and Road Atlanta. The car used by Newman for these races was a 1979 Datsun 280ZX. Over a decade after his demise, this car has come up for sale at motorcarclassics.com.
What’s So Special About This Car?
The 1979 Datsun 280ZX is chassis #100026 and has won the 1979 SCCA C Production National Championship. The car was exclusively driven by Paul Newman. It is painted in red, white, and blue shades with a lot of endorsements and sponsored content on it. The low hung front bumper and the spoiler at the back further lend to the race car looks.
On the inside, it is barebones with only essential stuff in place. The rear row is stowed out in favor of a roll cage. The front has only the driver’s seat, steering wheel, gear lever, and other necessary drive-related equipment. The specs are not available for the car, but we do know that it is powered by a straight-six engine mated to a manual gearbox.
In 1984, the car was sold to a privateer who used it for several more years before sending it into a long exile.
Later on, it was brought out of the storage and restored to its original condition. Recently, the car did some laps at the Lime Rock Park at the Lime Rock Vintage Festival. Fast forward to the present day, the car is available with all the documentation, including a notarized bill of sale from Bob Sharp.
How much does it cost, you ask? Well, a piece like this certainly doesn’t come cheap, especially when there’s so much history involved. The asking price for this 1979 Datsun 280Z is $7 million! It is still cheaper than Newman’s 1968 Rolex Dayton Watch, which fetched $17.8 million at an auction.
Source: Motorcar Classics
