HLS30-00006 at the Crusher?

[26th-Z]

I think we are guilty of applying today's standards / accepted norms to the 50 year old event.  Black-and-white imaging was the norm for newsprint photography back then and color imagery was reserved for 'expensive' publications.  Further more, Datsun's announcements did not bear the importance to the North American automotive scene that Nissan's presence does now.  Most of the published, time relevant images I have seen from the moment are the stock photos provided in the press kit which, at the time, were used to avoid the cost of a photographer and delay associated with photographic reproduction.  By providing press release photography, Datsun insured the imagery that they wanted and the time frame for release of information by supplying press release packages and images.  As a result, we are just not going to see a plethora of images from which to compare and discuss.  Frankly, what we have now is pretty good.

Oh, and no, you just can't colorize an old B&W image and then draw conclusions from it.  Doesn't work that way.

Edited October 30, 2019 by 26th-Z

[HS30-H]

15 hours ago, 26th-Z said:

I think we are guilty of applying today's standards / accepted norms to the 50 year old event.  Black-and-white imaging was the norm for newsprint photography back then and color imagery was reserved for 'expensive' publications.  Further more, Datsun's announcements did not bear the importance to the North American automotive scene that Nissan's presence does now.  Most of the published, time relevant images I have seen from the moment are the stock photos provided in the press kit which, at the time, were used to avoid the cost of a photographer and delay associated with photographic reproduction.  By providing press release photography, Datsun insured the imagery that they wanted and the time frame for release of information by supplying press release packages and images.  As a result, we are just not going to see a plethora of images from which to compare and discuss.  Frankly, what we have now is pretty good.

What I'm doing is applying 1969 standards to a 1969 event. As I've already pointed out, the Japanese press carried coverage - including their own photos - of the Ginza Press Preview event, so what was stopping the American press from taking/using their own photos at the NY and LA "International Preview" (sic) events? I just don't buy the "cost of a photographer and delay" line. Press photography processing was fast enough to keep up with copy at the time, and this is hardly 'Hold the front page!' stuff, is it? Yes, the press pack photos allowed control of images used in publication, but that would need to go hand-in-hand with a request of 'No Photos' at the events themselves.

The problem is that the NY and LA hotel events do not live up to the hype. That hype - I'm all ears if you have an alternate suggestion - appears to be exclusively the domain of zhome.com. and its presentation of the Pierre Hotel event as something bigger and more important than it really was. It seems that there's a desire to somehow trump any other event, or at least diminish. The 18th October Ginza Press Preview doesn't even get mentioned. Ironically, this - it seems to me - is exactly what Katayama and other figures at NMC USA were trying to achieve, with the NY and LA hotel events arranged in haste as an answer to the bigger events happening in Japan. If I was them I would not want to be trumped/overshadowed either, so I have some sympathy.

zhome tells us that:

"The International Preview of an all new Sports/GT by Nissan Motors Ltd in Japan, was planned months in advance, and carried out in the U.S. by Nissan's P.R. Firm - Dunn/Cheney Enterprises. The 240Z on display had been flown in from Tokyo arriving the week before and after clearing U.S. Customs it finally arrived at the Hotel the 16 of Oct., just in time to get it set up on display in the Pierre Hotel's Grand Ballroom.

So, let's get this straight. According to zhome and/or Dunn/Cheney, a car arrived by air from Japan and was in the Pierre Hotel by 16th October. Or had it arrived from Japan "the week before" the 16th? It's hard to tell from the way it is written. And this is "just in time" for an event taking place on the 22nd? A week...? What were they actually doing for seven days? The - single - photo I've seen of this event shows a car standing in front of some curtains. Maybe it took a long time to find the right curtain hooks...? 

In addition to the N.Y. Dignitaries, Daily Press and Automotive Media, Nissan Motors chartered a commercial airline flight to bring the Detroit Press and Automotive Media to New York for this international preview and to then return them to Detroit afterward.

No photographers, or just no cameras? Maybe no film!? Sounds like a nice little treat though.

Mr. Dunn handled most of these arrangements personally, and reports that the Hotel Staff at the Pierre Hotel were the only people allowed to move the car from the receiving dock, to the hotel's elevators and into the Grand Ball Room. Local Union "Set Designers" had to be employed to build the display and the N.Y. Fire Marshall had final inspection before the doors could be opened. All of which added significantly to the schedule.

Yeah. A week. I guess they had that charter flight fuelled up, armed with finger food and well-stocked drinks trolleys, APU running, just waiting for the Fire Marshall to give the green light before they sent out the invitations to the guys in Detroit. Or just maybe this tale got taller in the telling...? 

 

Fans of 'colorized' photos might like to note that zhome tells us the NY Pierre Hotel car was then flown out to Los Angeles for the LA hotel event. You might want to adjust the colour balance on your monitor to mitigate this.    

 

[240260280]

Alan, some are very interesting points. Thanks!

With respect to the recordings and recollections of events 50 years ago. Nissan is on record on their web site quoting Bob Sharp that HLS30-00006 was desired at the NYC Auto Show " I saw my very first Z car-a green one-at the New York Coliseum auto show ".  Both Nissan and the Bob Sharp quote are in error.  I will assume Bob was referring to the Oct 69 event rather than the April 70 Coliseum event as clarified by @gnozez who asked Bob about this.  

Likewise the photos of Ginza and the press driving event are a little uncertain as to the cars and locations of the photos.  Since the COMPANY and CAR OWNER's are in error, how the heck are we to figure it out except by making reasonable assumptions...thus I stand by HLS30-00006 being coloured green and at the Oct show, and by having found 50% of the publicly known images of that car in 1969!!!

As a request, and I'm sure many others here would welcome the info, could you please use your resources, knowledge, connections, and language abilities to find out about the cars HLS30-00009, 10, 11, and 12 as well as the test car flown to the USA in . Dec1969? We seem to know about all of the LHD early birds except these 5.

Many thanks!

Edited October 31, 2019 by 240260280

[26th-Z]

I like this topic; Alan as you know.  Along with MikeB, we discussed and collected through this topic for quite the enjoyable time!

Alan, we are pretty much on the same page.  Very little of the story adds up to what we have learned.  My "photographic explanation" was rather lame.  You make me laugh.  Really, the obvious answer to the lack of photographs is that they just don't exist.  Some of my best pictures come from Datsun USA quarterly publications.  You never know.  We may see something new.

Blue, you are on a very good track and thanks for your postings.  You don't need to colorize to prove your point.  It is pretty much accepted that HLS30-00006 is the car.   I was impressed with your Z-at-Daytona Hoovers by the way.  Good find.

I would be willing to bet that the California debut car was one of the Canada Test Cars.  It was silver.  The cars were in town.  The NY car was flown out to LA overnight - NOT!

[240260280]

I enjoy the comradery here.  A great bunch of misfits.... all of us! ?

[240260280]

More photos of a red car that seems to be HLS30-00007 (from a Nissan Motor Corp Video).

- JDM Rubber protector at start of rear bumper like the previous videos and images

- thin white-wall tires like in the 1969 Daytona Videos

- no centre "D" logo in hubcaps like the previous videos and images

 

NMC Images:

 

 

Reference Shot from different video shoot:

 

 

 

[240260280]

The Gazette Jan 16 1970 Montreal

 

Video from car show (No Datsun coverage) but a few "crushers"

https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1078861/salon-auto-montreal-voiture-19970-archives

https://fr-ca.facebook.com/ArchivesRadioCanada/videos/prenez-le-volant-21-janvier-1970/10156199360856052/

 

Edited December 24, 2019 by 240260280

[240260280]

Magazine with coverage of Jan Montreal Car Show and a photo of HLS30-00006

Edited December 24, 2019 by 240260280

[240260280]

I finally was able to get the magazine.  Image quality is about the same as the digitized version on CD.

It is interesting that HLS30-00006 has the non-day/night mirror:

[240260280]

New England Auto Show 1969:

 

[240260280]

Oct 27, 1969 Boston Globe:

 

The latest car to be introduced into the mass consumer market is a Japanese import called the Datsun 240Z. It was rushed onto the market in time to be here for the Boston show, the first major auto show in the country for the 1970 model year. The 240Z is no toy, just because it comes from Japan. The Datsun company says it is for the "more or less expensive market." Only two of the new Datsun 240Zs a two passenger fast back coupe, are to be found in the United States at the time, and one of them is at the auto show here. And you won't find them on the streets of Japan, because they are specifically produced for the United States market,, at a cost of. "under $3500." It has a six cylinder overhead cam engine that produces 150 h.p. They haven't forgotten the economy field, however;  in the same exhibit at the auditorium is a pickup truck that has a price tag of only $1875.

The auto show is playing to record crowds at the auditorium, some of them not just lovers of cars. The nearly 300 autos have to vie for attention with many lovely ladies.

[26th-Z]

The Boston Globe got that a little wrong, didn't they?  "And you won't find them on the streets of Japan..."?  "Only two of the new Datsun 240Zs...are to be found in the United States at the time".  Wrong!!!