With a Datsun 240Z winning the 21st East African Safari Rally in 1973, enthusiasts saw the possibilities. Some even stepped foot on the gas, figuratively speaking, and one of them was Spike Anderson, who wanted to capitalize on the latent potential of the 240Z. He founded Race Head Services, which later on became Samuri Motor Company through a collaborative effort.
The intention was to make the Datsun faster, while improving its handling and stopping power, and so the Datsun 240Z ‘Super Samuri’ was born. And yes, the name is pretty close to “Samurai,” but was intentionally misspelled due to an existing trademark in the United Kingdom, where the company was founded.
With under 80 units ever built, finding a ‘Super Samuri’ for sale is pretty rare, but this one is, and was built to the exact specifications of British racing driver Winston ‘Win’ Percy, who owned the car. Additionally, it’s one of only three in left-hand drive, and is believed to be the only automatic one.
It features a naturally aspirated 2.8L OHC straight-six engine that was upgraded to produce 190 hp (193 ps), which moves the rear wheels through a four-speed automatic transmission and an R200 limited-slip differential. The dual-tone orange and bronze paintwork features white pinstripes and ‘Super Samuri’ lettering.
Riding on Performance Minilite alloy wheels, this 240Z is equipped with a fully adjustable race suspension, competition brake discs on all four corners, as well as Wilwood front brake calipers.
The Corbeau race seats inside are trimmed with black cloth and feature red TRS harnesses, the slightly-worn Sparco steering wheel is detachable, and the glove box has Win Percy’s signature. As a bonus, the car will bring along a signed copy of Win Percy’s autobiography.
Overall, the car seems to be in pretty good shape, with some minor blemishes in the paint, along with a few small dents and scratches here and there. It’s currently located in Coventry, West Midlands, United Kingdom, has 9,196 miles (around 14,800 km) on the odometer, and is waiting for somebody to bid higher than £18,250 (around $22,110) in the remaining two days of this Collecting Cars auction.
