Nissan to Restore Iconic Safari Rally Z
The Nissan Restoration Club has decided to bring the Safari Rally Z back to its original running condition.
The legendary Safari Z won two overall championships of the East African Safari Rally in 1971 and 1973. Though it had a short career, it was stellar, highlighted by its 1-2 finish in the 1971 event. The race car to be restored will actually be the 1971 winner of the 19th Safari Rally that was driven by Edgar Hermann and Hans Schuller. Featuring a closed, fast-back coupe design, the Safari Rally Z is powered by a 2.4-liter OHC inline-six engine with 215 hp.
The Nissan Restoration Club is now 60 member strong and is a small group of volunteer members from the company’s R&D department. The club was formed in 2006 and has restored eight vehicles since, including the legendary 1964 Skyline race car, and the “Fuji” and “Sakura” Datsun 210s that won Australia’s 1958 Mobilgas Trial.
The race car has been part of Nissan’s Heritage Collection but will be restored by December 2013.
GALLERY: Safari Rally Z
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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