4 replies to this topic

[David Birchall]

With the death of Albrecht Goertz a few months ago come the accolades in his obituaries-the latest I have seen in 'Octane'-all including the Datsun 240Z in his portfolio but is this correct? Not according to the International Z car Club-click on "Z History"in the following link and then "The Goertz Myth":

http://zhome.com/

[dbw]

hmmm...i always thought brock had something to do with it...

however , speaking of the infamous raymond l. there is an interesting theory circulating that certain later bimmers have a design relationship with the studebaker avanti via contracts with ray's studio..[he never did much work himself...the staff did it ..he just took the credit for the successful stuff.] check out the ass end of a stude and a cs....[and then look at the rear of a honda s2000..coincidence ? decide for yourself!]

[dbw]

oh...forgot the goertz 507 and the loewy 507 coupe study...gee...those new bimmers with creased body panels look just like old times....

[McGuire]

Originally posted by David Birchall
With the death of Albrecht Goertz a few months ago come the accolades in his obituaries-the latest I have seen in 'Octane'-all including the Datsun 240Z in his portfolio but is this correct? Not according to the International Z car Club-click on "Z History"in the following link and then "The Goertz Myth":

http://zhome.com/

Success has many fathers...This is always a problem for consultants in the auto industry. Their job is not only supplying talent and expertise, it is shutting up about it afterward.

It is not correct to describe Goertz as "the" designer of the Z. Still, his contributions to both the concept of a sports/GT car of this type for Datsun and key elements of its design are a matter of record and easily validated. Reading their material, I sense these Z club people have a chip on their shoulder or something.

[PS30-SB]

Originally posted by McGuire
Success has many fathers...This is always a problem for consultants in the auto industry. Their job is not only supplying talent and expertise, it is shutting up about it afterward.

Goertz seemed to find it somewhat difficult to do the "shutting up" part, despite the fact that he actually had absolutely no direct input on what would become Nissan's S30-series 'Fairlady Z' / '240Z' family of domestic and export models.

Originally posted by McGuire Still, his contributions to both the concept of a sports/GT car of this type for Datsun and key elements of its design are a matter of record and easily validated.

Key elements of its design? A matter of record? Easily validated?........... I think you are confusing the 'Yamaha A550X' / 'Nissan 2000GT' prototype with what you call the 'Datsun 240Z'.

Goertz worked on two basic projects when he was under contract to Nissan ( not 'Datsun' ), and neither of them was what would become known properly as the 'S30-series' Z. He exaggerated his input on the CSP311 'Silvia' coupe ( Kazuo Kimura had already done most of the work on it before Goertz turned up ) and his work on the still-born Yamaha A550X / 'Nissan 2000GT' project should not be linked to the S30-series Z ( and which everybody calls the '240Z', despite the fact that the '240Z' was only one model in the family at-launch ) because it simply had nothing to do with it.

Not a single line or curve - nothing on the 'Fairlady Z' / '240Z' was the work of Goertz, and he knew it.