I still remember that high-pitched six-cylinder roar of the Datsun 240Z rally car which won the outright victory, class, team and manufacturers trophies during the East African Safari Rally in 1971 in the hands of Edgar Hermann and Hans Schuller. The Datsun 240Z was the first car to capture an overall victory in its first year of competition. The East African Safari Rally was acknowledged as the “toughest rally in the world” at the time.
Up to middle of the 1960s, the high-end sports car and muscle car market was dominated by European and American manufacturers. Japan’s first foray into this market was led by Toyota in 1967 with their 2000 GT modelled on the Jaguar E-Type.
