In 1967, Yutaka Katayama, or Mr. K, is now President of Nissan North America. He’s just been called to Nissan HQ to select a concept design to replace the aging Fairlady Roadster. But unbeknownst to the other executives on the selection committee, Mr. K has been quietly operating behind the scenes to push his preferred design through. The concept is referred to as codename “Z,” and it isn’t really a new generation roadster at all- it’s a powerful new sports coupe, and something that Mr. K believes will be a huge success in the US market. Today on Past Gas, part two of our series on Datsun and Nissan- how did Mr. K’s leadership of Datsun in the US change the entire company? How did he become known as “the father of the Z car”? And how did Nissan help create an entire generation of car enthusiasts?
Thanks to our sponsors:
More about Show:
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Past Gas #149: Leena Gade - Control What You Can!
Past Gas #148: Bonneville Salt Flats, WE WANT THAT BRINE!
Past Gas #147: Jackie Stewart Gets Filthy on Vacation
Past Gas #146: The Family Car Under Our Noses
Past Gas #145: Alex Zanardi is Han Solo
Past Gas #144: Danica Patrick: Better Than Ricciardo?
Past Gas #143: Mario Andretti's Purple Cotton Briefs
Past Gas #142: The Racer With A Talent For Drug Smuggling
Past Gas #141: Suzuki Turned A Motorcycle Racer Into A Spy
Past Gas #140: Ford Almost Dies Again
Is The Yugo REALLY The Worst Car Ever Made?
The Best Last Sports Sedan from Car Show! with Eddie Alterman
How Stirling Moss’ Sportsmanship Destroyed His Shot At F1 Glory
The Sainz Family Has Rally AND F1 Racing In Their Blood
James Hunt Was F1's Most Troubled Star
The Carrera Panamericana Is One Of The Most Dangerous Races Ever
Monster Trucks Took Project Cars To The Extreme
Jeff Gordon’s Legacy Was Tested By Tragedy...and the Tabloids
Jeff Gordon Made NASCAR Mainstream
The Man Behind One of F1's Most Legendary Names
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Going In Raw: A Pro Wrestling Podcast
Something Scary
Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast
Be. Scared
Kalyn’s Coffee Talk