Detour Pit Stop #78: Nissan Zama Heritage Collection, Kanagawa, Japan
Photo Sudhir Matai
Take a walk through Nissan’s history at the company’s hidden collection just outside Tokyo with Sudhir “Banzai” Matai.
Nowhere is the brand’s history more clearly visible than at the Nissan Zama Heritage Collection, housed in a nondescript warehouse, once a production facility, in the Kanagawa prefecture about 25km from Nissan’s HQ in Yokohama.
Inside the unmarked building are around 400 cars spanning the history of the company that started life as the Jidosha Seizo Co. If you’re a true Nissan nerd then you’ll enjoy the very earliest cars from the brand including Tama, Datsun and Prince products. Not every single model is represented, but all the significant ones are.
Close to the entrance of the grand hall is a pristine Datsun 12 Phaeton, one of the earliest cars produced by the company in 1933 - the 12 denoting its output in horsepower. Close by, and in complete contrast, is a low-slung red and white R380 that was created specifically to compete in the Japanese Grand Prix; it produced 220hp.
If you are a performance fan, as I am, there are countless GT-Rs, from the very first Hakosuka to the most recent, R35. There are also race cars of all descriptions, from Le Mans entrants and Daytona 24 Hour winners to rally machines of the 1970s. There’s even the sole ‘road-going’ example of the Nissan R390 on display.
Some of my favourite race machines include the cars that contested the Safari Rally as well as the Calsonic branded GT-Rs (is there a more recognisable Japanese touring car?). Many of them have famous names on their flanks, such as the ‘Drift King’ Keiichi Tsuchiya, F1 driver Martin Brundle and East African Rally legend Shekhar Mehta. The latter won the gruelling rally five times, always in cars from the same manufacturer.
Other models that caught my eye were the Series 510 Datsun Bluebirds. There were multiple examples in coupe, sedan and wagon form, all as neat and fresh as the day they rolled off the production line. I have fond memories of the ‘performance’ SSS version. As an up and coming petrolhead I recall my uncle’s burgundy example, eventually fitted with twin Webers, with an, incredible for the time, floor-mounted manual transmission.
Interestingly, many of the cars on display were donated by Nissan fans from across the globe, bought by Nissan to preserve its heritage and the race cars all belong to Nismo, the company’s in-house racing division. During our private tour we were told that many of the older cars are maintained by retired plant workers who wish to remain within the company. Incredibly, despite their ages, almost 70 per cent are said to be in running condition - the cars, not the workers.
It is important to note that it is a collection, not a museum, so there are no information cards and cars aren’t roped off. If, like me, you happened to be there as a media guest of the company you could, say, hop into one of the prototype racers to grab a pic, all while watching your ‘guide’ smile and nod politely. Though doing so may prevent future invites.
Access to the Nissan Zama Heritage Collection was once purely by invite. Since 2018 members of the public can book one of two daily tours online and the best part, it’s free. Since opening to the public, over 15,000 visitors have passed through its doors.
Words and Photography Sudhir “Banzai” Matai Twitter | Instagram