MODEL HISTORY
The Nissan decided to build a competition car for Group B and use it to aim for the highest goals in rally racing. In 1983, it therefore introduced the 240RS model, which was based on the third-generation Nissan Silvia S110 coupe. To meet homologation rules, a minimum of 200 units of these vehicles had to be produced. Out of this series, 150 vehicles were left-hand drive and 50 were right-hand drive. The powertrain was a naturally aspirated FJ24 DOHC inline-four engine with a displacement of 2,340 cc. The basic road version delivered 240 horsepower (184 kW). However, the factory rally cars produced up to 280 horsepower. This power was transmitted through a five-speed gearbox to the rear drive wheels. When competing cars with turbocharged engines and 4x4 drive appeared in rally racing, Nissan failed to react to its rivals' pace both in development and on the track, making the car less competitive. Nissan therefore shifted its focus to difficult endurance events. Its main advantage over the others was its simplicity and reliability. As a result, it excelled in African races and other grueling gravel rallies. In 1985, it received upgrades, mainly in the form of rack-and-pinion steering and a slight increase in engine displacement to 2,391 cc to improve power and its torque. The car's greatest success in the World Rally Championship (WRC) was an overall second-place finish at the 1983 Rally New Zealand by the crew Timo Salonen and Seppo Harjanne. The 1983 Safari Rally is also worth mentioning, where Salonen led the event by 90 minutes. Just before the finish line, however, the car broke down with engine failure. In the following years, drivers like Shekhar Mehta, Alain Ambrosino, and Mike Kirkland secured podium finishes at demanding rallies in Africa, but the car never reached a WRC victory.
OUR CAR
Our car features chassis no. 179. It was built in the Team Nissan Europe workshops, managed by Bill Blydenstein, for the Irish racing driver Dan Daly. Daly raced the car in the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship during the 1985 and 1986 seasons, making occasional appearances up until 1991. His greatest success with the vehicle was a victory at the 1985 Midland Moto Stages. In subsequent years, the car changed hands and occasionally appeared at various events in Ireland. Eventually, it made its way to the Netherlands, and it participated in the Eifel Rally Festival in 2008 and 2009. The car joined our collection in 2018. It has undergone a complete restoration and is now presented in Dan Daly's original period livery. Mr Daly visited our collection in 2024 and signed his car for us to complete the story of this beautiful car.
