Prefontaine's 1971 Datsun 240Z is up on EBAY!

Thought he drove an MG?

Willard wrote:

Thought he drove an MG?

He drove it right into a truck.

InWyo wrote:

Willard wrote:

Thought he drove an MG?

He drove it right into a truck.

A rock a think.

He definitely died in an MG.

I guess this debunks a standard Pre myth. How could Pre barely be scraping by on his food stamps and living in a trailer and buy a new sports car?

Did he really own this car? He either had more money than he (and now Nike) wanted everyone to believe or he was dumb enough to sign up for payments on a new sports car while a poor college student.

Not Pre wrote:

He definitely died in an MG.

I guess this debunks a standard Pre myth. How could Pre barely be scraping by on his food stamps and living in a trailer and buy a new sports car?

Did he really own this car? He either had more money than he (and now Nike) wanted everyone to believe or he was dumb enough to sign up for payments on a new sports car while a poor college student.

This is a good point actually. Should we as let's run blow this seller up or can someone verify the information in the auction?

Looks like a cool car whether or not it was Pre's.

Could be the real thing:From Pre: The Story of America's Greatest Running Legend, Steve Prefontaine by Tom Jordan (2nd ed. Rodale, 1997), on page 44:

The "public" wanted to know more about this outspoken Prefontaine. Ted Brock, writing for Sport magazine, visited with Pre in early 1972.

"The scenario for the film GO PRE beings at 6 a.m. on a Monday morning in early March. ... He drives to sociology class in a light blue MGB convertible. This is the only piece of equipment that seems conspicuously out of place, though it's a cut below the Datsun 240-Z that it replaced--both cars no doubt holdovers from youthful Coos Bay dreams of cruisin' the main in a clean machine."

Pre used to have a job driving cars from supplier to dealer. He probably got some sort of employee discount. I think that car would have been lucky to top 5 grand brand new in '71 which really isn't that much for an under the table pro.

Very possible.Bowerman and the Men of Oregon: The Story of Oregon's Legendary Coach by Kenny Moore on page 318:

He did part time things, such as driving Datsun 240Zs from LA to Portland, where they sold for a thousand or two more, this financed by an entrepreneurial friend.

Another unsourced reference:

Pre at his trailer with his first MGB. He replaced it with the butterscotch gold colored 1973 MGB that he later drove the night of his fatal crash in 1975. Before he got an MGB, Pre drove a Datsun 240Z.

There's a picture of the original sales Title. It seems pretty legit. The posting even says it has more paperwork and proof regarding the authenticity.

The ebay posting has nothing in it about having additional authentication available--it refers only to the car manuals, not ownership data.

The data on the Vehicle ID card is varifiably correct in that the dealership was in Coos Bay at the date and location at the delivery date shown. The signature on the bottom is of a person who died in 1979. Pre was between summer track and fall cross-country seasons, so he could have been present. The only question remains--is this the car he owned or not?

Don't know. Would be nice to have more documentation. The owner went to a lot of trouble to make it a good-looking car. I would've done a little leg work with the DMV to trace ownership. He knows, at least, who he bought it from, but this info wasn't offered when asked.

That's a nice Z. The history is more bonus than anything. In the collector market it's common to come across "celebrity" owned cars, since those are the folks that tended to buy showy, expensive or custom vehicles. Not that this Z has those qualities, but my point is previous ownership, even if verified, doesn't necessarily add to a collector vehicle's worth.

Wow, it was purchased the day I was born. Cool.

PrePerson wrote:

The ebay posting has nothing in it about having additional authentication available--it refers only to the car manuals, not ownership data.

The data on the Vehicle ID card is varifiably correct in that the dealership was in Coos Bay at the date and location at the delivery date shown. The signature on the bottom is of a person who died in 1979. Pre was between summer track and fall cross-country seasons, so he could have been present. The only question remains--is this the car he owned or not?

Don't know. Would be nice to have more documentation. The owner went to a lot of trouble to make it a good-looking car. I would've done a little leg work with the DMV to trace ownership. He knows, at least, who he bought it from, but this info wasn't offered when asked.

There's a pencil in the glovebox with teeth marks. Is that enough for you?

I heard about a report from a good, reliable source who avered direct knowledge, that Pre's 240Z was broken up in a junk yard long ago some time after his death to prevent its expoitation. Maybe, maybe not. Something to think about.The seller's claim may very well be valid.

Ebay is like the wild west--lot's of claim jumping, white hats and black hats, and no laws--take it from someone who bought a sure-thing Pre-relic with lots of documentation for a good sum on ebay, only to find the seller made it all up. It's not rampant with major Pre items, but it does happen--especially with Pre signatures. A lot of them are forged.

In any event, as always on ebay--caveat emptor.

Hey, is that J. Voight the periodontist posting on Letsrun?!?!

J. Voight wrote:

There's a pencil in the glovebox with teeth marks. Is that enough for you?

Value of 1971 Datsun 240Z in excellent condition: roughly $12,500Value of Steve Prefontaine-owned 1971 Datsun 240Z in excellent condition: roughly $12,500 + $1 for novelty.Who in their right mind would pay more for a car like this because Pre owned it?

PrePerson wrote:

take it from someone who bought a sure-thing Pre-relic with lots of documentation for a good sum on ebay, only to find the seller made it all up. It's not rampant with major Pre items, but it does happen--especially with Pre signatures. A lot of them are forged.

In any event, as always on ebay--caveat emptor.

Also, if Pre was buying 240Z's with someone else's money to flip them, the one on eBay may just be one that he owned just long enough to flip.