Relive Paul Newman’s Racing Days in His 1979 Datsun 280ZX

Plenty of actors have played race car drivers on screens large and small; far fewer of them, however, have made the leap into actual competitive driving. And then there’s Paul Newman, who didn’t just experiment with racing a few times — he raced well enough to accomplish some impressive feats, including finishing 2nd at the 1979 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Now, another vehicle that looms large in Newman’s own driving history is available at auction. AutoBlog reports that the Datsun 280ZX that Newman won an SCCA National C-Production Championship with in 1979 is available via Motorcar Classics.

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Autoblog’s article notes that Newman drove the 280ZX to victory at Watkins Glen, Summit Point, Brainerd, Road Atlanta and Lime Rock. After Newman was finished racing it, the car was sold in 1984 and ended up spending several years in storage.

The Motorcar Classics listing for the car touts a recent restoration of the vehicle, which is being sold with an assortment of original spare parts. If you’re looking to own a piece of racing history that is also a piece of cinematic history, it won’t be cheap: AutoBlog notes that the asking price is $7 million. That’s a lot more money than most cars; then again, most cars weren’t previously driven by Paul Newman.

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