Film and motorsport · United States · Competition association · ownership not established

Paul Newman

1979 Datsun 280ZX · SCCA C Production · no. 33

Side view of Paul Newman’s actual red, white and blue no. 33 Datsun 280ZX championship race car at the 2018 Greenwich Concours, with no registration visible.
Paul Newman’s actual 1979 SCCA C Production championship-winning Datsun 280ZX no. 33, photographed by Mr.choppers at the Greenwich Concours on June 3, 2018. No registration is visible.Photo: Mr.choppers · CC BY-SA 3.0.
Photo details

Joyride serves the downloaded 1,280 × 563 Commons derivative byte-for-byte. No additional crop, resize, retouching, generation or vehicle reconstruction; no registration is visible. Responsive presentation may crop displayed edges.

Black-and-white 1970 publicity portrait of Paul Newman in a dark suit and tie.
Paul Newman1970 · Identification portraitMaron Films · photographer unknown · Public domain in the United States.
Photo details

Joyride serves the current 651 × 875 Commons JPEG byte-for-byte. Commons records that Brandt Luke Zorn cropped the source to remove its caption and margins and retouched dust, scratches and color; Joyride made no further crop, resize, retouching or generation. A responsive frame may crop displayed edges. The portrait remains separate from the Datsun photograph.

Six wins before the gold medal

Connection
Competition association · ownership not established
When
Six regular-season wins and SCCA C Production Runoffs gold in 1979
Identity
Individual 1979 Datsun 280ZX · no. 33 · SCCA C Production National Championship-winning car · chassis and VIN not located

This is the individual championship car, not a generic Datsun 280ZX. The Sports Car Club of America identifies its 1979 C Production National Championship-winning 280ZX as the car Paul Newman drove to six regular-season victories and the Runoffs gold medal at Road Atlanta. SCCA’s 2020 record says the surviving car retained its SCCA logbook, but it does not publish a chassis or VIN.

The result belongs inside a longer Newman–Bob Sharp Racing chapter without collapsing several cars into one. SCCA records Newman winning three national championships with Sharp’s organization: C Production in this 280ZX in 1979, then GT-1 titles in a 300ZX in 1985 and 1986. Joyride does not attach the later 300ZX results, specifications or identity to the 1979 car.

Photographer Mr.choppers identifies the no. 33 280ZX at the June 3, 2018 Greenwich Concours d’Elegance as Newman’s 1979 championship car and then described it as belonging to a New York enthusiast. SCCA offered the championship car for sale in November 2020, but the reviewed sources do not establish whether that listing produced a transfer or who owns it now. The photograph records its 2018 presentation; it does not prove original 1979 paint, unchanged mechanical specification or present custody.

Documented custody

Where the car went next

  1. 1979 seasonSix regular-season victories

    SCCA credits Newman and this C Production 280ZX with six regular-season wins before the national championship event.

  2. 1979 RunoffsRoad Atlanta gold

    SCCA identifies the car as the 1979 C Production National Championship winner and Newman as its driver.

  3. June 3, 2018The exact car at Greenwich

    Mr.choppers photographed the no. 33 championship car at the Greenwich Concours and recorded then-current enthusiast ownership without publishing private identifying details.

  4. November 6, 2020SCCA lists the survivor

    SCCA published a sale listing for the championship car and noted its logbook. Joyride does not infer that the listing resulted in a sale.

Follow the evidence

Sources for this story

SCCA binds the individual 1979 C Production championship-winning Datsun 280ZX to Newman, six regular-season wins, the Road Atlanta Runoffs gold and a surviving SCCA logbook. Photographer Mr.choppers identifies the licensed 2018 Greenwich image as that championship car. No Newman ownership, current owner or custodian, completed 2020 sale, chassis or VIN, untouched 1979 condition, exact engine specification, complete Z-family coverage, exact Joyride catalog link or compatible game representation is claimed.

  • Rules For Selling Your Car on SCCA.comSports Car Club of America · 2020-11-06 · external source

    The individual 1979 C Production championship-winning Datsun 280ZX, Newman’s six regular-season wins, Road Atlanta Runoffs gold, surviving SCCA logbook and the 2020 sale listing.

  • Nissan’s Road to 100 Runoffs VictoriesSports Car Club of America · 2016-12-13 · external source

    Bob Sharp’s account of Newman joining the team and the distinct 1979 280ZX C Production, 1985 300ZX GT-1 and 1986 300ZX GT-1 championships.

  • 1979 Datsun 280ZX race car, ex-Paul Newman — side view — Greenwich 2018Wikimedia Commons · Mr.choppers · Photographed 2018-06-03 · external source

    The photographer identifies the Greenwich car as Newman’s 1979 SCCA C Production champion and licenses the photograph CC BY-SA 3.0.

Reviewed

Why this is the actual car
  • Photo identity evidence

    SCCA identifies the surviving 1979 C Production championship-winning Datsun 280ZX, Newman’s six regular-season wins and the Road Atlanta Runoffs gold.

  • Photo identity evidence

    Photographer Mr.choppers identifies the June 3, 2018 Greenwich photograph as Newman’s 1979 SCCA C Production championship car and licenses it CC BY-SA 3.0.

The matching photographer, venue, date and vehicle history establish the identification; the chassis stamp is not visible in these photographs.