Hidden inside a warehouse at Nissan’s Zama factory in Kanagawa Prefecture is one of the most extraordinary car collections in the world. This isn’t a museum in the traditional sense, nor is it permanently open to the public. Instead, it’s a carefully preserved archive of Nissan’s past.
In order to see this collection, one has to book a visit one month in advance, on 5th of each month, exactly at 12pm Japanese time, because if you do it even a couple of minutes later, most likely the calendar will be booked out. So, for someone living in our time zones, get ready to set an alarm for 4am.
Before entering the collection itself, visitors are given a brief introduction to Nissan’s history. Then the doors open, and the effect is immediate. Row after row of Nissan and Datsun vehicles sit neatly aligned, spanning more than a century of development. Long before the Nissan name became globally recognised, there was Datsun – a brand whose roots stretch back to 1914, when it was still known as DAT Motors.
Despite the challenges Nissan faces today, its legacy remains one of the most influential in Japan’s automotive story. The Heritage Collection exists not as nostalgia, but as proof of how deeply the company has shaped road cars, motorsport and car culture worldwide.
The collection begins with production cars, laid out in chronological order. Early open-wheel vehicles and pre-war designs give way to post-war family cars, performance coupes and, eventually, the machines that defined Nissan’s rise during Japan’s economic boom. It’s a reminder that Nissan’s success wasn’t built overnight. The Z cars, Silvias, Skylines and other enthusiast favourites show Nissan’s journey from domestic manufacturer to global performance powerhouse.
Motorsport is where that ambition becomes impossible to ignore. One section of the collection is devoted entirely to racing machines, and it’s here that Nissan’s competitive spirit truly comes alive. Cars that once fought for victories at Le Mans, in Japanese touring car championships and in international GT series now rest side by side.
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TEXT & PHOTOS:
VLADIMIR LJADOV
IG: WHEELSBYWOVKA