Car Spot: 92 Nissan 240SX Convertible

Fun under the sun, and cheap …

If ever a car extolled fun, its this week’s 1992 Nissan 240SX Convertible. Built for just three model years, the base car was developed to go head-to-head with BMW’s 750iL, Peugeot’s 405Mi16, and the Plymouth Laser and Mitsubishi Eclipse turbos. Powered by a 2.4-liter SOHC four, with port fuel injection plus one exhaust and two intake valves per cylinder kicks out 140 hp and equals the old V6-powered 200SX’s 0-to-60-mph run of 8.6 seconds and zips a quarter-mile in 16.4 seconds at 83 mph.

The car magazines loved it. Car and Driver wrote, “Anybody seeking joy in an automobile’s handling, meaning all of us with hands caressing the wheel and feet hot to trot for thrills underfoot, will find exceptional dynamics in the SX — perfect for a lively model that Nissan flatly proclaims a sports car.” The car got decent fuel economy, 21 mpg in city conditions and 26 mpg on the highway.

RELATED Spot: See the 240SX’s tiny relative the Figaro.

The 240SX came standard with a 4-speed automatic transmission, power brakes and steering, power windows and door locks, AM/FM/cassette with a power antenna, cruise control, tilt steering, a leather-wrapped wheel, and driver/passenger vanity mirrors. Air conditioning and a compact disc player were the only available options. The original MSRP was $22,295, ($51,025 in 2025 dollars).

Nissan sold 2,327 droptops in its first year, doubled that the next year, but then just 1,391 in its final year. Too bad, it was a fun car, but convertibles are almost never volume sellers, and this was a limited edition project anyway. Now you can pick one up in decent condition for under $3k; however, finding one unmodified in good condition has become increasingly difficult thanks to the car’s tunability. The 240SX was known for its precise steering, which contributed to its excellent handling. Nissan fits into the SX almost every control that a master driver, an advanced amateur, or a really rank beginner could want. They are fun to mod, fun to drive, will get a lot of stares, and you’ll have a lot of fun tooling around under the warm summer sun.

Thanks for stopping by and checking out the spot I found this week. Come back next Sunday for another one of the unusual vehicles I’ve found in my travels and share some of its history too. Have a great rest of your weekend and a great week ahead.