We photographed this Datsun 2000 in a large junkyard that specializes in American cars built by companies that no longer exist such as Packard and Studebaker. One of the very few Japanese cars in the lot, it appears to be mostly complete but decades of snow, rain and sun have taken their toll on the roadster.

The car’s history is tough to trace because the license plates are gone but it’s been off the road for at least two decades. A close look around the car reveals several bondo-filled rust holes and we’re willing to wager the previous owner bought it as a restoration project and junked it when he realized he had bitten off more than he could chew. This scenario is fairly common and aborted projects are a regular sight in local junkyards.

Built from 1967 to 1970, the 2000 roadster was marketed as a cheaper alternative to British, Italian and – to a lesser extent – German sports cars in the United States. By an odd twist of fate, this example is ending its days next to a late-1970s Alfa Romeo Spider and a hundred yards away from a MG Midget.