MORTON ASH rarely needs a reason to take his 1975 Datsun 280Z out for a drive, but a recent sunny afternoon provided an extra inducement.

“I like to use it at least once a week,” he said. “You can’t let a car like this just sit.”

Mr. Ash, a vice president for sales at Gould Paper, was standing inside the parking garage in Chelsea where he has kept the two-door sports car since he bought it new for around $6,300. After three decades of his careful stewardship, the silver 280Z has covered nearly 330,000 miles.

Mr. Ash bent his tall frame into the driver seat and started the car. “Seat belts are a good idea,” he said dryly, and both driver and passenger complied. Mr. Ash then settled into the bucket seat and nosed the car forward, craning his neck to look down 10th Avenue.

The afternoon’s destination was the Taconic Parkway, or close to it, via the West Side Highway along the Hudson River, to the Saw Mill River Parkway. Mr. Ash grew up in Rockland County and moved to Manhattan 45 years ago, and he still considers himself a country boy.