This is the first 2000GT produced for export to the U.S., and that makes it a very rare and special car.
1967 Toyota 2000GT
This is Toyota 2000GT chassis No. 10083, the first of its extremely rare breed that was built for export to the U.S.
In total, it’s thought that America received 15 percent of the 351 or so cars produced. Rare, indeed.
This one just sold at RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction for $825,000 … pricey, but not the most expensive we’ve seen.
When new, this car was sold in San Francisco and remained there for a while.
Later, it was sold into a Japanese collection and stayed there for 20 years. In total, it’s covered just 42K miles from new.
The seller claimed it’s never been in an accident and has never been “fully restored,” so I suppose that leaves partial restoration as a past possibility. Still, it presents honestly. Look at that dash!
This appears to be a normal 2000GT, not the special MF-12 model. That means it packs a lovely 3M two-liter inline-six making about 150 horsepower.
The engine featured a Yamaha twin-cam head, the first of a long line of Yamaha high-performance heads fitted to sporting Toyotas.
Even the original tool kit is included.
It has been resprayed, and the carbs rebuilt, but otherwise the seller claims its just an honest, well-cared for example of the breed.
These are said to be lovely cars to drive, and they’re much, much smaller than the E-Type it’s so commonly compared to. They’re small compared to a first-generation Miata, even.
When new, it was $1000 more expensive than an E-Type, and considerably slower. That made it a tough sales proposition.
The $1.5M recent 2000GT sale seems to be an aberration, as good cars lately have been trading hands for prices closer to this example.
Still, it’s nice (as always) to see the market pay these very special cars their due.
And remember, the important but unexpected connection to Carroll Shelby—yes, that Carroll Shelby.
He prepped three cars for SCCA racing, and they finished 2nd and 3rd in 1968 before Toyota pulled funding. Which is a way cooler anecdote than that told-a-million-times James Bond one, isn’t it?
This story originally appeared on roadandtrack.com.
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