Photo: Auto Garage Motoyama
The old school coupe featured in this story is priced at 75,380,000 yen. In American currency, that’ll be $662,885, or the equivalent of five units of the Mercedes-AMG GT S. What are the reasons this retro sports car from Japan costs so much money?
Designed in collaboration with motorcycle manufacturer Yamaha, the 1967 Toyota 2000GT is the car that made the rest of the world take the automotive industry of Japan seriously. Before the 2000GT arrived on the scene, the Land of the Rising Sun was viewed by the U.S., U.K., and Europe as a country specialized in imitating existing western cars.
The first true collectible car and first supercar made in Japan wasn’t just a statement against arrogant westerners. For its time, the 2000GT was a car with genuine sporting credentials, one that Road & Track compared favorably to the Porsche 911 in 1967. Only 351 units have ever been made. These babies fetch up to $1.2 million at auction nowadays, so it’s clear that the 2000GT is a special thing. Heck, even James Bond drove one in You Only Live Twice and Daniel Craig voted the 2000GT as his favorite Bond car.
With 74,763 kilometers (46,455 miles) showing on the odometer, the 1967 Toyota 2000GT offered for sale by Auto Garage Motoyama is an exquisite example of the breed. As a first year model, this 2000GT is equipped with larger front driving lamps and the more desirable turn signal lights. Under the beautifully crafted body shell there’s a 2.0-liter straight-6 with 150 horsepower (112 kW) on tap and an original airbox.
From the photographs featuring the front fender compartments, the battery and remote air filter aren’t the important detail. It’s the lack of rust that is important to those in the market for such a rare car. And yes, the rosewood veneers on the center console and dashboard come from the grand piano division of Yamaha.
Beat that, 2017 Acura NSX!
The first true collectible car and first supercar made in Japan wasn’t just a statement against arrogant westerners. For its time, the 2000GT was a car with genuine sporting credentials, one that Road & Track compared favorably to the Porsche 911 in 1967. Only 351 units have ever been made. These babies fetch up to $1.2 million at auction nowadays, so it’s clear that the 2000GT is a special thing. Heck, even James Bond drove one in You Only Live Twice and Daniel Craig voted the 2000GT as his favorite Bond car.
With 74,763 kilometers (46,455 miles) showing on the odometer, the 1967 Toyota 2000GT offered for sale by Auto Garage Motoyama is an exquisite example of the breed. As a first year model, this 2000GT is equipped with larger front driving lamps and the more desirable turn signal lights. Under the beautifully crafted body shell there’s a 2.0-liter straight-6 with 150 horsepower (112 kW) on tap and an original airbox.
From the photographs featuring the front fender compartments, the battery and remote air filter aren’t the important detail. It’s the lack of rust that is important to those in the market for such a rare car. And yes, the rosewood veneers on the center console and dashboard come from the grand piano division of Yamaha.
Beat that, 2017 Acura NSX!
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