Photo: RM Sotheby's
You could count on one hand's fingers the times Toyota worked together with Yamaha in developing a car. But when one of the results is the Toyota GT2000, we kind of wish they had collaborated on more occasions.
So, shall we start with the good news or the bad news? Heck, it doesn't even matter since the car in question was produced in limited series, and many believe it changed the way Japan was perceived by the automotive world.
How was that possible? Here's a hint: 150 horsepower, 2.0-liter DOHC Yamaha aluminum hemi-head inline six-cylinder engine with three Solex carburetors, four-wheel independent suspension, and four-wheel power-assisted Dunlop disc brakes.
Yes, people, this was the Toyota 2000GT, presented for the first time at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1965.
But that's only half of the story. The model heading to auction is the first US-delivery and first left-hand-drive 2000GT, but the beautiful part is it hasn't been restored, but somehow owners kept it in top-shelf condition.
You also saw the car (in a one-off convertible version build specifically for the movie) in You Only Live Twice, the fifth spy film in the James Bond series, driven by Sean Connery himself.
The car's resume says it was destined for the West Coast and shipped new by special-order to Toyota of San Francisco. The first owner drove it for around 66,000 km (37,282 miles) in ten years, before selling it.
This old lady spent 20 years with a Japanese enthusiast who eventually sold it to the current owner. He claims the car was never involved in an accident.
It wears chassis number 10083 and has 68,953 km (42,845 miles) on the odometer, but here come the bad news. It's expected to sell for over $1 million, so most of us can kiss it goodbye.
How was that possible? Here's a hint: 150 horsepower, 2.0-liter DOHC Yamaha aluminum hemi-head inline six-cylinder engine with three Solex carburetors, four-wheel independent suspension, and four-wheel power-assisted Dunlop disc brakes.
Yes, people, this was the Toyota 2000GT, presented for the first time at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1965.
But that's only half of the story. The model heading to auction is the first US-delivery and first left-hand-drive 2000GT, but the beautiful part is it hasn't been restored, but somehow owners kept it in top-shelf condition.
You also saw the car (in a one-off convertible version build specifically for the movie) in You Only Live Twice, the fifth spy film in the James Bond series, driven by Sean Connery himself.
The car's resume says it was destined for the West Coast and shipped new by special-order to Toyota of San Francisco. The first owner drove it for around 66,000 km (37,282 miles) in ten years, before selling it.
This old lady spent 20 years with a Japanese enthusiast who eventually sold it to the current owner. He claims the car was never involved in an accident.
It wears chassis number 10083 and has 68,953 km (42,845 miles) on the odometer, but here come the bad news. It's expected to sell for over $1 million, so most of us can kiss it goodbye.
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