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Rare Toyota 2000GT Sports Car Shows Up on Bring a Trailer

Initially proposed to Nissan, the A550X project was adopted by Toyota following a bit of convincing work. Yamaha was responsible for many things, including the bodyshell, chassis, and straight-six powerplant of the automotive icon marketed under the 2000GT moniker.
Toyota 2000GT chassis number MF10-10193 23 photos
Photo: lambogas on Bring a Trailer
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The first proper sports car from the Land of the Rising Sun was expected to sell in the ballpark of 1,000 units in the first month of production alone, but as the old saying goes, Toyota counted its chickens before they hatched.

A grand total of 351 units were produced through 1970 at Yamaha’s Iwata plant in the Shizuoka Prefecture, which makes the 2000GT extremely desirable. A good example is rarely offered for sale publicly, but on this occasion, someone has listed a 2000GT on Bring a Trailer of all places.

Chassis number MF10-10193 was imported to Switzerland in January 1969, then delivered to Garage des Nations in Geneva. This exquisite fellow stayed there until 1971, when the first owner took delivery. Hans-Peter Meier was an employee of Emil Frey AG, the automaker’s official importer in Switzerland at that time. The subsequent owner, Mrs. Charlotte Herger, kept the car until 1979. Sold to Peter Schibli, the owner of a Toyota dealer in the town of Olten, the car had been refinished in dark blue during this period.

Discovered by a Toyota employee and historian in the 1980s, chassis number MF10-10193 was purchased by Toyota Switzerland AG, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Emil Frey AG. Coincidentally, Schibli needed the money as he was going through a divorce. Partially restored and repainted in the original red color, the vehicle was used for marketing purposes in the famously neutral country. Fast forward to the 1990s, and that’s when a frame-off restoration was carried out by in-house specialist Andy Giopp.

The Japanese legend returned to Emil Frey AG in 1995, after which it was used frequently at events and rallies. A quarter of a century later, the six-cylinder lump was in dire need of an overhaul. Carried out by Roos Engineering to the highest standard, the 2.0-liter mill was reconditioned together with the braking system for extra peace of mind.

Roos Engineering ran it on a modern test bed, recording 108.48 kW and 161 Nm of torque. Converted to imperial units, make that 145 horsepower and nearly 119 pound-feet of torque as opposed to the manufacturer’s claimed 150 ponies at 6,600 rpm and 129 pound-feet (175 Nm) at 5,000 rpm.

A suspension overhaul, new seals for the rear differential, new tires, retrimmed seats, restored veneer, cosmetic tender loving care, new rubber seals, and some rust repair also need to be mentioned. Presented in full running order, this example is one of 84 finished in left-hand drive.

Currently located in Texas, chassis number MF10-10193 is a numbers-matching time capsule offered with a clean title, refurbishment photos, service invoices going back to the 1990s, and the Swiss Wagenkarte.

Considering the incredibly prices commanded at auction by numbers-matching survivors, the bidding on this example is going to be wild, there’s no mistaking it! The auction is scheduled to end Monday, June 27th.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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