Of course you like the idea of a cheap, lightweight, fun sportscar like the Toyota GT 86 is now. But the Japanese automaker had another one in the ‘60s, of which few are aware.
Since the other Toyota sportscar, the 2000GT doesn’t fit the “cheap” category from above, the other sportscar we can refer to is the Toyota Sports 800. It’s not as gorgeous as the 2000GT, but it sure retains some of its design cues. You could almost say it’s a pocket 2000GT.
The Sports 800 was the production model of the Publica Sports concept unveiled in 1962 and it was put on sale in April 1965. The concept had a sliding canopy, but due to production issues, that was ditched and the Sports 800 got regular doors and a detachable roof.
However, due to its 580 kg (1,279 lb), the Sports 800 achieved both good fuel economy and performances, with its most notable third place in the Fuji 24-hour race in 1967.
As the GT 86 you know today, the tiny Toyota Sports 800 was powered by a boxer engine, only that it had two cylinders, 800 cc and a maximum output of 45 PS.
Take a look at its nice shapes in the photos bellow and don’t forget to check these two videos for some closeups.
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