By Classic Yorkshire contributor Tony Lofthouse
We haven’t covered too many Toyotas in our Blogs and the likes of Corolla and Camry, although worldwide best sellers, don’t tend to excite classic car markets.
But, go back to the sixties and Toyota came up with a rare gem in the Toyota 2000GT, the company’s first supercar.
This two-seater, was first revealed to the industry at the 1965 Toyota Motor Show, before going into production two years later.
The car was given a dream ‘lift-off’ when it appeared in the 1967 James Bond classic ‘You Only Live Twice’. Toyota made two convertible models for the film.
Back then, the sports car market was an untapped area for Japanese motor manufacturers and designers looked to the West for ideas and styling. Not surprisingly, many people looking at the 2000GT quickly saw a car with more than a passing resemblance to the Jaguar E-Type!
As well as ‘shades’ of the E-Type’s aerodynamics, designer Satoru Nozaki, was influenced by the chassis of the Lotus Elan. Under the bonnet, the car came with a Yamaha-developed 2-litre, 150 bhp straight-six engine, based on the motor fitted in the Toyota Crown saloon.
Inside, the 2000GT continued the feel of a luxury grand tourer with rosewood veneer dashboard, mahogany rimmed steering wheel and slim fitting seats.
On the road, the engine had a gutsy feel and ride and handling was top notch.
Sadly, Toyota struggled to turn their first sports venture into profit and, between 1967 and 1970, only 337 were sold for the road.
Despite poor sales, the car proved a trailblazer for Toyota, not least in their ambitions to successfully develop a sports coupe range.
As an investment, the passing of time has been kind to the car. Today, when a top condition 2000GT comes onto the market, prices start at well over one million pounds.
If that’s a sales price that’s a bit ‘punchy’ you can always view this cool classic online by clicking the link https://youtu.be/3D0BNhFLOpc The YouTube video tours an amazing car collection, including 2000GT models, all owned by Japanese businessman Takeshi Moroi.