Why Toyota Only Built Two Convertible 2000gts

Toyota has rather nan history pinch sports cars. Many minds will instantly rotation to the MK4 Supra of "Fast & Furious" fame, pinch its iconic 2JZ engine, sleek silhouette, and now arsenic striking pricing. Other greats besides see nan cheap-and-cheerful MR2 sports models, classical and tin Celicas, and immoderate early efforts, specified arsenic nan diminutive S800.

As enticing arsenic these models are, location is 1 Toyota sports car that trumps them all, astatine slightest successful position of desirability — nan 2000GT. Rare moreover erstwhile it was first produced, successful nan mid-1960s, it was built aft nan 1963 and '64 Japanese Grand Prix races sparked Japanese request for a genuine high-performance car from a home-grown brand. Almost immediately, activity began connected nan coupe that would go known arsenic Japan's first supercar.

It looked thing for illustration immoderate Toyota that had travel earlier it, and so for illustration thing other that followed, acknowledgment to an incredibly svelte aluminum body. There was only abstraction for 2 people, and it was powered by a 2.0-liter inline-six engine that produced 150 horsepower. The consequence was a 0 to 60 MPH clip of 8.6 seconds, and a apical velocity of 136 mph. It was capable to guarantee nan awesome caller Toyota collapsed 3 world records for velocity and endurance.

Production ended successful 1970 pinch conscionable 351 cars made. Of those, 337 were for road-use, and conscionable 2 of those were produced arsenic convertibles. But these ultra-rare versions of an already ultra-rare car were not creation studies aliases concepts to trial accumulation viability — they were solely for usage connected nan metallic screen.

Okay, it wasn't MI6 that commissioned nan ultra-exclusive open-top 2000GTs, but they were built for Britain's astir celebrated (albeit fictitious) spy. The 2 cabriolets were prototypes converted for usage successful nan James Bond film, "You Only Live Twice". See, while nan small Toyota was cleanable for Japanese frames, it's rumored that Bond actor Sean Connery's six-foot framework had nary chance of squeezing into nan 2000GT arsenic it was. So nan tile had to go.

No convertible apical was really made for these cars. A tonneau was provided, which sat rolled down nan seats and frankincense gave nan belief of a folded convertible top, truthful nan 2000GT 'Convertible' is acold from a year-round tin classic.

Still, that truth hasn't detracted from nan desirability of these impossibly scarce '60s Toyotas. Powered by nan aforesaid inline-six arsenic nan hardtop models, nan drop-tops supply each nan aforesaid thrills but pinch Bond-certified wind-in-your-hair thrills. While neither of nan convertible models person publically sold, the 'regular' 2000GT coupe regularly sells for seven-figures, pinch 1 Shelby-tuned illustration achieving nan accolade of 'most costly Japanese car of each time,' acknowledgment to an auction consequence northbound of $2.5 million. It's anyone's conjecture what either of nan Bond convertibles would fetch, but we're definite they wouldn't beryllium cheap.