For Sale at Auction: 1967 Toyota 2000 GT in Atlanta, Georgia for sale in Atlanta, GA
Vehicle Description Chassis No.
MF10-10110 While Toyota might have earned the title of Japan's largest automobile manufacturer in the early 1960s, it had developed a reputation for building some of the most conservative cars in the country.
Honda was working to develop a Formula One Car while Nissan was completing their R380 to race at the prestigious Japan Grand Prix.
Even motorcycle manufacturers Yamaha and Kawasaki were winning events throughout Europe.
Beginning with the Sports 800, Toyota was starting to turn the tide on its sporting image, with much larger plans already outlined by the summer of 1964.
This project was to develop a two-liter GT-style sports coupe prime for competition in international motorsports.
Likely unknown to Toyota, Nissan and Yamaha formed a partnership to develop a sports car at the same time, but Yamaha was left with a significant investment in design and building two working prototypes after Nissan pulled the plug on the concept.
This was the perfect opportunity for Toyota to mitigate its own risks in developing a sports car and work with a company already boasting genuine sporting credentials.
Impressively, the first prototype of the Toyota 2000GT was first unveiled less than a year later at the 1965 Tokyo Motor Show.
The wonderful, long, flowing lines penned by Satoru Nozaki captured the intrigue of anyone who passed by.
Reading the car's specs was equally as impressive, with the highlight being the Yamaha-tuned 148 hp, two-liter '3M' straight-six twin-cam engine.
Those lucky enough to drive or own one of these phenomenal cars were equally astounded by the quality of construction and attention to detail on display at a standstill or at speed.
This attention to detail event extended to Yahama's use of its skilled craftsmen in their musical instrument division, who crafted the rosewood trim adorning the interior.
This truly world-class sports car was beginning to transform Toyota's image, which was only bolstered when it hit the race track.
The lead engineer for the 2000GT just so happened to be the racing team manager who led them to a 1-2 finish in the inaugural Suzuka 1000 km in June 1966, which was just the start.
Just four months later, 13 separate FIA E Class (1500-2000 cc) time and distance records were set over a 72-hour period.
The following year saw victories at the 24 Hours of Fuji and the Fuji 1000 km, drawing international attention to the car.
Carroll Shelby was so inspired by the car that he flew to Japan, convincing Toyota that he should lead their racing efforts in the United States with the 2000GT.
This led to the car placing second and third in the SCCA's C-Production final standings in 1968, undoubtedly cementing Toyota's sporting image.
As deliveries began in April 1967, expectations were high, with the belief that 1000 could be sold a month.
The reality was that only 337 were produced over a three-year production run.
Following the guidance of Saito's team, his engineers and designers created a car that could take on rivals such as the Jaguar E-Type and Porsche 911 in every regard except for the price.
The effort to develop the world's greatest sports inadvertently resulted in creating one of the rarest as well.
Hailing from the first year of production, this 1967 2000 GT was originally finished in Solar Red before it left Japan on its way to the Mid-Southern Toyota distributor of Chicago, Illinois, to be used as a demonstration model and showroom display piece.
Just one of 84 to leave the factory as a left-hand drive example, it is also one of only 62 sold new in the United States.
As part of the marketing campaign, it is believed that actor George Hamilton used the car for a brief period of time.
Following the conclusion of its promotion, the car was sold to its first private owner in 1969.
Fittingly it was purchased by Toyota Advertising Executive John Horak, who brought the car to Palos Verdes, California.
The car remained in his stewardship until 1988, when it was acquired by 2000GT authorities and Maine Line Exotics co-founders Robert Tkacik and Peter Starr.
They kept the car for only a brief period of time and later returned to Japan under the care of the president of Denon Instruments, Hiroshi Watanabe.
During this period, the car was used during the 2004 festivities at the Yamaha test track to promote the book, The Complete History of Japan's First Supercar, authored by Shin Yoshikawa, world-renowned cutaway artist, fabricator, photographer and previous owners Robert Tkacik and Peter Starr.
Upon returning to the United States in 2011, this car was refinished in Bellatrix Yellow before it was passed on to the next owner in 2015.
Following this purchase, the new owner returned chassis number MF10-10110 to Robert Tkacik and Peter Starr at Maine Line Exotics of Biddeford, Maine.
A copy of the history as outlined by Main Line Exotics states that in 2015 the car was there for an overall inspection, maintenance, engine rebuild, and cosmetic corrections.
Likely one of the more original examples of Japan's first supercar, this 2000GT retains a high degree of preservation thanks to its dedicated owners and still retains a largely original interior.
Today the car is accompanied by an original owner's manual, repair manual, toolkit, and digital copies of maintenance records dating back to the late 1960s.
.
MF10-10110 While Toyota might have earned the title of Japan's largest automobile manufacturer in the early 1960s, it had developed a reputation for building some of the most conservative cars in the country.
Honda was working to develop a Formula One Car while Nissan was completing their R380 to race at the prestigious Japan Grand Prix.
Even motorcycle manufacturers Yamaha and Kawasaki were winning events throughout Europe.
Beginning with the Sports 800, Toyota was starting to turn the tide on its sporting image, with much larger plans already outlined by the summer of 1964.
This project was to develop a two-liter GT-style sports coupe prime for competition in international motorsports.
Likely unknown to Toyota, Nissan and Yamaha formed a partnership to develop a sports car at the same time, but Yamaha was left with a significant investment in design and building two working prototypes after Nissan pulled the plug on the concept.
This was the perfect opportunity for Toyota to mitigate its own risks in developing a sports car and work with a company already boasting genuine sporting credentials.
Impressively, the first prototype of the Toyota 2000GT was first unveiled less than a year later at the 1965 Tokyo Motor Show.
The wonderful, long, flowing lines penned by Satoru Nozaki captured the intrigue of anyone who passed by.
Reading the car's specs was equally as impressive, with the highlight being the Yamaha-tuned 148 hp, two-liter '3M' straight-six twin-cam engine.
Those lucky enough to drive or own one of these phenomenal cars were equally astounded by the quality of construction and attention to detail on display at a standstill or at speed.
This attention to detail event extended to Yahama's use of its skilled craftsmen in their musical instrument division, who crafted the rosewood trim adorning the interior.
This truly world-class sports car was beginning to transform Toyota's image, which was only bolstered when it hit the race track.
The lead engineer for the 2000GT just so happened to be the racing team manager who led them to a 1-2 finish in the inaugural Suzuka 1000 km in June 1966, which was just the start.
Just four months later, 13 separate FIA E Class (1500-2000 cc) time and distance records were set over a 72-hour period.
The following year saw victories at the 24 Hours of Fuji and the Fuji 1000 km, drawing international attention to the car.
Carroll Shelby was so inspired by the car that he flew to Japan, convincing Toyota that he should lead their racing efforts in the United States with the 2000GT.
This led to the car placing second and third in the SCCA's C-Production final standings in 1968, undoubtedly cementing Toyota's sporting image.
As deliveries began in April 1967, expectations were high, with the belief that 1000 could be sold a month.
The reality was that only 337 were produced over a three-year production run.
Following the guidance of Saito's team, his engineers and designers created a car that could take on rivals such as the Jaguar E-Type and Porsche 911 in every regard except for the price.
The effort to develop the world's greatest sports inadvertently resulted in creating one of the rarest as well.
Hailing from the first year of production, this 1967 2000 GT was originally finished in Solar Red before it left Japan on its way to the Mid-Southern Toyota distributor of Chicago, Illinois, to be used as a demonstration model and showroom display piece.
Just one of 84 to leave the factory as a left-hand drive example, it is also one of only 62 sold new in the United States.
As part of the marketing campaign, it is believed that actor George Hamilton used the car for a brief period of time.
Following the conclusion of its promotion, the car was sold to its first private owner in 1969.
Fittingly it was purchased by Toyota Advertising Executive John Horak, who brought the car to Palos Verdes, California.
The car remained in his stewardship until 1988, when it was acquired by 2000GT authorities and Maine Line Exotics co-founders Robert Tkacik and Peter Starr.
They kept the car for only a brief period of time and later returned to Japan under the care of the president of Denon Instruments, Hiroshi Watanabe.
During this period, the car was used during the 2004 festivities at the Yamaha test track to promote the book, The Complete History of Japan's First Supercar, authored by Shin Yoshikawa, world-renowned cutaway artist, fabricator, photographer and previous owners Robert Tkacik and Peter Starr.
Upon returning to the United States in 2011, this car was refinished in Bellatrix Yellow before it was passed on to the next owner in 2015.
Following this purchase, the new owner returned chassis number MF10-10110 to Robert Tkacik and Peter Starr at Maine Line Exotics of Biddeford, Maine.
A copy of the history as outlined by Main Line Exotics states that in 2015 the car was there for an overall inspection, maintenance, engine rebuild, and cosmetic corrections.
Likely one of the more original examples of Japan's first supercar, this 2000GT retains a high degree of preservation thanks to its dedicated owners and still retains a largely original interior.
Today the car is accompanied by an original owner's manual, repair manual, toolkit, and digital copies of maintenance records dating back to the late 1960s.
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