By Classic Yorkshire contributor Tony Lofthouse
Sixty-years-ago Toyota unveiled a truly fabulous sports car – its first foray into the supercar market – with a little help from a piano making business!
The Toyota 2000 GT had a distinct look of the Jaguar E-Type at a time when Japanese designers were taking the best bits from rival European carmakers.
The two-seater coupe was developed in partnership with Yamaha and would redefine the Toyota brand from makers of mass produced affordable motors to builders of high end grand tourers that would become much sought-after classics.
The distinctive front end of this GT combined a sweeping bonnet with pop-up headlights and front lights behind glass covers – a feature first seen in the earlier Toyota Sports 800.
The 2000GT came with a 7000 rpm twin-cam engine capable of producing 150bhp and was paired with a fully synchronised five-speed gearbox.
It may have resembled the E-Type but the car also drew inspiration from the simpler Lotus Elan chassis.
Inside, the smart interior features a Rosewood and Mahogany dashboard finish, courtesy of experts from Yamaha’s musical instrument division.
In 1967 James Bond rode around in a specially made open-top white 2000GT in the movie, You Only Live Twice.
Alas, such global exposure couldn’t turn this supercar into a mass produced ‘star’. In fact, only 337 2000GTs were ever made. The majority stayed in Japan, but not surprisingly over 60 ended up in the US.
Whilst this Toyota is an extremely rare sight today, it legacy as Toyota’s first supercar cannot be underestimated.
Decades later, Toyota and Yamaha would team up again to develop the Lexus LFA coupe, only this time this Japanese production came with a supercharged 4.8 litre V10 engine.
Looking back, this ground-breaking Toyota would have set you back the equivalent of £2,400 in 1967 – more than an E-Type or Porsche 911 – but almost priceless today.