The First Toyota 2000GT to Set a Tire in America Just Sold for $825,000

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This is the first 2000GT produced for export to the U.S., and that makes it a very rare and special car.

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This is Toyota 2000GT chassis No. 10083, the first of its extremely rare breed that was built for export to the U.S.

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In total, it’s thought that America received 15 percent of the 351 or so cars produced. Rare, indeed.

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This one just sold at RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction for $825,000 . . . pricey, but not the most expensive we’ve seen.

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When new, this car was sold in San Francisco and remained there for a while.

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Later, it was sold into a Japanese collection and stayed there for 20 years. In total, it’s covered just 42K miles from new.

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The seller claimed it’s never been in an accident and has never been “fully restored,” so we suppose that leaves partial restoration as a past possibility. Still, it presents honestly. Look at that dash!

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This appears to be a normal 2000GT, not the special MF-12 model. That means it packs a lovely 3M-code 2.0-liter inline-six making about 150 horsepower.

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The engine featured a Yamaha twin-cam head, the first of a long line of Yamaha high-performance heads fitted to sporting Toyotas.

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Even the original tool kit is included.

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It has been resprayed and the carbs rebuilt, but otherwise the seller claims it’s just an honest, well-cared-for example of the breed.

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These are said to be lovely cars to drive, and they’re much, much smaller than the Jaguar E-type they’re so commonly compared to. They’re small compared to a first-generation Mazda Miata, even.

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When new, it was $1000 more expensive than an E-type and considerably slower. That made it a tough sales proposition.

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The $1.5-million recent 2000GT sale seems to be an aberration, as good cars lately have been trading hands for prices closer to this example.

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Still, it’s nice (as always) to see the market pay these very special cars their due.

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And remember the important but unexpected connection to Carroll Shelby—yes, that Carroll Shelby.

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• Toyota Brand Full Coverage: Tests, Reviews, Specs, Pricing, and More

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Shelby prepped three cars for SCCA racing, and they finished second and third in 1968 before Toyota pulled funding. Which is a way cooler anecdote than that told-a-million-times James Bond one, isn’t it?

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This story originally appeared on roadandtrack.com.

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