1967 Toyota 2000GT
The Toyota 2000GT is a hardtop coupe grand tourer that Toyota and Yamaha designed together with a limited run. The auto had a front engine, rear-wheel drive, and two seats. It was produced between 1967 and 1970, and only 351 models were made. Making this auto is incredibly rare.
Styling
1968 2000GT
The design of the Toyota 2000GT included multiple features that had not previously been seen on GTs, such as the quad headlamp arrangement with two units on either side of the grille plus popup lights over them. The taillights also stood out, being on metal frames as opposed to directly mounted on the body. Toyota rounded out the racecar appearance with a center-mounted exhaust. For the 1969 2000GT, however, the auto got smaller and lower headlamps, larger rear turn signals, and reshaped front turn signals.
Interior Space and Styling
While the inside of the 1969 Toyota 2000GT was cramped, this was expected of a two-seater. The automaker made up for it with luxury amenities that had not been seen on Toyota models before. You will notice wood rimming on the steering wheel, wooden frames on both the center console and center stack, and a rosewood veneer dashboard. 1969 was the first year this model got air conditioning, and it also had an auto-seeking radio tuner.
In terms of layout, the instrument panel was similar to the competing GTs of the time. It had two major gauges sitting behind the steering wheel and more buttons below this. There were additional switches on the center stack. The seats were sporty, if not quite luxurious.
Under the Hood
The Toyota 2000GT used a 2-liter straight-6 engine that was based on that of the Toyota Crown sedan. However, Yamaha modified the mill. It added three two-barrel Solex carburetors and a double overhead camshaft head. The result was 130 pound-feet for torque and 150 horsepower. There were nine production models with a 2.3-liter engine for 148 pound-feet and 140 horses.
Reaching 60 mph took 10 seconds, and hitting 100 mph needed 24 seconds. The top speed sat at 128 mph. While the figures seem lackluster by today’s standards, they were good considering the engine output.
By 1969, the 2000GT was available with either a 5-speed manual or 3-speed automatic. This auto also came standard with power-assisted disc brakes and a limited-slip differential.
Pricing
source: ShutterStock
Right from the start, the 2000GT was not an affordable auto. The versions sold in the United States cost about $7,000, which was $1,000 more than the Porsche 911 and Jaguar E-Type. Because of this, only around 60 of the 351 2000GTs produced arrived in North America. Unsurprisingly, few models are available, turning the 1969 Toyota 2000GT into a collectible. In 2012, one went for $50,000, followed by one for $1 million the next year. Then in 2016, a model with full documentation and full restoration sold for just over $530,000. In other words, if you want to drive this classic car, you will need to gather some money together.
