Now this one may look familiar, gents, especially to 007 fans. The Toyota 2000GT is best known for its star appearance in the 1967 blockbuster You Only Live Twice, with Sean Connery hurling around the back streets of Tokyo in a drop-top version. Rumor has it Toyota originally supplied a hardtop version to the film crew, but Connery’s burly 6’ 2” height meant a convertible had to be fabricated specially for filming.
The 2000GT first appeared at the 1965 Tokyo Motor Show. The mid-1960s was a time when the world’s finest and prettiest cars had always come from central Europe and America. Britain’s E-type Jaguar, Italy’s Ferrari 275, Germany’s Porsche 911 and America’s Chevrolet Corvette were the darlings of the age. The Japanese had never been able to rival the dominance of Western car design, making the arrival of the 2000GT something very special indeed.
Japanese motorbike specialist Yamaha developed the car’s underpinnings, successfully translating its knowledge of bikes to cars in order to produce 150hp from a 2.0-litre engine that propelled the 2000GT to a top speed of 130mph, not far behind the likes of the 150mph Jaguar E-type and Aston Martin DB5.
On the inside, Yamaha provided the wood trim around the cockpit, resourcefully acquired from its piano-manufacturing arm. Despite production running until 1970, only 351 examples were produced. Priced at around £5,000 in 1967, the 2000GT was a £1,000 more than the British E-type and German 911.
This particular model, chassis number MF10-10088, is one of the 62 original left-hand-drive examples delivered to the USA. Since first arriving on American shores, the car has undergone several stages of refurbishment to get it to its most original state. Registering 47,000 miles, the car comes with a selection of original manuals, catalogues and brochures, as well as a detailed register of former owners.
The Toyota 2000GT will be offered at auction by RM Sotheby’s at the Amelia Island sale on the 12 March 2016. Click here for more details.
Guide price: £570,000 – £670,000
Become a Gentleman’s Journal Member?
Like the Gentleman’s Journal? Why not join the Clubhouse, a special kind of private club where members receive offers and experiences from hand-picked, premium brands. You will also receive invites to exclusive events, the quarterly print magazine delivered directly to your door and your own membership card.
