The Toyotoa 2000GT - A Rare Japanese Supercar

Thursday, September 29, 2016

Travis Landry, Toy Department Director for Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers & RI Comic Con

Toyota 2000GT PHOTO: Wikipedia

Sunday, September, 18th, marked the 20th anniversary of the groundbreaking for the Toyota engine and transmission manufacturing plant in Buffalo, West Virginia. Ever since Toyota introduced the first Japanese import to America, the 1959 Toyopet Crown, Japanese cars have forever been intertwined with American car culture.

It wasn’t until 1967 when Toyota stole the limelight from muscle cars and European super cars of the 60’s with the 2000GT. With an asking price of approximately $6,800, car enthusiasts of the time could purchase the average Porsche or Jaguar for far less. Only 351 2000GT’s were produced and only approximately sixty cars made it to the United States making this Japanese supercar a rare find today.

2000GT Sold

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In the world of automobile super auctions today, Barrett-Jackson and Mecum Auctions broadcast week long events selling thousands of cars for millions of dollars. In an event filled with Camaros, Mustangs, GTOs, and Challengers, Japanese dream rides rarely cross the auction block let alone a television camera. Last August marked one of the most recent sales of a 2000GT offered by Mecum at their Monterey sale in August, 2015.

The 2000GT ended up selling for $533,500 dollars, far less than the one and a half million dollar high estimate, but still an astonishing number when compared to other collectible Japanese cars.

Predicting the Future

With the ever rising popularity of Japanese cars in today's world, the question comes to mind which cars will be worth money in the future?

For the answer to that question we look back to Toyota.

In 1978, twenty-one years after the initial release of the 2000GT, Toyota introduced the Supra, a new sports car which would later evolve into the next Japanese supercar. Although all Supra’s are beautiful cars, the sure shot investment would be the 1997 15th Anniversary Edition. Beyond the anniversary badging, the 1997 model year reintroduced the manual transmission enthusiasts love along with redesigned taillights, headlights, and front fascia creating what most fans consider the greatest Supra of all time. The nineteen year old Supra, originally priced at $39,900 is already commanding a fifty percent premium above original cost for pristine examples. The Supra is on track to become the next six figure Japanese import in what feels like a night's time. If there were anytime to enter the Japanese car market it would be now. My advice would be to purchase that Supra, WRX, Evolution, or Nissan Z before the market spikes.

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This article was written by Travis Landry, Toy Department Director and Specialist for Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers and Rhode Island Comic Con in part of an ongoing content series with GoLocal.