One to Buy: 7-time IMSA GTO race-winning 1986 Toyota Celica AAR GTO
Having successfully campaigned third generation A60 Celicas on Toyota’s behalf in IMSA’s junior GTU category, Dan Gurney’s renowned All American Racers was commissioned by the Japanese manufacturer to manage a three-year programme in the premier GTO category using the newly released fourth generation T160 Celica for 1986, ‘87 and ‘88.
The resultant machine was purpose-built from the ground up. AAR created a custom tube frame chassis with a 5-600bhp turbocharged 2.1-litre ‘four’ hooked up to a five-speed transaxle and draped in a handsome T160-style bodyshell.
The AAR-Toyota partnership took third in the standings in 1986, won it in 1987 and were runners up for the Celica’s final year of competition in 1988.
Just three examples of the spectacular IMSA GTO title-winning Celica were built by AAR, one of which, chassis 86T-002, is currently on the market with Canepa in Scotts Valley, California.
Used for all three seasons of AAR’s enormously successful GTO campaign, chassis 002 was initially allocated to Dennis Aase for the ‘86 championship, during which it contested seven races, finished on the podium four times and won the Watkins Glen 500.
Chassis 002 ran 17 events in the title-winning season of 1987. Chris Cord was behind the wheel at every race; he collected ten podium finishes and four wins (Riverside, Laguna Seca, Portland and Del Mar). For the longer events (Daytona 24 Hours (8th oa), Sebring 12 Hours (9th oa) and Road America 500 (DNF), Cord was partnered by Juan Fangio II.
002’s career concluded after a 1988 season in which it was shared by Cord and Aase. It ran a dozen races, collected five podiums and one victory (for Cord at the Watkins Glen 500).
Today this most significant Toyota GT racing car is offered in completely restored condition with an extensive spares package.
Reprinted below is Canepa’s description:
IMSA GTO Championship Car – Chassis 86T-002
One of only three built
Championship collaboration between “Dan Gurney’s All American Racers” and Toyota
19 Podium Finishes – Seven 1st Places, Three 2nd Places, Nine 3rd Places
Sold by Toyota to championship-winning driver Chris Cord
Completely Mechanically Restored, including a completely new Engine
Extensive Spares Package
Est. 600 bhp. 2,090 cc turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine, five-speed transaxle, four-wheel independent suspension, and four-wheel disc brakes. Wheelbase: 99.4 in.
In 1964, Dan Gurney and Carroll Shelby, both legends larger than this space provides, founded All American Racers (AAR) with the backing of Goodyear tires. From the outset, these seasoned competitors pursued victory with vigor, and by 1970, when Gurney bought out Shelby’s stake, AAR had won as a constructor in both Formula One and Indy Car.
By the early ’80s, the team had won in competitions around the world. Their history of success no doubt attracted Toyota, who was eager to build a racing program around the Celica, to promote the car’s sporting credentials in the United States. While Toyota enjoyed prior success on the world stage in endurance racing and rallying, the most visible road racing series at the time was the IMSA GT Championship.
In 1983, AAR and Toyota entered a partnership to compete in the series’ entry-level GTU class, and by 1985, they had won 10 races.
Coinciding with the launch of the next-generation Celica, the decision was made to move up and compete in the GTO, or Grand Touring Over 2.5 liters, class. Here we must mention the framework of competition: the road going Celica was a front-drive compact car, but its competitors in GTO would be the Ford Mustang, Porsche 911, Chevrolet Corvette and Camaro, as well as other such machines.
This car, chassis 86T-002, was completed in July 1986 and built to, and beyond, the framework of the rulebook. At its heart was the legendary four-cylinder Toyota T engine, which, in various forms, saw duty in everything from Formula Two, Formula Three, Group B rally, and World Rally Championship competition.
The GTO implementation made near 600 horsepower before IMSA-mandated restrictions were added. In a 1999 interview with Sports Compact Car, Gurney describes the IMSA GTO as being “...pretty good, a hairy motor. It was enough to get the job done!”
It is a Celica in name only. In truth, AAR built a tubular space frame machine that had a rear-drive chassis, a rear-mounted Hewland transaxle, and enough bodywork modifications to make a plastic surgeon blush.
The car was primarily piloted by Chris Cord, who was well known in the racing world for his dominant performances on the track. Throughout his years of racing, Chris was able to provide his expertise and input to Toyota, refining the car to its best form. Everything from a revised suspension setup, a carbon fiber body and driveshaft, to a more robust gearbox, and aerodynamic improvements.
After the program concluded in 1989, this car was sold directly by Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. to their championship-winning driver Chris Cord.
The 1986 Toyota Celica IMSA GTO represents an opportunity to own a championship-winning design that remained competitive until taking its very last checkered flag—not to mention one that’s a rare example of a successful partnership between American engineering talent and Japanese muscle.
Race History
7/27/1986 GI Joe Grand Prix Portland (D Aase) DNF (#98)
8/3/1986 Ford California Grand Prix (D Aase) 3rd Overall (#98)
8/24/1986 The Lowenbrau Classic 500 Miles Road America (R Moran & D Aase) 3rd Overall (#98)
9/1/1986 Lime Rock Park IMSA GTO (D Aase) 2nd Overall (#98)
9/20/1986 Kodak Copier 500 at Watkins Glen (D Aase) 1st Overall (#98)
10/5/1986 Columbus Ford Dealers 500 (D Aase) DNF (#98)
10/26/1986 Eastern Airlines 3-Hours Camel Grand Prix (D Aase) DNF (#98)
2/1/1987 The 25th Annual SunBank 24 at Daytona (C Cord & S Millen) 8th Overall (#98)
3/1/1987 45 Minutes of Miami (C Cord) 4th Overall (#98)
3/21/1987 12 Hours of Sebring Grand Prix of Endurance (C Cord & J Manuel Fangio II) 9th Overall (#98)
3/21/1987 LA Times Grand Prix of Endurance Riverside (C Cord) 1st Overall (#98)
5/2/1987 The Nissan Monterey Tripple Crown Laguna Seca (C Cord) 1st Overall (#98)
5/17/1987 300 Kilometers of Firebird (C Cord) 3rd Overall (#98)
6/7/1987 Champion Spark Plug Grand Prix (C Cord) 3rd Overall (#98)
6/20/1987 2 Hours of West Palm Beach (C Cord) 3rd Overall (#98)
6/28/1987 300 Kilometers of Road Atlanta (C Cord) DNF (#98)
7/12/1987 300 Mid-Atlantic Toyota GP for Camel GTO and GTU (C Cord) 3rd Overall (#98)
7/27/1987 GI Joe’s Gran Prix Portland (C Cord) 1st Overall (#98)
8/1/1987 12th Annual IMSA Camel GT Ford California Grand Prix (C Cord) DNF (#98)
8/16/1987 500 Miles of Road America (C Cord & J Manuel Fangio II) DNF (#98)
9/7/1987 Camel GTO/GTU Grand Prix Lime Rock (C Cord) 2nd Overall (#98)
9/27/1987 Kodak Copier 500 at Watkins Glen (C Cord) 2nd Overall (#98)
10/4/1987 Columbus Ford Dealers 500 Camel Grand Prix (C Cord) DNF (#98)
10/24/1987 1 Hour of Del Mar (C Cord) 1st Overall (#98)
1/31/1988 The 26th Annual SunBank 24 Hours at Daytona (C Cord, D Aase, & S Millen) DNF (#98)
3/19/1988 12 Hours of Sebring (D Aase & C Cord) DNF (#98)
4/24/1988 West Palm Beach GTO (C Cord) 3rd Overall (#98)
5/22/1988 Mid-Atlantic Toyota Grand Prix Summit Point (C Cord) 3rd Overall (#98)
6/5/1988 Year of Excitement Nissan Grand Prix of Ohio (C Cord) 1st Overall (#98)
7/17/1988 Miller High Life 500 Kilometers of Road America (D Aase) 12th Overall (#98)
7/31/1988 GI Joe’s Camel Grand Prix Portland (D Aase) 3rd Overall (#98)
8/14/1988 13th Annual Lincoln-Mercury California Grand Prix (D Aase) 4th Overall (#98)
9/5/1988 Lime Rock GTO (D Aase) DNF (#98)
9/25/1988 Kodak Copier 500 at Watkins Glen (C Cord & D Aase) 1st Overall (#98)
10/2/1988 Columbus Ford Dealers 500 Camel Grand Prix (D Aase) 4th Overall (#98)
10/23/1988 Del Mar GTO (D Aase) DNF (#98)
