One to Buy: last-of-line 1 of 17 Automatic gearbox-optioned 1970 Toyota 2000 GT
Having unveiled the 2000 GT amid great fanfare in late 1965, customer deliveries began in the spring of 1967 by which stage Toyota’s hoped-for figure of 1000 sales a month was already looking absurdly ambitious.
With a higher price than a Porsche 911 and a Jaguar E-type, international buyers seemed completely uninterested in the quirky two-seat Coupe from Japan while domestic customers hardly picked up the slack.
During 1969, Toyota carried out a mild face-lift and added a less expensive 2.3-litre single overhead cam engine to the range as an alternative to the original dual overhead cam 2-litre original. Automatic transmission and air-conditioning were also added to the options list in an attempt to broaden appeal, but the 2000 GT was ultimately killed off in late 1970 as a commercial failure.
By the dawn of the 1970s, 2000 GT production (which took place at Yamaha’s Iwata factory) had slowed to a trickle. However, one of these last-of-line iterations is currently on the market with Art Sports in Tokyo.
A rare face-lift example with the re-shaped primary intake and driving lights, bigger front indicators and new seats with separate adjustable head rests, this particular machine was configured in the handsome colour scheme of Thunder Silver Metallic with the familiar Black interior upholstery.
In addition to having covered a very low mileage (reputedly just 28,000km from new), this fine 2000 GT is one of the 17 cars originally equipped with Toyota’s three-speed automatic gearbox option.
Reprinted below is Art Sports’ description:
Year: 1970
Mileage: 28,000km
Exterior color: Thunder Silver Metallic
Interior color: Black
Repair history: None
Rare automatic car
Total production 337 units (218 units in Japan)
Only 17 units are Automatic
