It is believed that in the 1960s, Japanese cars were inferior to Western cars in terms of quality, performance and reliability.

However, this is not the case, because Japanese cars are becoming more and more popular around the world and generally prove to be more reliable than many products in the United States and Europe.

The models of Japanese manufacturers can compete in almost every field, from economical hatchbacks to sturdy off-road vehicles and sedans, but what they lack is luxurious high-performance sports cars.

In the 1960s, Europe provided world-class cars such as Jaguar E-Type, Porsche 911 and Ferrari 250 GTO. The United States has Corvette and other luxury models, but Japan lacks in this area.

Until 1965, Toyota 2000GT was unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show. This model will continue to change the way Japanese people drive and become the first million-dollar Japanese car.

This is the story of 2000GT

After the Second World War, Japan has undergone major changes. The country had to be rebuilt, and many manufacturers shifted their focus to manufacturing economical cars and utility vehicles. It wasn’t until the first Japanese Grand Prix in 1963 that Japanese drivers began to take an interest in racing performance. Just a year later, Toyota began to develop luxury high-performance models to showcase the company’s technical and engineering capabilities.

The person in charge of the project is Saito Masaichi, who is the main contributor to the development of the Toyota automobile manufacturer. His profile is simple: “Do whatever is necessary, not only to produce the 2000GT, but also to make it the best, and perhaps one of the best cars in the world.” The 2000GT will need to be practical and easy to drive, and the engine should be Located on the front wheels and driving the rear wheels, in the end it must reflect a design comparable to more expensive European models.

Fortunately, Yamaha approached Toyota with a prototype they designed at about the same time. The prototype was originally developed for Nissan, but the competitor company rejected the offer for unknown reasons. However, Nissan adopted elements from the design submitted by Yamaha and continued to create 240Z, the main competitor of 2000GT.

However, Toyota approved the Yamaha design and used it to improve its conservative brand image. Toyota’s designers Ichiro Yoshino and Tomio Nozaki took the A55X prototype and further developed it into the 280 A1 prototype as we know it today, which debuted at the 1965 Tokyo Motor Show.

The first appearance was one year after Saito Masaichi commissioned the project. The 280 A1 caused great excitement and curiosity. However, buyers must wait until 1967 to obtain a production version of this new Toyota sports car.

Toyota 2000GT

The production version of the 2000GT provides a smoothly flowing body made of aluminum. This is also Japan’s first standard limited-slip differential and all-round electric disc brake.

This Japanese sports car is powered by a 2.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine developed by Toyota, but has many improvements from Yamaha, such as the DOHC aluminum nozzle-the result is recorded as 110kW and 175Nm, enough to earn the title of top station wagon. From 0-100 km/h, reach the top speed of 215km/h in 10 seconds.

Although the 2000GT’s performance is impressive considering its power output, Toyota is still struggling to compete with cars like Jaguar E-Type and American Corvettes. However, it did not impress the media all over the world. Roads and tracks The magazine called the 2000GT one of the most exciting cars they had ever driven and compared it with the Porsche 911 at the time.

The 2000GT also won the 1967 Fuji 24 Hours Endurance Race and also achieved success on the track. In the 72-hour test, it also set several FIA world speed and endurance world records.

In the United States, Carol Shelby himself entered two improved 2000GT vehicles in the SCCA production car series in 1968.Despite these achievements, the most famous moment of 2000GT appeared in the 1967 James Bond movie You can only live twice.

Due to Sean Connery’s figure and relatively small cabin, two 2000GT convertible versions were shot specifically for the movie. Toyota simply cut off the roof and replaced it with a soft-top unit.

The 2000GT’s main competitor, the Nissan 240Z, did not arrive until 1969. Nissan’s 240Z incorporates a similar styling to Toyota, so it focuses more on performance at the expense of luxury performance. After just three years of production, the last 2000GT left the factory in 1970 and only completed the total construction cycle of 351 cars.

2000GT changed the world’s perception of Japanese cars, which in turn influenced the design of Toyota’s most iconic sports cars, such as Supra, GT86 and even Lexus LFA.

The production of 2000GT is so limited that it is widely regarded as Japan’s ultimate classic, which has been reflected in auctions around the world. Among these prestigious events, the most primitive example was sold for nearly 15 million rand.

Three of them

Of the 351 2000GT models produced, only three were designated for use in South Africa: Pegasus White’s chassis numbers MF10-10131 and MF10-10206 and Thunder Silver’s MF10-10207. These three vehicles arrived on the coast of South Africa between 1967 and 1968.

For many years, Toyota South Africa has had one of these examples, the chassis number is MF10-10207. The car is part of the company’s private collection, which includes rare racing cars and other iconic Toyota and Lexus models.

In July, Toyota Gazoo Racing announced that it will produce replacement parts for Toyota 2000GT as part of the GR Heritage Parts project and will sell them at home and abroad.

This move paved the way for Toyota South Africa to make a decision to reinstate its 2000GT with full insurance. One of the biggest mysteries (and adding to the mystery) is that according to various sources, the vehicle was produced with Thunder Silver, but other sources remember that it was white, and in its current state, it was Painted in sun red. .

Toyota has been documenting the restoration work starting in 2020 and will reveal the different stages of the complete nut and bolt restoration of the iconic car. When we take you behind the scenes and showcase the passionate people behind this once-in-a-lifetime project, more details of its mysterious history will be revealed. The legendary 2000GT made history and buckled history.

Source: MotorPress