TOYOTA 2000 GT For sale
One of owner in 37 years
Only 84 LHD built on a total of 351 built
Completely restored by the best US specialist
Description
This breath taking 2000 GT chassis MF10-10088, engine 1078 is one of the 62 LHD ones sold to US. It was ordered new by a Toyota dealer in 1967 Don Placke Motors » in Saint Louis, not registered and kept in their new car’s inventory.
In 1972, was still with them when Bill Spencer another Toyota dealer from Lawrence in Kansas bought it for 7200$. He subsequently registered it under his private name in 1973 when he sold his dealership, and kept it until his death in 2001. The car’s history is very well detailed in a letter from Mr Lyle Fisher, a former employee from Mr Spencer who continued to take care of it until its sale.
In 2007 with the assistance of Mr Fisher, Bill Spencer’s widow sold it to the very well known Maine Line Exotics, a Peter Starr and Bob Tkacik company established in 1976, the very best 2000 GT specialists in USA.
They performed an extensive restoration with a high attention paid to the car’s drivability and cosmetic. In the process the engine was upgraded to Weber carburators.
This lovely car drives fantastically, it is precise and the engine surprisingly moves it easily thanks to its torque and the limited weight.
Here is a superb opportunity to acquire one of the finest and most correct 2000 GT in existence with unique provenance and ownership.
This car is qualifying for 17% VAT & all european duties are paid.
Model history
Following the success of the first and second Japanese Grand Prix events in 1963 and 1964 and in response to an ambitious change in car-buying tastes, Toyota began to develop a range-topping grand touring model to showcase its technologies and manufacturing know-how. The aim was to create a practical, high-performance coupe that was comfortable for everyday use.
The first prototype Toyota 2000GT was completed under contract by Yamaha Motor Co. in August 1965 and unveiled to the public at the 12th Tokyo Motor Show. Even at standstill the svelte, aluminium-bodied two-seater caused a sensation.
The Toyota 2000GT was finally released into the domestic market in May 1967. As a low-volume model boasting exotic materials and unheard of specification levels, the car was not assembled on Toyota’s regular production lines. Production was again outsourced to Yamaha, which had the facility to piece the cars together in small batches and carefully finish each by hand.
The ultra-low coupe body of the Toyota 2000GT was designed in-house by Satoru Nozaki and supported underneath by an X-shape backbone frame. Power came from a 150bhp 2.0-litre DOHC straight six 3M engine, while features such as four-wheel independent suspension and magnesium alloy wheels had never been seen before on a production model made in Japan. The performance of the 2000GT was also world-class, delivering a maximum speed of 136mph and 0-62mph in 8.6 seconds.
A minor model change was applied in 1969, which reduced the size of the fixed driving lights and also allowed buyers to specify air conditioning and a three-speed automatic gearbox. By the end of production in 1970, a total run of just 351 units had been produced. There were a total of three series of 2000GT, the MF10 ( 233 units ), the M10L ( 109 units - simplified bodywork, AC and Automatic transmission as options ) and the MF12 ( 9 units with 2,3l SOHC engine ). Among them only 84 were LHD.
The 2000 GT was the only Japanese supercar ever build before the Lexus LFA in 2009.