Vehicle Description
Chassis No. MF10-10110
While Toyota might have earned the title of Japan's largest
automobile manufacturer in the early 1960s, it had developed a
reputation for building some of the most conservative cars in the
country. Honda was working to develop a Formula One Car while
Nissan was completing their R380 to race at the prestigious Japan
Grand Prix. Even motorcycle manufacturers Yamaha and Kawasaki were
winning events throughout Europe. Beginning with the Sports 800,
Toyota was starting to turn the tide on its sporting image, with
much larger plans already outlined by the summer of 1964.
This project was to develop a two-liter GT-style sports coupe prime
for competition in international motorsports. Likely unknown to
Toyota, Nissan and Yamaha formed a partnership to develop a sports
car at the same time, but Yamaha was left with a significant
investment in design and building two working prototypes after
Nissan pulled the plug on the concept. This was the perfect
opportunity for Toyota to mitigate its own risks in developing a
sports car and work with a company already boasting genuine
sporting credentials.
Impressively, the first prototype of the Toyota 2000GT was first
unveiled less than a year later at the 1965 Tokyo Motor Show. The
wonderful, long, flowing lines penned by Satoru Nozaki captured the
intrigue of anyone who passed by. Reading the car's specs was
equally as impressive, with the highlight being the Yamaha-tuned
148 hp, two-liter '3M' straight-six twin-cam engine. Those lucky
enough to drive or own one of these phenomenal cars were equally
astounded by the quality of construction and attention to detail on
display at a standstill or at speed. This attention to detail event
extended to Yahama's use of its skilled craftsmen in their musical
instrument division, who crafted the rosewood trim adorning the
interior.
This truly world-class sports car was beginning to transform
Toyota's image, which was only bolstered when it hit the race
track. The lead engineer for the 2000GT just so happened to be the
racing team manager who led them to a 1-2 finish in the inaugural
Suzuka 1000 km in June 1966, which was just the start. Just four
months later, 13 separate FIA E Class (1500-2000 cc) time and
distance records were set over a 72-hour period. The following year
saw victories at the 24 Hours of Fuji and the Fuji 1000 km, drawing
international attention to the car. Carroll Shelby was so inspired
by the car that he flew to Japan, convincing Toyota that he should
lead their racing efforts in the United States with the 2000GT.
This led to the car placing second and third in the SCCA's
C-Production final standings in 1968, undoubtedly cementing
Toyota's sporting image.
As deliveries began in April 1967, expectations were high, with the
belief that 1000 could be sold a month. The reality was that only
337 were produced over a three-year production run. Following the
guidance of Saito's team, his engineers and designers created a car
that could take on rivals such as the Jaguar E-Type and Porsche 911
in every regard except for the price. The effort to develop the
world's greatest sports inadvertently resulted in creating one of
the rarest as well.
Hailing from the first year of production, this 1967 2000 GT was
originally finished in Solar Red before it left Japan on its way to
the Mid-Southern Toyota distributor of Chicago, Illinois, to be
used as a demonstration model and showroom display piece. Just one
of 84 to leave the factory as a left-hand drive example, it is also
one of only 62 sold new in the United States. As part of the
marketing campaign, it is believed that actor George Hamilton used
the car for a brief period of time. Following the conclusion of its
promotion, the car was sold to its first private owner in 1969.
Fittingly it was purchased by Toyota Advertising Executive John
Horak, who brought the car to Palos Verdes, California. The car
remained in his stewardship until 1988, when it was acquired by
2000GT authorities and Maine Line Exotics co-founders Robert Tkacik
and Peter Starr. They kept the car for only a brief period of time
and later returned to Japan under the care of the president of
Denon Instruments, Hiroshi Watanabe. During this period, the car
was used during the 2004 festivities at the Yamaha test track to
promote the book, The Complete History of Japan's First Supercar,
authored by Shin Yoshikawa, world-renowned cutaway artist,
fabricator, photographer and previous owners Robert Tkacik and
Peter Starr.
Upon returning to the United States in 2011, this car was
refinished in Bellatrix Yellow before it was passed on to the next
owner in 2015. Following this purchase, the new owner returned
chassis number MF10-10110 to Robert Tkacik and Peter Starr at Maine
Line Exotics of Biddeford, Maine. A copy of the history as outlined
by Main Line Exotics states that in 2015 the car was there for an
"overall inspection, maintenance, engine rebuild, and cosmetic
corrections." Likely one of the more original examples of Japan's
first supercar, this 2000GT retains a high degree of preservation
thanks to its dedicated owners and still retains a largely original
interior. Today the car is accompanied by an original owner's
manual, repair manual, toolkit, and digital copies of maintenance
records dating back to the late 1960s.
