Whenever a nation dips their toes into the automotive kingdom for the first time, it takes a great deal of time and effort to convince the naysayers of the quality of their final product. We can currently see it with the droves of electric vehicles emerging from China, but not too long ago westerners were turning their noses up at Hyundai’s machines from Korea. However, the first and perhaps most well known instance of western automotive snobbery was directed at Japan, who silenced the critics in one fell swoop with the release of Toyota’s incredible 2000GT at the 1965 Tokyo Motor Show.
Developed in collaboration with Yamaha, the 2000GT was beautifully proportioned with an expansive front end that flowed seamlessly into a teardrop-shaped cabin. Under the bonnet, a 2.0-litre, 150 horsepower straight-six engine purred away, while the cockpit was decked out in acres of wood, rivalling anything from the West in terms of both material quality and fit and finish. Stunning to behold and gorgeous to drive — the 2000GT still has one of the greatest gear shifts of all time — it immediately proved to the world that Toyota could build a sports car that could stand proudly alongside anything from Maranello, Stuttgart, or Newport Pagnell. A custom open-top version even earned a role alongside James Bond in ‘You Only Live Twice’, cementing its super star credentials.
One of just 233 right-hand drive examples from the total production run of 351 cars, this example for sale with Colombo & Co. was the 18th production car built and was delivered new through Toyota’s exclusive ‘Toyota Store’ network in Tokyo, a high-end dealership program created specifically for the launch of the 2000GT. Today, this 2000GT presents marvellously in its Pegasus White over black configuration, and it’s not hard to understand why these cars’ values are now deep into seven-figure territory. While we won’t have long to wait until the next chapter in Toyota’s sports car history begins with the GR GT, we certainly wouldn’t mind a blast from the past in this gorgeous 2000GT.
