Record-setting 1967 Toyota-Shelby 2000GT

By: Unique Cars magazine

Date: 09.04.2022

Three million four hundred and sixty thousand Australian dollars

It makes this 1967 Toyota-Shelby 2000GT sold at Gooding & Co's recent Amelia Island collector car auction the most expensive Japanese car ever.

This Shelby 2000GT was built in 1966 for Toyota America’s racing program and is claimed to be the first serial numbered chassis, MF10-10001. It is one of four pre-production cars and one of three built by Shelby for Toyota for racing.

Considered the king of Japanese sportscars, it wasn’t always that way with the 2000GT shunned by American buyers when new in the 1960s, due in part to its $7000 price tag, more than a Porsche 911 or E-Type Jaguar.

In all 351 2000GTs were produced from 1967 to 1971, (against a sales target of 1000 annually) and this Shelby fettled example that started life as a promotional tool for Toyota America, has unrivalled significance.

| Read next: Toyota 2000GT rescue - part one

The Yamaha developed two-litre, twin-cam straight six produced 201hp in track trim, up from 150hp for the road and featured adjustable Koni shocks, a diff oil cooler, dual megaphone exhausts, Halibrand racing wheels and upgraded brakes. Inside Shelby had the rosewood, the same as used on Yamaha pianos, removed from its plush interior and a roll bar added.

Its racing campaign netted Toyota fourth in the 1968 SCCA teams championship and after its retirement and mothballing, found its way to the vendor.

A body-off restoration back to the original racing spec was undertaken and completed in 1994. Since then it has been a star attraction at several historic events including the Goodwood Festival of Speed and Monterey Historic Auto races.

It is the first time this Shelby 2000GT has been offered for auction since 1980.

| Read next: Toyota 2000GT rescue - part two

The previous record for a Toyota 2000GT was in 2013 with a buyer stumping up Au$1.637 million, but that wasn’t for one of the prized Shelby versions.

Keen to change its image as a maker of small cheap cars Toyota wanted a sportscar and designer Satoru Nozaki came up with the 2000GT, a coupe looking more like a Ferrari than a Corona.

It’s believed that Toyota was losing vast amount on each car made, so discontinued production.

According to Gooding & Co one of the three Toyota-Shelby 2000GTs is in the Toyota Museum in Japan, but painted red and the other is in a private collection somewhere in the USA.

The Toyota 2000GT is best known for its role in the James Bond movie, 1967's You Only Live Twice, starring Sean Connery. In the movie the 2000GT used was a roadster as Connery was too tall to slide into the coupe version. Although it starred on the silver screen the roadster never went into production.

In Australia Unique Cars has been detailing a Toyota 2000GT that has just seen the light of day after four decades of hibernation and is now undergoing a substantial restoration by the McCarroll’s auto group in Sydney. Phil McCarroll re-established contact with an old school chum who mentioned it at a reunion, he had a couple of old cars stashed away. One was the Toyota 2000GT.

From Unique Cars #464, March 2022

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