Toyota 2000GT, You only live twice, Akiko Wakabayashi

by Thomas Pollart

Title

Toyota 2000GT, You only live twice, Akiko Wakabayashi

Artist

Thomas Pollart

Medium

Mixed Media - Mixed Media, Art, Photograph, Painting, Digital Art, Print

Description

The Toyota 2000GT is a limited-production, front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, two-seat, hardtop coupé grand tourer designed by Toyota in collaboration with Yamaha. First displayed to the public at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1965, the 2000GT was manufactured under contract by Yamaha between 1967 and 1970. In Japan, it was exclusive to Toyota's Japanese retail sales channel called Toyota Store.

The 2000GT revolutionized the automotive world's view of Japan, then viewed as a producer of imitative and stodgily practical vehicles. As a sleek, high-performance fastback, it demonstrated its auto makers could produce a sports car to rival the better marques of Europe. Reviewing a pre-production 2000GT in 1967, Road & Track magazine summed up the car as "one of the most exciting and enjoyable cars we've driven", and compared it favorably to the Porsche 911. Today, the 2000GT is seen as the first seriously collectible Japanese car and its first supercar. Examples of the 2000GT have sold at auction for as much as $1,200,000 US.

The 2000GT made its most famous screen appearance in the 1967 James Bond movie You Only Live Twice, most of which was filmed in Japan. Two one-off topless models, never made available to the public, - fitted only with tonneau covers to simulate functioning convertible roofs - were made specially for the film.

In fact, the manufacturer only built 351 2000GTs from 1967 through 1970, which according to Mecum Auction Consignment Director and Analyst John Kraman is the big reason these cars now can fetch a $1 million plus when one happens to come up for sale. There’s certainly something to be said for its ties to the Bond universe – many people believe it’s the coolest Bond car of all the films – but take a moment and just look at this car. Honestly, who wouldn’t be willing to pay such money for a chance to own what could be the prettiest car ever built, regardless of its big-screen cameo.

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November 4th, 2018

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