The Veilside Mazda RX-7 from Tokyo Drift just sold for $1.2M at Bonhams. Here’s why this iconic JDM car remains a cultural and collector favorite.
A fan-favorite car from The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift just made auction history. Bonhams recently sold the iconic Veilside Fortune-bodied 1992 Mazda RX-7 FD for a jaw-dropping $1.2 million at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, shocking even seasoned bidders and collectors. Known for its legendary wide-body design, aggressive stance, and pearlescent orange paint, the RX-7 played a supporting role in the film but a leading one in the hearts of Mazda FD fanatics. Used for static and stunt shots rather than drifting, this specific car was driven by the character Han (played by Sung Kang) and remains one of just two surviving examples from the 2006 film.
Commissioned by Universal Studios and built by Japan’s Veilside Co. Ltd, this RX-7 sports the signature Fortune wide-body kit, adding more than 7 inches of width, and rides on 19-inch Andrew Premier Racing wheels. Underneath lies a twin-rotor turbocharged engine tuned by RE-Amemiya, delivering about 280 horsepower to the rear wheels. Unlike many film-used cars that get thrashed during production, this example was preserved in exceptional condition, featuring original Universal Studios labels, a rebuilt drivetrain, and a lavish, film-correct interior equipped with Veilside bucket seats, an Alpine sound system, and a NOS bottle for looks.
Beyond the auction spotlight, the RX-7’s sale emphasizes a growing trend: the rise of JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) classics in both value and cultural relevance. Cars once associated with underground street racing and tuner culture are now becoming high-dollar collectibles. The Fast & Furious franchise, particularly Tokyo Drift, played a major role in popularizing Japanese cars globally, turning models like the RX-7, Nissan Skyline GT-R, and Toyota Supra into pop-culture icons. Today, those same cars are celebrated at concours events, preserved in private collections, and traded at values once reserved for European exotics.
For enthusiasts and collectors, the $1.2 million RX-7 is a time capsule of early-2000s car culture, movie nostalgia, and the tuning scene’s influence. Its sale at Goodwood confirms that movie cars with the right provenance and preservation can reach incredible heights. And for fans of Tokyo Drift, it’s a reminder that a car built for the screen can still carry significance nearly two decades later.
Source: Bonhams
