Our late friend Jim Moran saw an opportunity to introduce a gorgeous Japanese roadster to Americans. Toyota was clamoring to open a dealership in the U.S., but he was hesitant at first. To test the build quality and engineering, he shifted into reverse at 55 mph, and the 2000GT shrugged it off. Realizing the potential of such a well-made car, he founded Southeastern Toyota Distributors. Still a dominant force in the industry, JM Family Enterprises is responsible for a majority of Toyota and Lexus vehicles sold each year. It was all based on one car, and now Toyota Gazoo Racing is going back to their prototype.
Although only 337 cars were built between 1967 and 1970, each surviving example is worth a small fortune. Finding parts has been impossible for the past 50 years, so a press release today includes transmission and differential rebuild parts that will be available to order August 1st. If you need another reason to love this car, watch Sean Connery push it to the limit as agent 007 in “You Only Live Twice”. As the ancestor of the Supra and the Lexus LF-A, click the link below to find one for yourself and stay with us for all your Toyota/Lexus news.