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We’re back in the time machine for this week’s episode of Toyota Untold, visiting Japan in the late 1960s where we jump into the driver’s seat, or passenger seat (famously), of Toyota’s first supercar, the massively influential 2000GT.

Timeless ’60s styling, movie star status, $1 million price tag, and a backstory for the ages – what doesn’t the 2000GT have? Though only a few hundred were ever manufactured, this iconic speedster stands as one of Toyota’s, and the world’s, most memorable vehicles.

Why? For starters, Japan’s first supercar blew the doors off of what the world thought of the then-humble Toyota name, giving the upstart brand invaluable credence and credibility in the American marketplace. Often referred to as a halo car, the 2000GT deeply influenced Toyota’s place in the automotive industry and earned a permanent place in performance vehicle history.

The perfect model or toy car, the 2000GT sports one of the most attractive shapes and styling packages ever put on the road; but movie buffs will remember it most fondly from its co-starring role in a certain 1967 action film, the fifth installment of a franchise that recently released its twenty-sixth feature, currently showing in theatres around the world.

The world’s most famous big screen superspy still rules the box office today – just as the 2000GT remains one of his most revered rides, even if he never actually drove it (more on that in the episode).

We’re joined by Ross Scharphorn, professional stunt driver and car chase historian; Derrick Heydari, Product Development Engineer, Toyota North America; and Drew Eleazar, Senior Development Engineer, Toyota North America, for a fun roundtable conversation that zigs and zags from the 2000GT’s inspiration and launch, to its specs, tech, and place in movie history.

Shake a martini and fire up your backseat vision phone – we’ve chopped the top and set our sights on Tokyo, Japan, 1967.

 

Resources

• Toyota 2000GT Sold At Auction for $1.2m
• Daniel Craig’s Favorite Bond Car
• Photos: 1967 – 1968 Toyota 2000GT
• Collectible Classic: 1967-70 Toyota 2000GT
• Ross Scharphorn: IMDB

Toyota Untold is co-produced with Crate Media