Toyota 2000GT : a history

The first prototype Toyota 2000GT was completed in August 1965 and unveiled to the public at the 12th Tokyo Motor Show in the autumn of that year.

Even at standstill the svelte, aluminium-bodied two-seater caused a sensation. Acclaimed as Japan’s first supercar, wealthy customers clamoured to own one but there was further development work to complete before it could be launched.

The Toyota 2000GT (known internally by its MF10 chassis code) was finally released into the domestic market in May 1967. As a low-volume model boasting exotic materials and unheard of specification levels, the car was not assembled on Toyota’s regular production lines. Production was outsourced to Yamaha, which had the facility to piece the cars together in small batches and carefully finish each by hand.

By the end of production in 1970, a total run of just 351 units had been produced, 337 of which were sold as road cars.