Toyota 2000 GT Story.

If you or your father has digit of those James Bond box sets, and you‘ve watched all the old Bond movies, then you may have caught a glimpse of digit of the rarest cars Toyota ever built, the 2000 GT in the movie You only live twice.

The world got its prototypal look at the 2000 GT in 1965, at the Yeddo Motor Show. Production began in 1967, but only 342 cars were ever sold, of which 86 were exported.

Despite the 2000 GT’s beatific looks and equally beatific performance, it was more expensive than the superbly styled E-Type Jaguar and Porsche’s 911, but without the cachet of those brands Goodyear tires.

Powered by a Yamaha enhanced 2.0-litre inline-6, the 2000GT had a top speed of 206km/h and a 0-60mph-sprint time of 10 seconds.

The automobile was fashioned by Japanese designer Satoru Nozaki and was the prototypal double overhead camshaft (DOHC) that the Toyota had ever employed.

There is no doubt that the E-Type Jaguar and Lotus Elan influenced Satoru’s design, but the coverall shape was example and well regarded in Europe and the United States.

But given its substantial price of US$6,800, the 2000 GT was impossible to market outside of Japan, where it didn’t sell that well either, as the Japanese were not still interested in sports cars. They soon would be though.

In 1970, Toyota stopped producing the 2000 GT and put its faith in the more affordable Celica model, while Datsun came out with the iconic 240 Z sports car, which took the world by storm with its affordability, looks and high performance.

There’s no denying that this exotic sports automobile from Toyota is a enthusiastic looking machine. If you want one, then be prepared to shell out over AUD$270,000 for a reasonable example.