Toyota 2000GT
Toyota 2000GT (MF10) | ||
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Curb weight 1,120 kg (2,469 lb)[2] | |
The Toyota 2000GT is a limited-production
The 2000GT revolutionized the automotive world's view of Japan, then viewed as a producer of imitative and stodgily practical vehicles. As a sleek, high-performance
Background
Automobile ownership in Japan during the late 1950s and early 1960s began to pick up, and Toyota noticed that most international manufacturers had a top level sports car or grand touring coupe, that would draw customers into showrooms and dealerships and drive sales of other more affordable models. Ford had recently introduced the
Most of the 2000GT's design was done by motorcycle manufacturer
Styling
The 2000GT incorporated many classic 1960s gran turismo design elements. Nozaki's styling was inspired by the
The interior offered comfortable, if cramped, accommodation and luxury touches such as a walnut or rosewood veneer dashboard inlays provided by Yamaha's musical instrument woodworking facilities, and an auto-signal seeking radio tuner. Road & Track was impressed, considering the interior suited to a "luxurious GT" and calling the 2000GT an impressive car "in which to sit or ride - or simply admire."
In August 1969, the front was modified slightly, making the driving lamps smaller and changing the shape of the turn signals. The rear turn signals were enlarged at the same time, and some alterations were made to modernise the interior. The last few vehicles were fitted with air conditioning and had automatic transmission as an option. These cars had an additional scoop fitted underneath the grille to supply air to the A/C unit.
Drivetrain
The engine was a
Nine special MF-12 models were also built with the larger but lower power output
Fitted with a five-speed manual transmission, the rear wheel drive car was available with three different final drives. A 4.375 ratio axle car was claimed to be capable of reaching 135 mph (217 km/h) and achieve 7.59 L/100 km (31 mpg‑US; 37 mpg‑imp).[1]
Both a
Production
Only 337 regular production units of the 2000GT were built, figures comparable to contemporary elite Italian supercars, and according to Toyota 337 were sold.
As a "
Yamaha and Toyota also collaborated on another more affordable production car, again using a Toyota engine block while Yamaha developed the DOHC cylinder head, and introduced the
Lessons learned by Toyota and Yamaha led to the development of the
Recognizing that the limited number of original cars may need maintenance to keep the vehicles in drivable condition, Toyota has begun reproducing new parts from original sources, and has made them available to registered owners through the GR Heritage Parts Program.[19]
Racing
Toyota entered the 2000GT in competition at home, coming third in the 1966 Japanese Grand Prix at Fuji. The 2000GT took its first win in the inaugural Suzuka 1000 Kilometres in 1966, and went on to win the 24 Hours of Fuji and the Fuji 1000 Kilometres in 1967. In addition, the car set thirteen FIA world records for speed and endurance in a 72-hour test at the Yatabe High Speed Test Track in 1966. Unfortunately, the record car was destroyed in a pace car accident and eventually scrapped. These records shortly prompted Porsche to prepare a 911R especially to beat this record.
In 2022, one of the Toyota-Shelby 2000GTs sold at auction for US $2.5 million.[20]
2000GT Open-Top, the "Bond Model"
The 2000GT made its most famous screen appearance in the 1967 James Bond movie You Only Live Twice, most of which was filmed in Japan. Two one-off topless models—fitted only with tonneau covers to simulate functioning convertible roofs—were made specially for the film. It is claimed that a targa had been considered to accommodate the burly 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) tall Sean Connery. This retained the original car's fastback profile but eliminated rear side windows. Purportedly, Connery's head stuck out of the top and a roofless version was fabricated in less than two weeks for the movie.[21] The car was only driven by "Bond girl" Aki (Akiko Wakabayashi) in the film.[22]
Bond actor Daniel Craig voted the 2000GT as his favourite Bond car of all time.[23]
References
Most of the content of this article was sourced by translating the corresponding article on Japanese Wikipedia. Some of the citations are in Japanese, having been transposed from the Japanese Wikipedia article.
Notes
- ^ ISBN 0-7894-0159-2.
- ^ a b c d e "Toyota 2000GT MF10". Toyota. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
- ^ a b c "2000GT". Toyota Automobile Museum. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
- ^ "Wheelies: The Lavishly Expensive Roadster Edition". NY Times Wheels blog. 30 April 2013. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
- ^ "Days Gone By, Days spent with cars". Yamaha Motor Company. Yamaha Motor Company Ltd. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
- ^ いつの日も遠く 第二章 四輪自動車の日々
- ^ 「A~X」と言う呼称は日産自動車のもので、後世にも「YX」で始まるヤマハ側の開発コードは見られない。A550Xも2000GTも、共通しているのはリトラクタブルヘッドランプを持つファストバッククーペということのみで、車体構造的には全く異なる。エンジンも、A550Xはヤマハ発動機が米国の航空機メーカーから特許を購入して開発したタイスエンジン(全溶接製ブロックを持つDOHC4気筒エンジン)をヤマハ発動機が独自に改良したYX80型を搭載していたのに対して、2000GTはクラウンのM型(SOHC 6気筒)にトヨタとヤマハ発動機が共同開発したDOHCヘッドを組み合わせた3M型を搭載しており、全く相違していた。
- ^ "You Can Not Get There From Here". Internet Z-Car Club. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
- ^ Branch, Jon (21 January 2019). "A Brief History of the Toyota 2000GT - Everything You Need To Know". Silodrome. US. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
- ^ Ernst, Kurt (20 August 2015). "Stereotype shatterer: Toyota's first U.S. market 200". Hemmings Daily. US. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
- ^ Vance, Brian; Markus, Frank (6 September 2005). "Head to head: 1969 Toyota 2000GT vs. 1965 Jaguar E-Type". Motor Trend. US. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
- ^ "1968 Toyota 2000 GT MF10". carfolio.com. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
- ^ "1967 -1970 Toyota 2000 GT specifications". ultimatecarpage.com. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
- ^ "The Toyota 2000GT's rise and sudden fall in the market". Hagerty. 20 September 2016. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
- ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved 29 February 2024.
- ^ "1968 Jaguar XKE Prices and Values 2 Door Coupe". NADA Guides. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
- ^ "1968 Porsche 911S Prices and Values 2 Door Coupe". NADA Guides. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
- ^ "1969 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Prices and Values 2 Door Coupe". NADA Guides. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
- ^ "GR Heritage Parts". Toyota Gazoo Racing. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
- ^ Valdes-Dapena, Peter (4 March 2022). "This Toyota just sold for $2.5 million". Retrieved 5 March 2022.
- ^ Carlsson, Mårten (19 November 2019). "Toyotas filmbil". Klassiker (in Swedish). Sweden. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
- ^ "You Only Live Twice- The James Bond International Fan Club". 007.info.
- ^ "Toyota 2000GT is Bond's favourite Bond car". Toyota GB Blog. Toyota GB. 30 October 2012. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
Sources
- Yoshikawa, Shin (2002). Toyota 2000GT: The Complete History of Japan's First Supercar. K.A.I. Lebec, California U.S.A. ISBN 0-932128-10-6.
- Langworth, Richard M. (2000). Complete book of collectible cars: 60 years of blue-chip auto investments. Gettysburg: Lincolnwood, Illinois: Publications International. ISBN 0-7853-0971-3.
- "Lifelong Pursuit". Japanese Nostalgic Car. Archived from the original on 4 July 2007. Retrieved 2 January 2007.
- "2000GT opened doors internationally for Toyota". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on 8 March 2005. Retrieved 22 August 2004.
- "REFLECTIONS: Toyota 2000GT marked Japan's rise in auto industry". London Free Press. Archived from the original on 22 August 2004. Retrieved 22 August 2004.
- Zimmerman, Martin (13 October 2007). "From econo-boxes to collectors' cars". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 5 November 2007. Retrieved 15 October 2007.
- Crowe, James T., ed. (1968). "Toyota 2000 GT". Road & Track Road Test Annual: 110–113.
- Top Gear episode "Bond Cars"