The Toyota That's Worth Over 160 Times Its Original Cost Now
Toyota is not exactly a brand that comes to mind when imagining cars that are super expensive. A brand-new Corolla, for example, has a starting MSRP of just over $20,000. The most expensive currently offered Toyota, the Sequoia, caps out at under $90,000. That's not cheap, but it isn't Ferrari money. Toyota's bread and butter are efficient and inexpensive daily drivers like the Prius and Camry.
However, some Toyotas have been known to break the bank occasionally. Fourth-generation Toyota Supras are notorious for being auction queens. Back in July, a 1997 Supra Turbo went for a staggering $230,000 on Bring a Trailer. Last year, another Turbo Supra broke the $200,000 mark. That's the price of roughly 10 new Corollas and an entire parade's worth of used ones. Toyota Land Cruisers routinely go for more than six-figures at auction, so Toyota certainly isn't a stranger to high dollar vehicles.
Turbo Supras and Land Cruisers absolutely pale in comparison to the undisputed king of Toyota, the 2000GT. Even the venerated Lexus LFA can't hold a candle to the legendary Toyota 2000GT. James Bond, the secret agent Aston Martin aficionado, even took a liking to the 2000GT in "You Only Live Twice."
A seven-figure Toyota
The 2000GT was only built from 1967 to 1970. Only 351 made it off the line, according to Bring a Trailer. Hagerty reported It had a base price of $7,150 and was a total sales failure.
Despite problems on the sales floor, the 2000GT is a striking vehicle. It has an almost impossibly low roofline and sports classic lines that would make even Ferrari jealous. Featuring a Yamaha-supplied 2-liter inline-six, it was a more than capable GT car.
Today, it's a different story. In June, a 1967 Toyota 2000GT finished in Solar Red, went for $1,150,000 on Bring a Trailer. That's 160 times the original MSRP. Let that sink in for a moment. Over seven-figures for a Toyota. That's more than $400,000 more than a pristine example of Lamborghini's first production model, the 350 GT.
With less than 400 ever made, 2000GTs are rare, but they haven't always garnered much response at auction. A 1967 2000GT went for $560,000 at auction back in 2016. That is not chump change by any means, but at least it bears some semblance to sanity. Prices have only gone up since then.
With its classic good looks, ties to everyone's favorite secret agent, and rarity, it's not hard to see why the 2000GT garners so much attention on the auction block.