In the Japanese sports car hall of fame, there are a few cars that stand head and shoulders above the rest. Nissan have the world-beating R32 GTR, while Honda have the game-changing NSX, which took the fight to the Italians in the supercar arena. However, arguably none would have been given the time of day unless this, the mighty Toyota 2000GT, had proved to the world that the Japanese could build a sports car that was just as well made, potent, and—most important of all—beautiful as anything to come from Europe. 

Not only did it grab headlines during its heyday, but it continues to do so almost 60 years on from its inception. Last year, a very special 2000GT tuned by none other than Carroll Shelby sold for over 2.5 million dollars, making it not only the most expensive JDM car of all time, but also the first Japanese-built car to break the two million dollar barrier. It’s perhaps no surprise, then, that we’ve been seeing more of these delightful sixties supercars in the Classic Driver Market than usual, and arguably none are as eye-catching as this Bellatrix Yellow 1967 Toyota 2000GT coming up for auction at Broad Arrow’s Monterey Jet Center sale on August 17th. 

One of a mere 62 left-hand-drive 2000GTs built for the US market, this pale yellow beauty is easily as rare as its contemporaries from Maranello. Its Yamaha-tuned 148 hp, 2.0-litre straight-six twin-cam engine has recently benefitted from a full engine rebuild by the specialists at Maine Line Exotic, meaning it should purr like it did straight out of the showroom. Step inside, and the beautiful wooden trim—the same stuff Yamaha used on their finest Pianos—wears an attractive, light level of patina but otherwise remains in outstanding condition for its age. With an estimate of  between 850,000 and 1,000,000 dollars at auction, this could be your last chance to acquire one of the most momentous JDM cars of all time for six figures. 

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