Bobby Rahal — the same driver who conquered the 1986 Indianapolis 500 and went on to build a racing empire through Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing — is listing his pristine 1967 Toyota 2000GT on Bring a Trailer. And given that only 351 of these hand-built grand tourers rolled out of Yamaha’s Itawa factory, this is a chance to own a piece of automotive history that helped put Japanese engineering on the map alongside European legends like the Jaguar E-Type and Porsche 911.
Japan’s First Supercar
Before the 2000GT arrived in 1967, Japan wasn’t exactly known for building world-class sports cars. Toyota had the Sports 800, but its tiny flat-twin engine wasn’t fooling anyone into thinking it could hang with the Europeans. The 2000GT changed that conversation entirely. Developed in collaboration with Yamaha, this low-slung coupe stood just 46″ tall, featured flowing bodywork inspired by grand tourers, and packed a 1,988cc DOHC inline-six breathing through triple Mikuni-Solex carburetors. With 150hp on tap, it could crack 135 mph and hit 60 mph in under nine seconds.
Pop-up headlights, bullet-style fender mirrors, and a three-year production run that yielded just 351 examples made this the kind of car that immediately became collectible. Only 54 made it to American shores, where they originally sold for $7,150 — more expensive than an E-Type at the time. These days, examples routinely fetch over $800,000, with a handful crossing the million-dollar threshold. The most expensive 2000GT, a race-spec example with connections to Carroll Shelby, sold for $2.53 million in 2022.
Concours-Ready Provenance
Originally sold in Mozambique, Rahal’s example, chassis 10128, spent time in South Africa before landing in Costa Rica for 28 years. Between 2013 and 2014, Restauraciones Clásicas performed a comprehensive refurbishment, removing the body from its steel X-shaped backbone frame to refinish it in Solar Red. The bumpers and brightwork went to The Finishing Touch in Chicago for replating. In 2015, a U.K. owner commissioned additional work from Paulerspury Coachworks and Classic Performance Engineering, including brake system rebuilds, Eibach springs, Öhlins shocks, rebuilt carburetors, and a refreshed steering rack.
Rahal purchased the car in 2021 for $875,015 and promptly took it to the 2024 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, where it won its class. This sale includes ribbons and memorabilia from that event, along with extensive documentation of all restoration work. With just 78,000 kilometers on the odometer (~48,000 miles) and only 50 of those added under Rahal’s ownership, this is about as excellent of condition as a 2000GT gets.
The Performance Details
Inside the right-hand-drive cockpit, black vinyl upholstery with knitted seat inserts pairs with wood veneer trim on the dash and center console. The wood-rimmed steering wheel sits ahead of a 250-km/h speedometer and 7,000-rpm tachometer, flanked by gauges monitoring oil pressure, oil temperature, coolant temperature, fuel level, and amperage. There’s even a pushbutton AM radio and dual-faced Jeco rally timer with stop/start and reset buttons. Power routes through a five-speed manual transmission and limited-slip differential, both rebuilt in 2015, to magnesium alloy wheels wearing 165HR15 Vredestein Sprint Classic tires.
Spec Sheet
Model: 1967 Toyota 2000GT
Chassis: MF1010128
Engine: 1,988cc 3M DOHC Inline-Six
Power: 150 hp
Top Speed: 135 mph
Transmission: Five-Speed Manual
Configuration: Right-Hand Drive
Exterior: Solar Red
Interior: Black Vinyl
Production Total: 351 units (54 U.S. examples)
Odometer: ~48,000 miles
Pricing & Availability
The 2000GT auction is currently live on Bring a Trailer with eight days remaining as of this writing. Bidding sits at $401,000, though Rahal previously listed the car at $1.25 million through Graham Rahal Performance in November.
Recap
Bobby Rahal 1967 Toyota 2000GT Auction
Three-time CART champion Bobby Rahal is auctioning his class-winning 1967 Toyota 2000GT on Bring a Trailer — one of just 351 hand-built examples of Japan’s first true supercar. With Concours-level restoration work, documented provenance spanning four continents, and bidding currently at $401,000, this is a rare chance to own a piece of automotive history that helped put Japanese engineering on the world stage.
