Toyota will reproduce and sell parts for the 2000GT sports car through its Gazoo Racing division. Parts will be sold both in Toyota’s home country of Japan and overseas, the automaker said in a press release Monday.
Launched in 1967, the 2000GT is one of Toyota’s earliest
performance cars, and one of its rarest. Just 337 were built before production
ended in 1970. Designed in collaboration with Yamaha, the 2000GT was powered by
a 2.0-liter DOHC inline-6, which propelled the sports car to a top speed of 136
mph.
The car sported magnesium alloy wheels, radial tires, and four-wheel disc brakes, features that modern drivers take for granted but were fairly advanced for a road car of the period.
The final gear kit for a Toyota 2000GT | Toyota
All
production 2000GTs were coupes, but two convertibles were made specifically for
the James Bond movie “You Only Live Twice” because, legend has it,
Sean Connery was too tall to fit in the fixed-roof version.
A full list of reproduction parts will be released Aug. 1, and Toyota will begin taking orders from that date. Parts will be available through dealerships, but will only be sold to 2000GT owners to prevent reselling. The number of parts per car will also be restricted, according to Toyota.
Toyota previously launched
reproduction parts for the A70 and A80-generation
Supra. The automaker plans to remanufacture the
propeller shaft, door handles, fuel sender gauge, weatherstrips and front
emblems for the third-generation A70 Supra, and the headlights, door handles,
and a brake booster for the fourth-generation A80 model. Other parts for both
models may be added at a later date.
Toyota isn’t the only Japanese
automaker remaking parts for a fan-favorite sports car. Honda plans to make
reproduction parts for the S2000,
based on input from owners.
This article was originally published by Motor Authority, an editorial partner of ClassicCars.com.
Whether you have any interest or not in professional golf, you might find it interesting to know that PGA Tour pro Maverick McNealy was named after the Ford Maverick. And that his brothers are Dakota, Colt and Scout.
âMy three brothers and I are all named after American cars,â McNealy told the Detroit Free Press during the recent Rocket Mortgage Classic, which was played at the Detroit Golf Club.
âThis is my dadâs stomping grounds when he grew up,â McNealy added. âItâs pretty cool.â
The McNealy family has history in Detroit. PGA pro golfer Maverick McNealy was named for the Ford Maverick (above). His brothers were named for the Dodge Dakota (below left) and Colt (below right) and for the International Scout (bottom)
McNealy, a 24-year-old Stanford University graduate with a degree in management science and engineering, tied for 8th place in the tournament. It was only his second top-10 finish in this, his rookie year on the PGA Tour; he tied for 5th in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am event.
The McNealy brothersâ grandfather, Raymond William McNealy Jr., was vice chairman of American Motors, and an avid golfer who had 8 holes in one to his credit.
The brothersâ father, Scott McNealy, grew up in the northern Detroit suburbs, was junior golf champion at the Orchard Lake Country Club, went to Harvard, moved to the West Coast to do graduate work at Stanford, and co-founded of Sun Microsystems.
Maverick McNealy | PGA Tour photo
In college, Maverick McNealy was a three-time All-America player, won a dozen tournaments, and posted the second-lowest single-season scoring average in collegiate golf history. In 2016, he was the No. 1 ranked amateur golfer in the world.
In addition to his professional golf career, Maverick McNealy has worked with Curriki, a non-profit created to make high-quality education free and available for every9one. He also launched âBirdies for Educationâ with he and his sponsors donating funds every time he scores a birdie on the Tour.
In 2019, an Italian court determined that the Ferrari 250 GTO was a work of art and could not be reproduced in kit-car form. Undaunted, Modena-based Ares Design appealed the decision and today there are media reports on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean that the Cancellation Division of the European Union Intellectual Protection Office has overturned the Italian courtâs decision.
Under EU rules, a trademark can be revoked if it has not been put to genuine and continuous use within 5 years. Ferrari claimed it had done so, although with toy and model cars, not cars that could be driven.
According to diazhub.com, the âuse it or lose itâ clause also was used successfully in 2019 by Irish fast food restaurant group Supermacs in a suit with McDonaldâs over âBig Mac.â
In its report, the website quoted that EU officeâs decision as stating, âIn the present case, the Cancellation Division considers that genuine use of the contested EUTM has been sufficiently demonstrated for the relevant factors in relation to toy vehicles, scale-model vehicles, whereas no use of the mark or proper reasons for non-use have been demonstrated in relation to any of the other goods in Class 12 (vehicles) for which it is registered.â
The owner of this Ferrari 250 GTO still races the car | Sonoma Raceway photo
âFerrari loses trademark battle: get ready for a run of 250 GTO replicas,â was the headline on the Hagerty.com report on the decision.
âArea Design is best known for its Panther Progettouno, a DeTomaso Pantera re-creation, based on Lamborghini underpinnings,â Hagerty reported. âNow, with this landmark ruling, Ares can turn its hand to re-imagining the most expensive car in the world.â
Ferrari produced 39 of its 250 GTO models in the early 1960s and they have become the most expensive of collector cars, selling for as much as a reported $80 million.
Hagertyâs report noted, âIn good news for Ferrari, it has been allowed to keep the trademark for making model cars.â
The Fiat Jolly might be the most popular among the âbeachâ cars produced in decades past, but it wasnât the only example of its ilk. Volkswagen notes that it also produced what the Italians termed a rolling spiaggina (beach chair).
The open-air, fringe-trimmed fabric-roofed Fiat was built (by Ghia) to be carried on a yacht and then used ashore, or for short errands by those living along beaches. Doors were removed. Seats were wicker so they wouldnât be damaged by wet swimming suits.
Somewhat similar thinking was behind the creation of the Acapulco Thing, a variant of the Volkswagen Type 181, aka âThe Thing.â
The Type 181 was developed as a vehicle for military use but was quickly adapted for summer driving fun. The doors could be removed, there was a retractable soft top and a folding windshield. The Acapulco version was designed specifically for two high-end resorts in a Mexican resort community that was very popular with Hollywood types in the 1960s and â70s.
Volkswagen produced The Thing in Puebla, Mexico, where the vehicles were marketed as the Safari model. Between May and July 1974, the factory rolled out around 400 of the Acapulco specials, which the resorts used to shuttle vacationers to and from the airport.
One with soft top, the other with fiberglass roof in place
âMost of the Acapulco Things were painted Blizzard White with blue accents on the rocker panels, running boards, bumpers and dashboard,â Volkswagen said, adding that it also produced examples in orange, red and yellow base colors.
âThe car had removable side curtains on all four of its doors, and its seats were upholstered with blue nautical stripes, adding to its coastal look. The Thingâs regular soft top could also be replaced by a seat-matching vinyl surrey top on a special high-profile tubular frame.â
VW also offered several accessory options, including a welded-steel roll cage, fiberglass hardtop with luggage rack, spare tire carrier, front-bumper push bar, electric winch, front and rear trailer hitches, chrome sport wheels, a radio, even an under-dash air conditioner.
âOver time, the Acapulco Thing has become both a collector item and template for Thing restoration; a true, verifiable Thing in decent condition can be hard to come by and could typically fetch well north of $10,000,â Volkswagen reports.
Oh, and the Thing may not be an item only of VW history.
The news release celebrating the Acapulco Thing ended with this:
âAs the ID. Buggy concept demonstrates, there is plenty of potential for new, unique, and exciting open-air driving experiences in Volkswagenâs future.â
Drag racing is usually some serious business, except when it turns into comedy. Hereâs a compilation of drag-racing mishaps that shows what happens when thing go awry just as the bottom light turns green. Talk about funny cars! Â
Amid all the smoke and noise and drag racers hurtling forward on the quarter mile are these classic failures to launch. Or maybe launching with a little too much gusto.
My favorites are the ones in which the cars simply tear themselves apart on the starting line. Or the guy who starts his drag race in reverse. And humiliated bikers who flip their motorcycles right out from under themselves. Super awkward.
Of the first
generation of exotic cars, the most reliable and most usable, and the one I had
a poster of on my wall while in high school, was the Porsche 930 Turbo. It was
the car I most wanted and was to me the ultimate. It was a model derived from Porscheâs
racing cars and had the coolest rear spoiler ever.
The Pick of the Day is a stunning 1978 Porsche 930 Turbo finished in Porsche Special Wishes Department paint-to-sample Medium Green Metallic over white leather, a great combination and believed to be the only 1978 model delivered in this color combination, according to the Reno, Nevada, dealer advertising the car on ClassicCars.com.
The paint has had some high-quality work done over the years due to fading, the seller adds, but that it was done in correct factory colors and remains in nice condition. Though not documented, the Porsche is also believed to have received an engine-out reseal and fuel-injection-system rebuild a number of years ago. The only interior change is a period set of aftermarket speakers.
This stunning Porsche is offered with a tool kit, factory books, a Porsche Certificate of Authenticity. Â
What is especially
nice about the 1978 Porsche 930 it was the first year that the turbocharged 911
received a factory intercooler as well as proper brakes. An interesting historical
fact is that the brake calipers are the same used on the mythic Porsche 917
racing car.
Another unique thing about these early 930s is that they still use the original 4-speed gearbox, which might sound like a bit of a downgrade burt driving one of these cars will change your mind. First gear runs up to an incredible 55 mph and second tops out at 94. Driving one of these is just as awesomely crazy as it sounds.
A Porsche 930 turbo from this era has truly respectable performance to this day with a 0-60 time of 5 seconds flat and a top speed of 156 mph. Think of it as a 4-wheeled personal roller coaster, albeit with lots of turbo lag followed by a wild rush of power.
The 930 is Porscheâs first true supercar, and with an asking price of $110,000, this uniquely colored turbo looks to be a great one. Cars like this 930 exemplify Porscheâs famous advertising line, âPorsche, thereâs no substitute.â Because in this case, thereâs not.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
During the recent Fourth of July weekend, Disney+ debuted the original-cast performance of the historic Broadway musical, Hamilton. To help promote the event, and its parent company, ESPNâs Sports Center offered up one of its 10-best segments, this one featuring the 10-best Hamiltons.
The list didnât include everyoneâs favorite Hamilton, the $10 bill, but it did include two racing drivers, Bobby Hamilton of NASCAR and F1 champion Lewis Hamilton, and was topped at No. 1 by Olympic gold-medalist figure skater Scott Hamilton.
My first response was, âWhat! No Hamilton Burger, Perry Masonâs favorite courtroom opponent?â But then I thought about the exercise and wondered if there was a way to twist it for use here, and thus this list of my 10 favorite Fords.
Yes, I considered 10-favorite Chevrolets and some other automotive brands, but to get variety desired, it seemed was quickest and, yes, easiest to focus on Fords. So, with apologies to Henry Ford II, Francis Ford Coppola, Ford Frick, President Gerald Ford, and Harrison Ford, hereâs my list:
1930 Ford Model A Tudor Sedan | Larry Edsall photo
10. The Model A â Yes, the Model T was the car that put the world on wheels, but if youâve driven both the T and the A, you know that the A is the way to go. No crank starter. No complicated set of levers. Standard pedals and shifting.
Tennessee Ernie Ford | ErnieFord.com
9. Tennessee Ernie Ford â Hey, we never said this was going to be a list only of Ford vehicles. I remember sitting at my grandparentsâ home as they watched this âpea-pickinâ goodâ entertainer. Besides, in writing this, I discovered that Tennessee Ernie studied classical music at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, a school my father attended before he switched to the University of Cincinnatiâs pharmacy college.
8. Flathead Ford â In 1932 Ford introduced its âflatheadâ V8 engine, which would become the favorite automotive powerplant for seemingly everyone from Clyde Barrow of Bonnie and Clyde infamy to the post-war Southern California dry lakes hot rodders.
John Wayne played ‘The Ringo Kid’ in the 1939 movie ‘Stagecoach’
7. John Ford â Four-time winner of the Academy Award for best director and famed for movies ranging from The Grapes of Wrath to Stagecoach, and known for framing actors against dramatic and harsh terrain.
2019 Ford Raptor | Bob Golfen photo
6. Ford F-150 â If you are less than 40 years ago, the Ford F-150 pickup truck has been the best-selling automotive appliance in the United States for as long as youâve been alive, and not only is a mainstay for people working in the trades and on ranches, but a go-to vehicle for people pulling campers and boats and horse trailers and, in the form of the Raptor, an off-pavement hot rod.
New York Yankees star pitcher Whitey Ford | Baseball Hall of Fame photo
5. Whitey Ford â Record-setting and Hall of Fame left-handed baseball pitcher for the New York Yankees in the 1950s and â60s, when the Yankees won the World Series 6 times.
Edsel Ford was Henry and Clara’s son
Edsel B. Ford is Edsel’s grandson
4. Edsel â Weâre not referring here to the automotive failure of the 1950s but to the people named Edsel Ford. The first was Henry and Clara Fordâs son, Edsel, who never seemed to please his father but who brought style and the Lincoln to the Ford Motor Company. And then there was Edsel Ford II, great-grandson on Henry, grandson of Edsel, son of Henry II. Edsel was at Le Mans with his father when the Ford GT beat Ferrari and ever since he has been championed Fordâs continuing participation in auto racing.
1960 Chevrolet Corvair and 1955 Chevy hardtop in a section of the timeline in the museum’s ‘Driving America’ exhibit | Larry Edsall photo
3. Henry Ford â No, not the founder of the company, but the museum that bears his name. Henry Ford, the man, may not have been very likable, but he collected historic American artifacts and created a museum and, in fact, an entire village, Greenfield Village, that has shared American history with generations of visitors. Greenfield Village also hosts, well, in non-pandemic years, two wonderful car shows.
2. Clara Ford â Bertha Benz gets lots of credit for her role in the early development of the motorcar, but Clara Ford is overlooked. She allowed her kitchen to be used as a workshop as Henry, with her help, tested his first engine â and on Christmas Eve 1893. In her biography, Clara: Mrs. Henry Ford, we learn of her endurance in regard to her husbandâs various missteps.
1. Ford Mustang â Yes, the GT40 won at Le Mans, but it was the Mustang that revolutionized American automotive tastes in the 1960s, created a new generation of car enthusiasts, and that continues to be popular not only with new-car buyers but with car collectors.
The Italian name for Neptune is Nettuno, and it has been chosen by Maserati as the name of the new engine that will power the MC20 super sports car, which is scheduled to be unveiled September 9-10 at a special event, âMMXX: The time to be audacious,â in Modena.
In anticipation of that event, the Italian sports car manufacturer is promoting its new engine, which it says âadopts F1 technology for a road car.â
Ttwin-turbocharged, 3.0-liter, 90-degree V6 is rated at 630 horsepower and 538 pound-feet of torque
âMaseratiâs new era begins with a new engine,â the company said as it showcased the V6, which it notes was developed in house and has technology derived from Formula 1 racing and protected by international patents.
âThe engine is the result of a technical revolution,â the company said, adding that, âAfter 20 years, Maserati has once again enthusiastically taken on the challenge of returning to its Modena HQ with the development and production of a new, highly-technological, high-performance engine.
âThe operation is a strategic one for Maserati, a brand that, today, is preparing to launch the new MC20, a project that is â100 percent Made in Modenaâ starting right from its engine, the heart of the new car.â
The Neptune engine is a twin-turbocharged, 3.0-liter, 90-degree V6 with dry-sump lubrication. It is rated at 630 horsepower and 538 pound-feet of torque.
Overhead view
âThe soul of the engine is the innovative pre-chamber combustion system featuring twin-spark plugs,â Maserati said in its announcement. âThis technology is derived from Formula 1 and is now available, for the first time, on an engine destined for the road.â
Other special features are a lateral spark plug â âa traditional spark plug acts as a support to ensure constant combustion when the engine is operating at a level that doesnât need the pre-chamber to kick inâ â and twin injection â âdirect and indirect: linked to the fuel supply pressure at 350bar, the system reduces noise low down on the rev range, lowering emissions and improving consumption.â
The MMXX event not only will feature the unveiling of the MC20 but several other new models that will go into production in the next few years, Maserati added.
Although it is labeled as a âquiz,â what the British Motor Heritage has done as part of the 60th anniversary celebration of the Mini is to compile 60 âMini facts and figuresâ to see if you know as much about the iconic car as you think you do.
You can download the entire list from a special website. And to spark your interest, the heritage team offers a dozen fun facts, which weâre presenting in quiz format:
What was 10x4x4 feet in dimensions?
The box into which Leonard Lord, the head of BMC, insisted the Mini should fit. It ultimately exceeded the prescribed length by a quarter of an inch!
What was the âOrange Boxâ?
The first Mini prototype Mini was nicknamed the âOrange Boxâ because of its paint color. The second prototype was more sedate, though its camouflage included the grille from an Austin A35.
Why were the original Miniâs door pockets so large?
To accommodate the ingredients of designer Alec Issigonisâ favorite drink of dry martini â bottles of Gordonâs gin and vermouth.
Where was the famous scene from the original The Italian Job, of Mini Coopers outrunning police in Alfa Romeos, filmed?
It wasnât filmed in Italy but in Coventry, England.
Duckhams turned Mini into rolling oil can
Identify two of the many âweird and wonderfulâ versions of the Mini used for corporate marketing.
Outspan oranges and Duckhams oil cans were among the companies that turned Minis into rolling billboards for their products.
Mary Quant and her Mini
What item of clothing was named for the car?
The miniskirt, and designer Mary Quant noted that âneither (the car nor the skirt) is any longer than necessary.
Paul McCartney and his Mini
Why has the Mini been described as being âclasslessâ?
Though clearly aimed at the lower end of the market, the Mini found favor with film stars, sports idols and pop icons, including the four Beatles.
The CV joints on the driveshafts of the original Mini trace to what object?
They were adapted from a Czech design used in submarine periscopes.
Issigonis wasnât his familyâs only famous automotive engineer. Who was the other one?
Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis was born in 1906 in Smyrna, Asia Minor, of a Greek father and German mother. His first cousin, Bernd Pischetsrieder, would become a key executive first at BMW and then at Volkswagen. Born in 1948, Pischetsrieder was chairman of BMW in 1994 when it purchased Rover Group, which included Mini and Land Rover.
What pop iconâs mirror-plated Mini was entered in the London Design Museumâs Celebrity Design Contest in 1999?
It was David Bowieâs.
Mini Moke
What was the original purpose of the Mini Moke?
It was designed for military use but proved unsuitable. However, around 50,000 were produced and became popular as recreational vehicles for use at resorts and on beaches.
Mini on track
Surely, a car such as the Mini could never be successful in racing, right?
Wrong. Minis won 5 British touring car championships, 2 European touring car titles, 3 British rally championships and twice were crowned European Rally champions.
The British Motor Heritage was founded in 1975 to provide âgenuine componentsâ for historic British vehicles, using the original tools whenever possible. It has produced more than 6,000 replacement body shells for such vehicles as the MGB and Midget, Austin Healey Sprite, Triumph TR6, and the original Mini.
The Pick of the Day is a 1934 Chevrolet coupe that comes with a wonderful story of family ownership.
âOur father bought this car when he was a senior in high school in 1942 from his best friend,â reports the private seller, which turns out to be four sisters. (The car cost $485 new; Dad paid $144 for the car.)
âOur parents dated in this car, and then drove it for a few years before starting a family.
Parents Ruth and Doug dated in the Chevy before their marriage in 1945
Out of storage
Restoration underway
âThen Dad dutifully stored the car away with the idea that someday he would restore it,â the sellers continue. âIn 1999, nearly 50 years later, Mom talked him into tackling this project. It took them nearly two years to rebuild the engine and mechanical parts of the car and then to restore the body and interior. We have the written info and pictures that explain what was done in the process.
âThe end result has brought tremendous joy to our families as it was driven in various parades,â the sisters note.
âWhen Dad passed away, we loaned it to the Montana Auto Museum where it has been on display and enjoyed by thousands of others through the past 10-12 years.â
Now, however, the sisters have decided it is time to sell the car, which is being offered for $38,500 through an advertisement on ClassicCars.com.
The car, which appears in the photos with the ad and from the museum to be in immaculate restored condition, is in Helena, Montana, and is a two-tone green coupe with tan interior.
On display in the Montana museum
Proudly driven in parades
According to the placard displayed with the car in the museum, it is equipped with a 181cid inline-6-cylinder engine rated at 60 horsepower. The engine is linked to a manual transmission.
The advertisement notes that the engine has been rebuilt and is running, that the exterior of the car is in âvery goodâ condition, and that the car has a cloth interior.
