A 1967 Toyota Shelby 2000GT sold for more than $2.5 million and is living the dream

A 1967 Toyota 2000GT raced by Shelby American sold at Gooding & Company's auction at last week's Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance, with a final bid of $2.535 million. This was slightly below the expected price of $2.75 million to $3.5 million.

By the late 1960s, the partnership between Carroll Shelby and Ford, which had produced the Cobra and GT40, had begun to fall apart. Meanwhile, Toyota was trying to establish its credibility in the U.S. through motorsports.

The weapon of choice for the Japanese automaker was the 2000GT. One of Japan's first sports cars, the 2000GT was powered by a 2.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine originally installed in the Toyota Crown (a 2.3-liter inline six-cylinder engine was later added), modified by Yamaha to produce 150 horsepower. This allowed the 2,400-pound coupe to reach a top speed of 137 mph. [Shelby American prepared three cars for SCCA C Production racing. This car (chassis MF10-10001) was the first serial numbered 2000 GT, according to the auction listing. It was originally right-hand drive Solar Red and was one of the show cars Toyota used for the U.S. launch of the 2000GT.

The racing program ended after one season and MF10-100001 was retired; MF10-100001 passed through various car collections before being acquired by its current owner in 1980 and restored to racing specifications. It has been displayed at many prominent events, including the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Amelia Island Concours.

All 2000 GTs are rare and fetch high prices at auction. For example, one sold for $912,500 at auction in 2020. The hammer price was expected to be even higher due to the historical significance of this car being part of Toyota's first U.S. racing program.