Publication: Auto Sport
Format: Road Impression (original article includes Mazda Cosmo Sport impression, posted separately)
Date: Spring 1966
Author: Robert Dunham

Robert Dunham’s Test Run: Toyota 2000GT

The Toyota 2000GT will be making an appearance at the Japanese Grand Prix in May. Fitting these ambitions, it left an impression on me as Japan’s first full-scale sports car.

A few weeks after the 1965 Tokyo Auto Show, I had the opportunity to interview Toyota Motor Corporation Chairman Taizo Ishida. During the interview, I received an informal invitation to visit the Toyota factory. The purpose, of course, was to test drive the Toyota 2000GT that was on display at the show. Two weeks later, I traveled to Toyota City with a reporter from the Asahi Evening News.

Publication: Auto Sport
Format: Road Impressions
Date: July 1967
Author: Yukio Fukuzawa, Yoshio Otsubo, Auto Sport Editorial Staff (uncredited)

A Fusion of Glamor And Ferocity

A gorgeous GT car on the highway, a fearsome competition machine on the circuit. These were the impressions that factory drivers Yukio Fukuzawa and Yoshio Otsubo felt when they test drove the recently released Toyota 2000GT.

A Taste of the World’s Finest GT Cars (Yukio Fukuzawa)

Publication: Car Graphic
Format: Road Impressions (stub article - original cut off)
Date: July 1967
Author: “C/G Test Group” (uncredited)

Operation TNT007

In early February, “Operation TNT007” began across the Pacific Ocean.

As the first step in the full-scale introduction of the Toyota 2000GT in America, a 2000GT arrived on the West Coast and was registered with the California license plate number “TNT007.” TNT is an abbreviation for Trinitrotoluene, a high-performance explosive. Needless to say, 007 is the code name for the famous British spy James Bond. This was actually the first 2000GT registered in the United States.

Publication: Motor Fan
Format: Road Test
Date: August 1967
Authors (Roundtable): Jiro Kono, Osamu Hirao, Kenji Higuchi, Akio Miyamoto, Yasuhei Koguchi, Taizo Tateishi, Kenzaburo Ishikawa, Toshihide Hirata, Riichi Toyota, Motor Fan Editorial Staff (uncredited)

Magazine: First, please tell us the purpose of the development of the Toyota 2000GT and its outline.

Kono: Let me begin by explaining why Toyota started making such a car. The first Japanese GP was held in 1963, and from then until the second GP the following year, various races were held in Japan, but most of the entries were boxy sedans. Seeing this, an idea arose within the company to somehow create something that resembled a real sports car and make it the vanguard of Toyota’s products. The question then was whether to make a car that was used purely for racing, or to make a grand touring car with performance, ride comfort, and maneuverability that could not be experienced in a normal touring car. In the end, we decided on the latter. The idea behind this car was that we could gain a lot from bringing together the best of our technology to create a car that was comfortable to drive, didn’t tire you out even when driving long distances, and had good acceleration and maneuverability.

Publication: Motor Fan
Format: Dynamic Test Drive
Date: February 1970
Authors: Shintaro Taki, Rena Takahashi, Motor Fan Editorial Staff (uncredited)

1,200km of Hard Driving: A Luxury Car With An Unclear Design Philosophy

Please allow me a moment to to talk about something personal: about human charm. I apologize for starting off by talking about something that seems unrelated to cars, but when I talk about the Toyota 2000GT (with Toyoglide), I find I can’t avoid it.