1967 Toyota 2000 GT goes under the knife

Somewhere in the depths of a workshop in Sydney, a remarkable thing is happening: the resuscitation of what is probably the world’s most desirable Japanese car, and certainly an internationally-recognised top-end classic.

It’s a 1967 Toyota 2000GT.

Just 337 production versions are thought to have been made, for a total of 351 including pre-production prototypes.

Powered originally by a Yamaha-designed double overhead cam straight-six engine, these gems came to international attention thanks to a drive-in role in the 1967 James Bond movie You Only Live Twice, starring Sean Connery.

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The first version of the GT, the MF10, is the most desirable.

What you see here is an MF10, which hadn’t – until recently – seen the light of day for the best part of four decades. It’s being restored by the McCarroll's automotive group in Sydney.

What shape was the GT in? "Horrible," said Phil McCarroll. "We do a lot of classic cars here and this is the furthest away from what was presented by the factory.

"The chassis was modified, the engine was wrong, the gearbox was wrong, rear trailing arms modified, chassis cut open."

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For more on this incredible tale of automotive rescue, click here