Toyota 2000GT: French Family Adopts Japanese Masterpiece

Sons runite their father with Japan’s first supercar for his 70th birthday.

A recent video installment of tasteful driving to hit the Petrolicious YouTube channel centers on this gorgeous, white 1967 Toyota 2000GT. What was Japan’s first supercar, the inline-six 2000cc sports coupe featured advanced tech for the time, like four wheel disc brakes, dual-overhead camshafts, and three 2bbl carburetors.

In a time when many cars were blocky and large, the Toyota was sleek and simple, providing big speed by slicing through the air rather than pushing it out of the way. Clearly inspired by Jaguar’s E-Type, the 2000GT takes that shape and ultimately perfects it. It is easily the most beautiful thing to ever be produced by Japan.

Aurelien Degenève, the film’s narrator, says his great-grandfather made his money by founding a bicycle manufacturing company. In 1971, Degenève’s father, Jean-Pierre, began dealing in Toyotas — sales, service, repair, etc. — thus becoming the oldest Toyota dealer in France. At a point, the family owned two different 2000GTs, but were forced to sell them for family reasons. With the help of Toyota, decades later, Degenève’s sons tracked down this white example outside of Tokyo. They knew that they had to buy their father’s favorite car back for him to enjoy.

After importing the car to France, the sons had to hide the car from their father for four months until his 70th birthday.

After importing the car to France, they then had to hide the car from their father for four months until his 70th birthday. If he’d seen the car around town, he would have known something was up. Any gift from family is lovely, but a gorgeous collector car like this is another world of generosity. Check out the video above to get the full story, but if you don’t speak French, be sure to click the closed-caption option in the bottom right of the YouTube window.

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