1977 Toyota Carina
S/N TA31012280. 4,200 miles. “1.6-liter inline-4, 4-speed manual transmission, yellow, white and blue paint, black vinyl with cloth inserts, widened 13-inch steel wheels with Advan rain tires, AE86 coil-over suspension, Celica Works over fenders, Vitaloni Sebring mirrors, Celica front spoiler, ‘Slit Spoiler’ rear diffuser, Momo steering wheel, air conditioning, Sanyo AM/FM cassette stereo, external oil cooler.” Condition: 2+. SOLD AT $12,862. Bring a Trailer, 9/6/23.
Now, before you quickly dismiss this car based on its appearance, I must explain the kaido racer (highway racer) scene. In the late 1970s, Japanese magazine Holiday Auto had a section with reader photo submissions titled “Oh MY! Kaido Racer” where some of the current modified car trends were displayed. Many of these young owners were inspired by the Group 5 (Super Silhouette) race cars they would see at Fuji Speedway. They would add fiberglass body parts, as with the over fenders and front air dam on this car, and head to the speedway parking lot to show off and hang out. Years later, these Fuji meet-ups were banned due to the amount of traffic they brought to the small city nearby.
This styling culture went on for decades inside Japan and ultimately gained worldwide attention. Think of it as Japan’s version of American hot-rod counterculture. Many of these cars have zero performance upgrades. For example, the oil cooler on our subject car is just for looks.
This might be the first time a Japanese-built kaido racer has sold at auction in the U.S., which makes this an interesting sale. I found this car previously sold in 2022 for ¥1,500,000, or roughly $10,194. After importation and fees, the seller might have broken even, or perhaps lost money. It’s difficult to build a kaido racer in America, partly because of the cost of importing large parts like wheels and fiberglass. Because of that, you couldn’t build a similar car for this little money. Well bought.
1995 Toyota Land Cruiser
S/N JT711UJ8008019299. 150,900 kilometers (93,800 miles). “1FZ-FE 4.5-liter inline-6, 4-speed automatic transmission and a 2-speed transfer case, Medium Red Pearl paint, 15-inch steel wheels, locking-center differential, propane tank, window rain guards, running boards, sliding quarter windows, tailgate-mounted spare-tire carrier, cloth upholstery, third-row seating, automatic climate control, overhead console with propane gauge and altimeter, power windows, locks and mirrors.” Condition: 2+. SOLD AT $7,838. Cars & Bids, 9/13/23.
Some of the hype is wearing off certain Japanese cars, with prices fading to pre-2020 levels. Some desirable models with low mileage are still sky-high, while others have become more obtainable. Many left-hand-drive examples of the 80-series Land Cruiser with over 150k miles are dipping below the $20k mark, but this truck is an odd outlier.
It is an RHD model, not from Japan, but Australia. It is lacking some of the extra features that the Japanese models have, such as the ice cooler box. One 80-series option was a rear-mounted reserve fuel tank, like this one had originally. That was replaced with an Australian 80-series retrofit kit to use propane. Flip a switch and the fuel can be changed from gas to propane.
The big shock to me with this example is its low mileage. There were a few small issues with this truck, but nothing a few hundred bucks couldn’t fix. Overall, the bidder got a great deal for an RHD 80 series with low mileage.
2000 Toyota MR2 Spyder
S/N JTDFR3209Y0018958. 40,000 miles. “1.8-Liter inline-4, 5-speed manual, Liquid Silver Mica paint, black leather upholstery, black soft top, 15-inch five-spoke aluminum-alloy wheels, cruise control, AC, CD/cassette stereo.” Condition: 1-. SOLD AT $14,700. Bring a Trailer, 9/21/23.
Good deals are always available if you know where to look. This third-generation MR2 is in wonderful condition with no modifications. You might be thinking that with its low mileage, this one should have brought more money. The first- and second-generation MR2s are still holding strong, especially low-mile supercharged and turbocharged variants. The third generation got a nice bump in value when its predecessors were climbing, but now we are seeing prices start to soften to pre-pandemic values. The MR2 has always caused debate over which generation has the best styling, but each encapsulates its own era. The first generation flaunts a boxy wedge design from the ’80s, while the second generation is a curvy ’90s Lotus doppelgänger. This third generation is a bubbly, happy- faced convertible. It might take a few more years for the MR2 Spyder to really appreciate. Well bought.