Toyota in the UK has gone to a lot of bother in preparation for this month’s Goodwood Festival of Speed: they’ve taken six Toyota GT86s and wrapped each one in a different motorsport livery from Toyota’s back catalogue of race and rally cars.
The results are quite spectacular, I think you will agree, and they’ve even put together a brief history of each with some interesting facts about each car and livery:
1) Yatabe Speed Trial Toyota 2000GT
The 2000GT set new world and international speed and endurance records during a 72-hour run at the Yatabe High Speed Testing Course in Japan in 1966. It demonstrated Toyota’s commitment to engineering a sports car with world class potential.
2) Shelby Toyota 2000GT
Racing legend Carroll Shelby masterminded Toyota’s racing programme for the 2000GT in the USA. The intention was to demonstrate the car’s potential when pitted on track against established American and European competition. Drivers Scooter Patrick and Dave Jordan claimed a number of victories during the 1968 season.
3) Ove Andersson’s Toyota Celica 1600GT
Andersson’s entry in world rallying with the first-generation Celica paved the way for the founding of Toyota Team Europe – before today’s Toyota Motorsport. The liveried GT86 celebrates the car he entered in the 1972 Daily Mirror RAC Rally, with official manufacturer support from Toyota. His class win and ninth place overall were an early sign of the great things the partnership would deliver.
4) IMSA GTU Toyota Celica
Celica was the first Toyota to race in North America under the Toyota Racing Developments (TRD) banner, competing in the IMSA GT series. The IMSA GTU car prospered with Dan Gurney’s All-America Racing Team between 1983 and 1985.
5) Castrol Toyota Celica GT-Four
My favourite. This Group A Toyota made its World Rally Championship debut in 1994 and went on to claim seven podium finishes in seven events entered during the 1995 season, including victory for Didier Auriol in the Tour de Corse.
6) Esso Ultron Tiger Toyota Supra
Supra was a longstanding entry in the All-Japan Grand Touring Car Championship, competing from 1995 through to 2006. In fact its competition life went on beyond the end of production of the road-going Supra. When its track days came to an end, it enjoyed a new lease of life as a virtual racer in the Gran Turismo computer game. The Esso Ultron Tiger car was one of the most distinctive-looking to take to the grid.
The cars can be seen at the Goodwood Festival of Speed later this month, with the opportunity for members of the public to drive them. If you are going, get there early and don’t miss out!
Caroline Kidd
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