1994 Toyota Supra “Fast & Furious”
#744. S/N JT2JA82J3R0009030. 38k miles. “Star of not one but two ‘Fast & Furious’ films, used for multiple interior and exterior shots of ‘The Fast and the Furious’ and ‘2 Fast 2 Furious,’ built by Eddie Paul at The Shark Shop in El Segundo, CA, repainted Lamborghini Diablo Candy Orange Pearl paint after ‘2 Fast 2 Furious.’ Bomex front spoiler and side skirts, TRD-style hood, APR aluminum biplane rear wing, 19-inch Dazz Motorsports Racing Hart M5 Tuner wheels, 2JZ-GTE 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6 engine, 4-speed automatic transmission.” Condition: 1. SOLD AT $550,000. Barrett Jackson, 6/19/21.
Unlike the 1993 Toyota Supra “Fast & Furious” stunt car that sold for $200k at a Mecum auction in 2015 (SCM# 265347), this one was actually driven by Paul Walker in the original movie. This car is famously known for the scene where Paul Walker’s character, Brian O’Conner, does an emergency-brake-assisted skid while shooting down the antagonist Johnny Tran. The car was later repainted for use in the second movie for the character Slap Jack. (On top of that, it was also seen in the background of the garage scene of “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.”) The car went through a restoration after it sold at a Bonhams sale in 2011 for just $21,060 (SCM# 190024), when it was still in its “2 Fast 2 Furious” paint scheme. While Supra prices were already hot, this being the actual Supra that was one of the iconic cars in the franchise (which helped forge the Supra’s reputation to begin with) sent this one to new auction heights. You don’t have to like the movies to understand why it made so much.
1985 Toyota Corolla GT-S
#50805. S/N JT2AE88C6F0104027. 208k miles. “1.6-liter inline 4, 5-speed manual transmission, white-and-black paint scheme, Fujiwara Tofu Shop stickers, red & brown cloth upholstery, Japanese-market front bumper, Trueno GT-Apex badging, pop-up headlights, side-window visors, 14” RS Watanabe alloy wheels, aluminum radiator.” Condition: 3+. SOLD AT $28,875. Bring a Trailer, 7/7/21.
I have been tracking Toyota Corollas for a while now, and auction sales of the “AE86” (Japanese body code) in the U.S. have been around $20k for some time. Usually at that price the cars are nicely built and have great interiors. While this car isn’t in terrible shape considering its 208,000 miles, the interior should be much nicer at this price point — or at least not have foam popping out of tears in the seats. The car was originally red but was repainted in the “panda” paint scheme made famous in the “Initial D” manga and anime, with Fujiwara Tofu Shop stickers on the side. The car also comes equipped with real Watanabe wheels and a Japanese-market front bumper to complete the look. Unfortunately, fixing the interior will be difficult, as parts for these cars are becoming more scarce. Ultimately, it seems the high mileage and worn-out interior didn’t deter those who wanted an anime-inspired Corolla. Well sold.
1999 Nissan Skyline GT-R
#49834 & #50876. S/N BNR34002043 & BNR34002297. 64k kilometers (40k miles) and 25k kilometers (15k miles). “Twin-turbocharged 2.6-liter inline 6, Getrag 6-speed manual transmission, Midnight Purple II paint, rubberized gray cloth upholstery, ATTESA all-wheel drive, Super HICAS rear-wheel steering, automatic climate control, power windows.” Condition: 1+. SOLD AT $320,187, Bring a Trailer, 6/22/21 & SOLD AT $315,000, Bring a Trailer, 7/13/21.
Until we can finally get the R34 GT-Rs in the U.S., “Show and Display” imported R34s will rule the auction world. The Midnight Purple Series 1 V-Spec is one of those models. With these two examples selling within three weeks of each other, it almost felt like the auctions were coordinated by the sellers. Each car had a few different modifications, such as different brands of coil-overs and audio systems, but they were in nearly identical condition. Coming from a limited production run of 282 cars, along with being a very desirable Skyline that isn’t fully available to the U.S. market without jumping through a few hoops, made these cars soar at auction. Once importers are allowed to bring in regular GT-Rs and base-model R34 Skylines, we might continue to see these Show and Display models sell for these high-dollar amounts. But I don’t expect the more-common R34s to be cheap, more in the $60k–$140k range of the Mk 4 Toyota Supra. This pair was well sold.