Saturday, September 26, 2015

1967 Shelby Toyota 2000


Following his Riverside victory in 1966, Toyota offered Pete Brock the opportunity to race their recently announced 2000GT in SCCA racing. In the meantime, however, Carroll Shelby, who had recently lost his contract with Ford on the GT-40 work, opened a Toyota dealership in El Segundo. At the eleventh hour, the Toyota deal was pulled from Brock, and Shelby was handed the contract.

In 1968, the Shelby American-prepared Toyota 2000 GT was raced in selected SCCA National races. The Toyota 2000 program found tough competition from Porsche and Triumph

In that year, Carroll Shelby backed a two-driver 2000 GT team in the SCCA's C Production class, and racked up several wins and podium finishes in its single season as a serious competition effort. At the end of that season, Toyota pulled the plug on the program. Between 1966 and 1968, 337 2000 GTs were built; reports indicate that between 50 and 65 of these were imported to the U.S.

http://www.clubcobra.com/forums/all-cobra-talk/40043-shelby-toyota.html

1 comment:

  1. I would love to get my hands on one o them....Thanks for the history lesson never knew Ford flicked Shelby and that this car was done.

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