NEW COLLECTIBLE: 15th Anniversary Edition Toyota Supra
August 26, 2019
Posted by Barrett-Jackson
Written by independent automotive journalist Chris Griggs
This completely original 1997 Toyota Supra Hatchback is set to cross the auction block in Las Vegas with No Reserve.
When most people hear the term “collector car,” they think of cars from ages past, like muscle cars from the ’60s or ’70s, big-fin land yachts from the ’50s or hot rods from the ’30s. The common bond between these cars, as well as many others in the collector world, comes down to nostalgia. Every generation has memories of the cars that were cool when they were growing up. Some of them may be from having a dad who built a chopped and channeled ’32 that they got to help wrench on; others watched their heroes on the silver screen, like Detective Frank Bullit chasing the bad guy in a Dodge Charger with his ’68 Mustang through the hills of San Francisco. No matter what the memory, nostalgia has always played a big role in the collector car world.
In 1993, the automotive world looked different. Detroit’s Big 3 were no longer building the big-block muscle cars that dominated the drags and European sport cars were gaining more popularity but came with a hefty price tag. That left the door open for a new player to gain market share. With offerings like the RX-7 from Mazda, the 300ZX from Nissan and the 3000GT VR4 from Mitsubishi, Japanese manufacturers fielded an impressive lineup in performance and took full advantage of the opening, but there was one that stood above the rest: the Toyota Supra.
Introduced originally in 1978 as a performance variant of the Celica, the Supra offered buyers sporty performance in a reliable 2-door package. By the time 1993 came around, the fourth generation was introduced, and Toyota had dramatically raised the bar. Styling was aggressive and modern, with emphasis on aerodynamics and weight savings. Under the hood was the new 2JZ motor, offered with a sequential twin-turbo variant good for over 300 horsepower. The result was a poster-worthy sports car that had the looks and the performance to beat the Europeans without the need for deep pockets.
Just as the performance car world was changing, so were the memories and experiences that went along with them, as the automotive world was moving into the digital age. Video games became mainstream, and more racing titles were released with a focus on real-world cars on real racetracks. Games like Gran Turismo and Need for Speed gave people the chance to virtually experience almost any performance car, regardless of their budget. As these games took off, players began to favor certain cars, knowing it was the surefire way to win. With the right combination of looks and performance, it wasn’t long until the Supra became that car for many.
The star power only rose from there, with Supras quickly becoming a favorite of the tuner crowd, thanks to the plethora of aftermarket parts and a proven base to make big power. Then, in 2001, a bright orange 1994 Targa-top model starred alongside the late Paul Walker in “The Fast and The Furious” as the hero car driven by his character, Brian O’Conner. O’Conner and his Supra thrilled audiences as he chased the bad guys through Los Angeles and drag-raced his rival Dom’s 1970 Charger in the final scene.
Nowadays, the generation that grew up in the era of Gran Turismo and “The Fast and The Furious” have their own nostalgic car memories. The idea of owning the car that once won them countless races on every track from the Suzuka Circuit to the Nürburgring, or feeling like Brian O’Conner racing against a Ferrari up the Pacific Coast Highway is a reality, and the Supra has never been more popular.
Due to their popularity, many Supras have been modified and tuned and raced over the years, leaving original and unrestored cars harder to find. Many cars have seen countless aftermarket modifications, high miles and hard driving, which makes this 1997 model that much more rare. Adding to its provenance, it came from the factory in the highly desirable combination of black on black. This 15th Anniversary Edition is just how it rolled off the assembly line, with all the original components in place, and features the factory turbo version of the legendary 2JZ engine, backed by the desirable 6-speed manual transmission.
The car is completely original, right down to the stock 5-spoke polished wheels from the factory, with the odometer showing just over 62,500 miles. Scheduled to cross the block at the 2019 Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas Auction with No Reserve, this Supra will offer one nostalgic buyer the chance to live their Supra dreams without having to spend $15,000 on overnighted parts from Japan.
For up-to-date information on this vehicle, click HERE. For a look at all the vehicles on the 2019 Las Vegas Preview Docket (with more being added daily), click HERE.