In addition to the hakosuka GT-R at RM Auctions, there will also be a 1967 Mazda Cosmo Sport at Gooding & Co.’s Monterey Historics auction this year. The Cosmo Sport has been restored by noted restoration shop The Finishing Touch of Fountain Hills, Arizona, the same shop that restored the one in Mazda USA’s collection.
What’s more, Gooding & Co. will also send a matching white 1967 Toyota 2000GT across the block. The same seller currently owns both cars, and insisted that both blue chip Japanese flagships appear at the same auction. This can only serve to increase the Cosmo Sport’s price.
Last year, a different 2000GT sold for $935,000 at Monterey and, of course, there was the original $1.2 million dollar baby at a Texas auction last year. This particular 2000GT is expected to exceed the million-dollar mark, while this Cosmo Sport — the first of its kind to break the $100,000 mark a few years ago — is estimated to fetch $200,000 to $250,000, which would be another record for the world’s first twin-rotor production car.
Looks like the only way any of us “mortals” will ever get our hands on either of these beauties is if someone made fiberglass kits for them! Start em off around 7-9 grand, up to 20 for a turnkey roller and call it a day! Wish I had the resources.
This Cosmo Sport is the early L10A type, of which just under 350 were produced, so it’s the rarer version of a rare car! Can’t wait to see how much it goes for, hopefully something ludicrous =P It’s gorgeous.
I could have sworn the one Mazda USA has is all original, from what I read in the build thread on RX7club for the Cosmo that’s about to go on auction.
Victor is somewhat correct, We did a lot of detailing and re chroming things on the Cosmo Sport before we sold it to Mazda North America. It still has its repaint from over 25 years ago, other than minor touch up.
We also repaired major front end damage from shipping on Mazda Canada’s Cosmo Sport L10B a few years ago.
A lot of photos of the various cars can also be seen on our facebook page,,
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Finishing-Touch-Body-Shop-Inc/178782972803?ref=hl&ref_type=bookmark
I guess this means I can never sell my S30 or AE86, because at the rate things are going, I’d never be able to afford another one.
Very nice work on the Cosmo, I was really impressed by the work done on the old Landcruiser some time back. I’m guessing the reserve on the Cosmo has more to do with the rarity of obtaining spare parts and restoration costs than the value of the car itself. Cosmos can still be bought if you really really wanted one.
One question though, why do the owners bother with the restoration work, is everything about the dollar these days ?
Yup; the almighty buck, but I can’t say I’m in disagreement, though; let somebody else go through the hassles of tracking down parts or hand fabbing stuff.
They’ve ceased being cars, and more pieces of art, and the buyers would rather pay $1M for the work being done, rather than half that and have something that’s in a shop for however many months.
I agree with Yuri. This whole “JDM cars finally getting recognition” thing is a double-edged sword 🙁
The insurance company of that guy in Japan could buy it to replace the one that got squashed by the tree.
More like “KIDNEYS, ANYONE?”