Values of the A80 Toyota Supra Turbo keeps climbing. Over the weekend, another example sold at auction for prices well into the 6-digit range. This time, the gavel came down at $176,000, a new record.
The Supra, Lot 711 at Barrett-Jackson’s Northeast auction in Uncasville, Connecticut, sold on Saturday, June 29. Typical of a northeast car, it was finished in 202 Black with a black leather interior. It also has a proper 3-pedal configuration and comes equipped with the Targa roof.
The car is claimed to be all original except for an aftermarket exhaust and suspension kit. The interior looks cleaner than its age suggests, while the engine bay shows signs of being driven.
Despite the record-setting price, the car had 69,891 miles on the odometer. In March, another black-on-black A80 Supra Turbo sold for $173,600 at RM Sotheby’s Amelia Island auction, but its odometer had clocked just 11,200 miles. By comparison, a sale in January of $121,000 for a 7,111-mile example seems like a bargain.
However, one factor that could explain the price is because this happens to be a 1997 15th Anniversary Edition. The package didn’t include any extra options or features, just a couple of badges indicating as such, but collectors do love a special edition. According to the listing, 376 Anniversary Editions with the Targa roof were sold.
If an example with nearly 70,000 miles — not high for a driver but high for a collector’s car — can trade for $176,000, we likely haven’t seen the ceiling for Supra Turbos yet. Don’t say we didn’t warn ya.
Images: Barrett-Jackson
madness
i guess it might have something to do with money laundering.
Is the A80 even worth it from a driving perspective? I swapped an A70 with a 2JZ a few years back and didn’t enjoy it too much other than launching from stop lights. It was heavy, too plush, and didn’t really make me feel anything. Granted these two cars are 10+ years apart in terms of design but I can’t imagine it’d be that different and therefore worth the Ivy League tuition money.
Lee, I’d say it would be more about the hype than anything else. These are awesome cars but so many comparable and better options in the modern market. Definitely a cool car to buy just for collection though.
Is any collector car worth it?
Ben, in some cases, yes. Certainly very historic cars with real provenance, like say one of the early Ferrari Le Mans winners, any 250 GTO, or 250 Testa Rossa, or even something more modern like the Mazda 787B, or even the James Bond Toyota 2000 GT roadster.
But a relatively new, mass produced car? Well,, there is a sucker born every minute.
asking the real questions here
Watch, we’re gonna start seeing a cottage industry of folks that will DEMODIFY an import car back to stock.
I have to imagine it’s already happening, given how difficult it is to find certain cars in original condition. Perhaps there aren’t people fully converting old show cars back to showroom condition just yet, but it’s not unusual to see people getting rid of old mods here and there to try and return a car to stock.
It’s going from a rich ass guy to another rich ass guy. Laundering money probably. Its like what happened to paintings you know.
Hey, not just “rich ass guys” own these cars. And in my opinion it’s not merely “hype.” I bought my black-over-tan six-speed targa A80 Twin Turbo Supra new in 1993 (it’s badged Premier Edition) and have owned and cared for it for 26 years. It’s bone stock and will stay that way. The odometer is nearing 35k miles. So I’m very fortunate to own one of these awesome machines. That said…
My car payments back then were not cheap. However, I was so smitten after first seeing it (long before the first Fast and Furious movie) that I had to have it and made the financial sacrifice to purchase it. I bought the Supra to enjoy – not as an investment. No one anticipated their rarity or increased values.
This car impresses because, at that time, Toyota put such passion into designing this car and applied so much engineering talent (even garnering patents), that it was a standout. I still have the book they used to train Toyota salespeople when the car was introduced: The level of detailed comparisons to their then-competition (Porsche, Corvette, 3000 GT VR4, RX-8 etc.) was thorough and deliberate. Toyota built precisely the car they intended, and some of us bought and kept the car simply because it’s a joy to own. Just try to drive it without that turbo rush bringing a smile to your face. The combination of a beautifully sculpted body and the 2JZ-GTE engine was special when it debuted, and remains something special more than 25 years later.
Where does the market for these cars go from here? For this Supra owner, it doesn’t really matter. Getting it out to drive and enjoy? Well, now you’re talking!