This is possibly a once-in-a-lifetime find for anyone seeking a low-mile, bone-stock, 80s-era Toyota Supra that has remained in one family ownership from new. It just appeared a few hours ago on eBay for sale out of Clermont, Florida.
The eBay listing for this Supra notes that it’s always been garaged, always been babied, and always been serviced on time. The owner has added their number to the listing and encourages people to call him to make a deal, and it seems likely the listing won’t stay up for long.
Fast Facts – A Garage Find Toyota Supra
- This is a rare, low-mileage 1980s Toyota Supra has just appeared for sale on eBay from Clermont, Florida. This third-generation Supra has remained in one-family ownership since new, always garaged and well-maintained. With just 45,000 miles on the odometer, it represents a unique opportunity for any collector of classic Japanese machinery.
- The Toyota Supra, originally introduced in 1978 as an upgraded version of the Celica, evolved into its own model line by the mid-80s. The second-generation (1981-1985) began differentiating itself from the Celica with a redesigned front end, pop-up headlights, and a fastback “Liftback” roofline. When the third-generation Supra arrived in 1986 it had become a completely unique model line, no longer linked with the Celica.
- This particular third-generation Supra is powered by a naturally-aspirated 3.0 liter 7M-GE inline-six engine, producing 207 bhp and 180 lb ft of torque. It’s described as being in excellent condition, never repainted or involved in an accident. The seller reports that all systems are functioning well, including cold air conditioning, though it may need re-gassing.
- Classic Japanese sports cars have been rapidly appreciating in value, with original, unmodified examples being particularly sought after. This Supra, with its one-family ownership and preserved condition, represents a rare find. The eBay listing, which may not last long, encourages potential buyers to contact the seller directly to make a deal.
Nissan’s Nemesis: The Toyota Supra
The Toyota Supra is currently in its fifth generation, having first appeared in 1978 as an upgraded version of the Toyota Celica liftback with a six-cylinder engine in place of the original four-cylinder unit. The Celica had been developed specifically to address numerous requests from North American Toyota dealers who needed a competitor for the popular Datsun 280Z built by Nissan.
Toyota were quick to link the Toyota Supra and the earlier Toyota 2000GT – two of the Japanese automaker’s most famous sports car model lines. Image courtesy of Toyota.
Officially known as the Celica Supra (and the Celica XX in Japan), the first-generation model proved popular, laying the foundation for the model series and establishing it as both a new revenue stream for the Japanese automaker, and a new halo car that helped elevate the reputation of the brand. In some respects it was a successor to the 1960s-era Toyota 2000GT.
The second-gen Supra began the process of establishing the model series as its own family, rather than just an upgraded Celica. The front end was completely redesigned featuring a semi-wedge profile and pop-up headlights, and the car used the “Liftback” roofline, Toyota’s proprietary name for a fastback.
A variety of engine options were offered, options differed based on location, with North American market cars getting the largest 2.8 liter DOHC 5M-GE inline-six, and other markets receiving either the 2.0 liter 1G-EU in naturally-aspirated or turbocharged form, or if they were lucky, a variant of the 2.8 liter unit.
The second-gen Supra would remain in production from 1981 until 1985, after which time it was replaced with the third-gen model. It would be the third-gen Supra that would make history by completely severing ties with the Celica.
After this time the Celica had become a front-wheel drive economy sports car, and the Supra remained a rear-wheel drive vehicle – much to the delight of enthusiasts the world over.
This is the naturally-aspirated, targa-roof version of the third-gen Supra. The styling cues are closely related to the previous model, and this was the version of the Supra that forever cut the link to the Celica.
The engine was upgraded to the 3.0 liter 7M-GE series of inline-sixes for the North American market, and it was offered in both naturally-aspirated and turbocharged forms. Both of these engines were closely related, featuring double overhead cams and four valves per cylinder.
The standard Toyota 7M-GE engine was good for up to 207 bhp and 180 lb ft of torque, with the turbocharged version making up to 232 bhp and 254 lb ft of torque.
Both cars came with either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic transmission, and the model series remained in production until 1993 when it was replaced with the fourth generation Supra, which would later be made famous by the Fast & Furious movie series.
The Garage Find Toyota Supra Shown Here
Classic Japanese sports cars have been some of the fastest-appreciating four wheeled assets in recent years, but the trick has been finding them in original condition – all most all of them seem to have been “upgraded” by a list of former owners, many of whom seem to have had awful taste.
In the 1980s there was almost nothing cooler a car could have than pop-up headlights.
The car you see here is one of our favorite eBay discoveries in recent memory, largely down to its original condition and the character of the owner that certainly shines through in the listing.
The car has remained in one-family ownership since it was new in the mid-1980s, already a rare feat given the fact that these cars often changed hands back when they weren’t worth a whole lot of money. The listing shows that this car has just 45,000 miles on the clock.
As mentioned higher up the seller explains that it’s always been garaged, always babied, never hot rodded or driven hard, serviced on time, never repainted, never involved in an accident, and “adult owned.”
The description also says that the dashboard, carpet, and seats are in excellent condition, and that the air conditioner does blow cold but will need a re-gassing at some point.
The 3.0 liter inline-six Toyota 7M-GE engine is good for 207 bhp and 180 lb ft of torque, solid figures for a naturally-aspirated sports car in the mid-1980s.
The windows and glass are all in reportedly original condition, the engine is said to start and run well, the transmission shifts smoothly, the gauges all work, and there are reportedly no leaks or smoke. All-in-all, it looks like quite the discovery and a car ideal for a light reconditioning before it’s put back into regular use.
If you’d like to read more about this car or place a bid you can visit the listing on eBay here. It’s being sold out of Clermont, Florida about 40 minutes drive from Orlando Airport and at the time of writing there are just over six days left to bid, with a couple of dozen bids in already.
Images courtesy of eBay Motors
Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
