For $50,000, You Can Buy One Of The Rarest And Weirdest Toyotas Ever Made, The 1997 Classic

Some classic JDM hero cars grow in value by tens of thousands of dollars when they finally become legal here in the United States. One often overlooked model called the Toyota Classic is far from a hero car but it’s super-rare, uniquely styled, and pays tribute to its brand’s first passenger vehicle ever. Now, there’s one up for auction for far less money and far closer than you might think.

Located in Virginia, the 1997 Toyota Classic is a nod to the 1936 AA. That classic car is the first passenger car ever made by Toyota and it featured a body largely similar to the one seen on the Classic. The original AA is so rare that none are known to exist anymore. The 1997 Classic isn’t much more plentiful as Toyota only built 100 for Japan, with each one priced around $75,000 at the time.

The Classic sits atop a Hilux chassis and utilizes a four-cylinder engine that’s factory-rated at 96-hp (71 kW) and 118 lb-ft (159 Nm) of torque. It sends that power to the rear wheel only through a four-speed automatic transmission. While those power figures and the exterior might be very old-school, the interior is nicely appointed with modern features of its model year.

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The black exterior paint color is complemented by dark red interior touches including leather seats, vinyl door cards, and wooden accents. The rear seats feature expansive legroom and there’s a decently-sized cargo space behind those that can be accessed via the trunk.

Modern gauges, a modern climate control system, and even a large integrated navigation system are included too. The headliner looks basically brand new and in perfect condition as well. That’s not too surprising considering that this car has just 11,077 km or 6,882 miles on the odometer since new.

It’s offered for sale Duncan Imports & Classics’ in Virginia for $49,991 as of this writing. That’s quite a chunk of change for a low-powered car on a truck chassis without any serious luxury accouterment but don’t forget that this thing is rarer than all but the most exclusive cars the world has ever seen. How much would you pay for this super-rare JDM sedan?