Somewhere in your dad's stack of 45s-the little records with the big hole-is this 1971 number one hit single called "Indian Reservation" by Paul Revere and the Raiders. Run it on the turntable and you'll hear, "all the beads we made by hand are nowadays made in Japan."
OK, don't. But those 31-year-old lyrics speak of Japan being little more than a source of cheap trinkets. The world-class cameras, electronics and automobiles were coming, but hadn't yet penetrated the American public's consciousness. We had been warned, however, with the Toyota 2000GT.
One who foresaw the storm was Dr. Albrecht Graf von Goertz. German-born but living and working in America as an industrial designer, Goertz had worked with noted designer Raymond Lowey on the Studebaker Starliner, then with BMW on the classic 507 sports car. He even had a hand in the design of the original Porsche 911. Believing Japan could be the "Next Big Thing," but with little more than design talent, Goertz made several trips to the Land of the Rising Sun before convincing Nissan to take him on as consultant. There he toned up the Silvia 1600, a coupe based on the Fairlady 1600 sports car.
Attractive and showing Goertz's trademark crisp style, it debuted at the 1964 Tokyo Motor Show and then in New York in 1965. Nissan, however, decided not to import the car because it was too small inside for the average American.
After that project, Goertz applied himself to another, a sports car for the American market, a pet idea of Yutaka Katayama, Nissan's famous "Mr. K." Also involved was Yamaha, which was developing the engine and would build the car for Nissan. Due to problems with the engine, however, Nissan tabled the project. Yamaha immediately went to Toyota, which liked what it saw, and made the car a Toyota.
What happened next is still subject to controversy. We know Goertz left Nissan's employment not long afterward, and Nissan soon produced the 240Z, partly in response to the Toyota sports car. It's said success has many fathers, and Goertz sued Nissan for what he considered his share of the glory. Nissan denied Goertz's authorship of the Z, but in the face of a protracted lawsuit, the corporation finally compromised with a reluctant admission of Goertz's "contribution."
Work began on the 2000GT, a low-volume "halo" car to boost corporate image, in early 1964 under chief engineer Jiro Kawano. A prototype appeared at the 1965 Tokyo Motor Show and was a stunning showstopper, easily eclipsing the Nissan Silvia and the rotary-powered Mazda Cosmo. It was, by far, the most exotic automobile ever made in Japan.
"Road & Track" called it "extremely handsome, purposeful in appearance, low, sleek and fast-looking." Design credit went to Toyota design staff member Satoru Nozaki. The prototype was reported to be in the 150-mph class, with power from a 200-hp, DOHC 2.0-liter engine. The car would go into production in late 1966.
By John Matras
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