The Three Japanese Classic Cars That Are Worth $100,000 Or More

Japanese cars have typically been underappreciated by the mainstream classic car crowd. The club of $100,000-plus Japanese collector cars matches the exclusivity of the fraternity of Norwegian-born NFL stars — three each. Only Norwegians Jan Stenerud, Leif Larsen and Halvor Hagen have played in the NFL, and only these three Japanese classics can currently bring $100,000 or more:

1. 1967-70 Toyota 2000GT: The gorgeous and slinky Toyota 2000GT is also the sole Japanese member of the million-dollar classic car club. So exceedingly low slung that when the producers of the Japan-shot James Bond film “You Only Live Twice” wanted to feature one, in order to accommodate 6’2” tall Sean Connery, they had to cut the top off of it making it one of the few 2000 GT convertibles built. Well under 400 were built because, back in the day, the car was nearly sale-proof. It was priced as high as a Porsche 911S in an era when the popular perception of Japanese products matched the current perception of Chinese-made wares. In reality, though, the magnificent 2000 GT was like an IF-quality diamond in nearly every way.

2. 1967-72 Mazda Cosmo Sport: The Cosmo Sport was the first in a long line of rotary-powered Mazda sports cars. Virtually unknown in the U.S., where it was never officially imported, the Astro Boy-style Cosmo was early Japanese animé kitsch at its finest. Strangely, it works really well. Leno is said to love his. Recently, a rather scruffy example sold at an auction in Paris for $75,000. We have no problem saying that a perfectly restored one is a $100,000 car.

3. 1960-84 Toyota Land Cruiser: Daffy as it may seem, this Japanese Jeep CJ copy has been known to pull $100,000 or more. Granted, it takes the combination of the right auction and an over-the-top, better-than-new, perfectly restored example to do it, but it does happen.