1975 TOYOTA CELICA GT FASTBACK

This Toyota Celica Liftback GT is a smart example of the 1970s sports coupe, presenting in good order throughout and with its original Japanese service book. Under the bonnet sits the 2.0-litre ‘18R’ twin-cam inline-four engine, producing around 128bhp in stock form, coupled with a five-speed manual transmission. The odometer currently indicates 76,899 km.

First registered in December 1975, this Japanese-market Celica GT was acquired by the vendor last year, when it was imported to the UK and re-registered in August 2020.

To the best of the vendor’s knowledge, the bodywork of this Celica has never sustained any damage, presenting with smooth panels and flush shut lines. Following the model’s 1974 facelift, this example comes with flared wheel arches, and revised rear quarter vents and bumpers, all of which appear in good order.

The Deep Green paintwork is believed to be entirely original, and is described as being in generally good condition. The vendor notes some stone chips around the front end, some poorly touched-in spots around the body, and scuffs in the finish at the bottom of both doors. Elsewhere, there paint is faded slightly in places, and with some superficial swirl marks. The plastic covers over the front bumper are also grazed at the corners. It rides on a set of 13-inch wheels, which are in good order.

Moving inside, the black and grey interior trim presents well, and again is believed to be original. The vendor has indicated a small mark on the driver’s seat, though the upholstery otherwise remains in excellent condition, with just some very light age-related creasing. The headlining appears with some surface wear in places, though the dashboard trim remains in good order and all of the cabin’s electrics are reported to work as they should.

The last routine maintenance was undertaken in February 2020 at around 76,000 km, where technicians at a Toyota dealer in Japan carried out a full service. The vehicle comes with its original stamped service record, which details further work done over the years. During the current ownership, the car has also received new spark plugs, as well as a replacement distributor cap and rotor arm.

It was put through a UK MOT test on 20 July 2020 at 76,630 km, which resulted in a first-time pass with only one advisory to monitor a minor exhaust leak, which was rectified with exhaust paste. The wheels come wrapped with Yokohama Ecos tyres, which are reported to be less than two years old and with 6mm of tread remaining.

Accompanying the vehicle are the original stamped Japanese service book, as well as the full toolkit, export certificate and two keys.

This Toyota Celica Liftback GT is a highly original example of the classic sports coupe, which remains in good condition overall. It would now benefit from some light cosmetic refurbishment to bring it up to a great standard, so could be the perfect easy improvement project for 2021. Of course, it could simply be driven and enjoyed as-is, without worrying about getting the odd chip or scuff on the paintwork, and would make a superb addition to any collection of Japanese performance cars or modern classics.

The description of this auction lot is, to the best of the seller's knowledge, accurate and not misleading. Collecting Cars requests a range of detail about the lot from the seller, and performs a level of due diligence. However, bidders must satisfy themselves as to the accuracy of the description, and conduct any research they feel is necessary before committing to a bid. Please see our Terms and Conditions for full details.

All UK-registered cars and motorbikes on Collecting Cars are run through an online HPI check. This vehicle shows no insurance database markers for damage or theft, and has no finance owing.