The second-generation Toyota Supra was one of the more impressive cars to emerge from the early 1980s. The first run of the Supra was a different sort of car, focused on more of the popular “personal luxury coupe” style that was all the rage in the late 70s. By the time this era of the Supra arrived, it had been transformed with a chassis blessed by Lotus and a wonderfully high-revving inline-six engine. The Supra shown here (technically still known as the “Celica Supra” at the time) was snatched up by the seller from the original owner this year and he’s listed it here on eBay with bidding to over $12,000 and no reserve.
The Supra features a unique two-tone paint scheme that was limited to the ’82 and ’83 model years, with a black hatch lit and corresponding rear bumper and taillight panel. I’ve never understood the purpose of this but it doesn’t look as offensive as one might expect. These earlier Supras also came with a “narrow body,” which is to say they didn’t yet sport the chunky flares that came on the ’85-’86 model years. The body on this Supra is clearly in excellent shape, benefiting from its seemingly limited use as well as its long-term residence in Texas. The seller notes it was sold new at Austin Toyota.
The interior of the second-generation Supra was as much a treat as the styling and the engine, featuring some of the most comfortable sport seats in the business. The seats were Recaro-like in design and featured adjustable lumbar support via a small hand pump; just crazy features for a non-exotic car. The later models also came with a bonkers stereo featuring a factory equalizer, a feature the earlier models didn’t get. The interior of this car looks as a sub-60K mile example should, with little evidence of the aging process taking place – particularly impressive for a Texas car that has a high potential for sun damage.
This dual overhead cam inline-six is a honey of an engine that willingly revs to redline and comes alive at the higher RPMs. While it didn’t make huge numbers power-wise – around 150 horsepower in this model year, rising to 161 in 1986 – it’s one of those mills that never feels like it’s lacking in thrust. I had a Cressida for a short while with this engine in it and hearing it at full chat was a treat for the senses. This Supra is clearly in near-timewarp condition with an engine compartment that presents like new, just like the rest of the car.
Nice looking car,but the later models look so much better with
the fender flares & bigger wheels/tires.The Supras seem to be kept
in better shape & have a higher survival rate than the regular Celicas.
This is the ’85 Celica GT that will be our Granddaughter’s first
car.She’ll be paying for it with her own money.it’s rust free,with only
133,000 miles.Right after the deal was made on it,we were told that
the engine had been rebuilt 6,000 miles ago,& had new shocks &
brakes put on it,& the interior is in reall nice shapeAnd the price was
right – $2500.
I’ve also found two of these in local wrecking yards,& there’s
one guy around here that has a bunch of Celicas & Supras that he’s
parting out not too far from here.
Hold on. I think everyone’s first car should be something more of a tank. And disposable. Not a rarity.
Have you seen the price of those kind of cars lately?
My father had a 1982 with the flares and the iconic Supra wheels with 225/60/14 tires. It was the Supra P (Performance). The narrow body and wheels were for the Supra L (Luxury).
Is it an interference engine?
No.
I bought a new one in 1984. Loved that engine, not a lot of power, but turbine smooth. But reasonably fast for the malaise era. The same kit that allows you to drop a Chevy small block into a Toyota pickup also works with the Supra. I’ve seen a couple at the drag strip, pretty peppy. Don’t know how well the transmission and rear end hold up though.
Sold these at a Cadillac-Pontiac-Toyota-GMC dealership in Louisiana … we found it laughable that the Supra, and Cressida, had more power than the Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am …
Why no pics of the passenger side??
I had an ’84 Celica GT Liftback
Great looking and had the upgrade stereo with an equalizer. The curse was rust. One year in, replaced the sunroof, two years, the liftback; three years, the sunroof again; four years, signs in several places; five years, a new Accord that never rusted. Toyota kept making repairs, but never acknowledged a problem. I thought my beach trips were the cause. Turns out there was an “unwritten warranty” – too much carbon made the car prone to rust. I have continued my beach trips and none of my cars, including a ’97 Camry, has had a problem. ’82-’86 Toyotas are great as long as they didn’t like the beach!
Had an 84 Supra. No rust ever. Lost to an accident in 1990. Sad day.
I guess you dont live in New England, Accords rusted horribly in the 80s and 90s.
I learned something new, I’ve never seen a 2nd Gen 1986. I have a 1983 with the chunky flares, and two tone paint, I bought it because I had a fun 85 Celica GT-S, and always wanted a Supra version, not to mention it was only $900. I’ll have to double check my title, maybe it’s a 1984.
Chuck, that is an 84-85 style Supra P. The 82-83 P had a much larger Sun shield (that’s what Toyota called it) at the top of the gate with no lower spoiler like your vehicle has. I know, I had an 83 P with a header, retimed cams and a ported head. Loved that car, it could drift before drifting became a thing.
That’s an ’85 or ’86, unless someone stuck the later spoiler/sunshade on the car. The ’84 had the same large sunshade as the earlier models. Unless you got a leather interior in which case you got no sunshade at all.
The write-up on this car is very inaccurate, facts should have been checked. The car pictured does not have the Recaro style seats, they were only available in the performance model. You could get the better radio with the equalizer in 82-83, it was optional. As for the fender flares, all performance models had them from 82-86. I was (still am) a Toyota parts man from back then and had a spread sheet on all the parts to convert a luxury model into a performance model because we had customers that bought the L and wanted a P. Until they saw the cost…
I bought a used 1983 Celica Supra,black and grey ,with louvers on the rear window,no spoiler. I loved that car, unfortunately a Toyota dealership messed with it,and eventually it developed a cracked head,also the electrical system developed shorts. I had it for four years. Wish that I still had it
There were no ‘narrow body’ Celica Supras – they were either L (luxury) type without the fender flares and wider wheels, or P (performance) type with them – all the way from ’82 to ’86. Toypartman is right in one area, but wrong in another. He is absolutely correct that these seats don’t have the air pump lumbar bladders and they had an equalizer option available with the stereo from the very first year. He is wrong about the sun shade years, though. Up through ’84, they had the high one he is referring to (84 P-Types with leather could not get the sun shade, interestingly). Only ’85/’86 had the low sun shade. More errors – 1st year 5MGE engines were 145hp. Fairly rare digital dash on this one, but it is a late ’82 build because the nose and B pillar badges say Celica Supra instead of just Supra. It changed mid-year and the badges that just say Supra are very rare. Other differences with future year A60s – 1982 had the radio antenna in the glass and a vacuum advance distributor instead of electronic
Chuck Foster if your car has a 3rd brake light and a 10th digit of G in the VIN, it is an ’86
Had the 84 version. Worst car I ever owned. Overheated, stalled out. Doors frozen closed. Digital dash was a nightmare. Timing belt broke at 50k. Automatic version was painfully slow. Best day I ever had was trading it in for a 1989 Honda Accord LXi.
while in high school I had a 71 Celica……was totaled out from under me, and as I moved on I remember these coming out and oh how I wished a 21 year old me could afford one, but alas it was not to be….
I bought a new ’82 Celica GTS. Always thought it was a better looking car with the flares and liked the wheels better. Mine had the Racaro seats, white with brown interior. Really pretty car. I sold it in 87. When cleaning it out prior to sale, I took the rear wheel compartment off in the trunk, and my knuckles scraped the ground. Totally rusted out, but looked great outside. ( MN. car ) With those wide Toyos on the wheels, it was totally worthless in the snow.
SOLD for $14,100.