8K Original Miles: 1986 Toyota MR2

The first-generation Toyota MR2 harkens back to a simpler time. I write often about how manufacturers seemed far less resistant to taking customer feedback and producing vehicles they actually wanted in the 1980s than they do now, and the AW11 MR2 is a perfect example of this ethos. It’s basically a Hot Wheels for the road, a vehicle you’d sketch out in elementary school art class of the perfect car. This particular example may actually be nearly perfect, considering it has only 8,400 original miles. The seller has listed it here on eBay and is asking $70,000 for it.

The story behind this survivor MR2 seems fascinating, and I wish the seller could go into greater detail. Apparently, it was with the original owner for close to four decades before being discovered via an estate sale. To be fair, the original owner passed away, so there’s clearly no way to assess the history, but it sure seems like the MR2 was used as a weekend-only car and then simply saw less and less use over time. Fortunately, this lack of use didn’t translate into outright neglect, as the paint, graphics, and interior all present as new. Look at the decals on the trunk link, the mudflaps, and gloss of the paint – despite its many years of inactivity, it was clearly stored indoors.

One of my greater disappointments is to see a vehicle is a time warp example with low mileage, only to then learn it was left outside for a decade. No matter how low the mileage, you could still be in for a world of hurt reconditioning parts and materials that are heavily sun-faded and/or torn apart by rodents. Despite the MR2 seeing clearly limited use, the interior and exterior condition both speak volumes about its high state of preservation. The seller reports that the second owner who snagged it from the estate sale (boy, I’d to know how much he paid!) took it straight to the Toyota dealer for a mess of servicing before putting it back on the road. Oh, how I love that a Toyota dealer was still happy to service this car.

Of course, the must-do timing belt job was performed, along with fresh fluids, new battery and tires, and an assortment of other deferred jobs like replacing the water pump, spark plugs, wires, the clutch slave cylinder, and various seals. The current owner reports he replaced the fuel pump under his stewardship. The MR2 is powered by a 4A-GE 4-cylinder engine mounted mid-ship and generating a humble but effective 112 horsepower and 97 lb.-ft. of torque. This MR2 is priced with a fairly ambitious ask but you can’t blame the seller for aiming for the moon with what is likely the lowest-mileage example in existence.