The sixth-generation Toyota Celica was always a bit of an outlier in the U.S. market. It wasn’t an overwhelming success for a very simple reason that has doomed certain sports models over the years, which is that Toyota didn’t bring its hottest version stateside. The previous generation sport coupe could be had with all-wheel drive and a turbocharged powerplant, but not with the larger, heavier T200-chassis cars. Still, this 1999 Celica GT convertible listed here on craigslist looks like one of the cleanest we’ve seen in recent memory, and the seller is asking $16,200 for this low-mileage drop-top.
Now, I’m not sure how many buyers realized that the Celica sold in pretty much every other market was available with some serious horsepower not offered stateside, but the U.S. offering was so tepid that almost every buyer was likely hungry for more power. The GT-Four continued to be offered overseas, with upwards of 251 horsepower available in its home market. This era of Celica was also the basis of a successful Group A rally car that Toyota produced in small quantities in accordance with homologation requirements, which has made them quite sought-after by JDM collectors. This Celica convertible is equipped with the optional automatic transmission.
The 2.2-liter 5S-FE was nothing new, and was a familiar sight in Toyota’s lineup, doing duty in cars like the Camry. It did feature dual overhead cams, but that was about as racy as it got in this generation Celica. To me, this always felt like getting behind the wheel of the prior generation Celica GT-S convertible, with its fat fenders and wheels, only to find there’s a 22-R under the hood. A bit tractor-like in nature, it was certainly reliable, but hardly a home run in the high-performance category. U.S. enthusiasts had to have looked longingly at what customers in Japan were able to bring home.
Like the generation before it, Toyota sent its standard hardtop models to the U.S. for ASC to perform the conversion. The roof was lopped off and an insulated soft top installed in its place. The conversion was quite clean and worked well with the wide track of the Celica, and they remain quite difficult to find in the wild today. This particular car certainly benefits from its limited use over the years and likely indicates it was used solely as a summer/weekend driver. The price is fair considering the condition, but I suspect the seller will be waiting a while to find just the right buyer. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Mitchell G. for the find.
Yawn, auto!
Owned numerous Celicas over the years – never an automatic. They have always been great cars. Dependable, easy to work on, cheap to repair and economical to drive. This is an excellent example HOWEVER it’s an automatic which to me detracts from its overall value. There may be some older person who wants relive their younger days and can’t work a “third pedal” who might want this but once you’ve owned a 5-speed you don’t want an auto!
Yeesh! These did not age well. That face!
I currently own a Celica convertible, a 1991 so a generation earlier – but – WOW – what a car!! I don’t know why the Miata got all the attention – as a daily driver these are so superior. Room for groceries in the back seat, top goes up and down at the touch of a button and mine is as fast as I need it to be. Now, disclosure – mine is also RHD and JDM so it even has Four-Wheel-Steering!
AS a fabricator of rare parts I remember that the convertible’s hood latches were borrowed from Fiat 124 Spider. How could that be? Well, it is possible that my memory misplaced this esoteric fact. Perhaps it was a wannabe clone Celica that we provided restored top latches for?? Still, as Kernal Sanders said, “Parts is Parts”, and these days, a Google Image search reveals that even Lamborghini OEM is faced with calling aftermarket parts their own in the diminishing supply markets for otherwise rare and exponentially expensive nearly “one-off” OEM parts–True at least for a restoration I viewed recently of a wrecked Lamborghini supercar retrieved from nearly scrap recently. Body panel retaining clasps manufactured in the aftermarket were exactly the same sold by Lamborghini at a 10 times price increased price factor. I wonder how the agreements in THAT offering were accomplished. Well, the highest paid lawyers always win.
I had a 92 Celica convertible identical to this in the mid-90’s. It was a pretty nice and fun car for a guy in his mid-20’s. I traded it in for a Saab convertible which I loved until it got harder and harder to get someone to work on it when the dealership close by closed. The Celica was a good car though and hard to find today in this condition.