Without the benefit of a time machine, there are poster cars out there which we’re unlikely ever to own. I’m sure we all have that vivid memory of flicking through the classifieds, longer ago than we’d care to recall, only to spot a tempting car for manageable money. But we told ourselves it wasn’t feasible and moved on. Then, years later, as our situation changes or that long-dormant temptation flares back to life, we find ourselves looking at the online listings: wham, those cars now command a price multiple of the old. We grimace as the spark goes out, then glumly close the browser.
If you’ve ever harboured a pang of lust for an A80-generation Toyota Supra, you’re probably all too familiar with that story. When it went on sale in the UK on 24 August 1993, the twin-turbo, six-speed Supra cost £37,500. About 20 years down the line, it was possible to find examples that had depreciated into the tantalisingly affordable four- and low five-figure range. Oh, if only we’d had the time, space, money, and foresight back then. Because now, the same car could set you back £50,000 – in part because of its rarity, but also because of its fans.
Yes, it’s time to talk about The Fast and the Furious again. The action-packed automotive thriller – which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, if you need an excuse to watch it again – presented the Supra as an undefeatable car to an impressionable crowd of future automotive enthusiasts. Now that they’ve all long since graduated, and the children of some have even left home, they’re at a point where they can splash some serious cash. For many of those still carrying that cinematically induced spark, it’ll go on their dream car: an A80 Supra. This, coupled with a continually depleting pool of good examples, serves to drive prices ever skyward.
