Every Toyota Convertible Ever Made (And What They’re Worth Today)






Since it produced its first motor vehicle, the Toyoda Model AA, in 1936, the Toyota Motor Corporation has evolved from a one-car wonder making just 100 Model AAs that first year into a full-line carmaker turning out millions. And along the way it has produced a number of convertibles, including some notable topless vehicles.

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Going in chronological order, starting back in 1963, we will cover every convertible Toyota has ever made. These include convertible versions of Toyota’s production sedans, purpose-built two-seater convertible sports cars, convertibles based on sporty Toyota 2+2 coupes, soft tops made out of economy-car platforms, convertibles crafted from sport utility vehicles, convertible supercars, and even a unique convertible made especially for its featured role in a “James Bond” film.

In addition to the stories behind these extremely varied Toyota convertibles, we’ll highlight their current values, based on information gathered from the classic.com website’s Toyota section. Enjoy the ride!

1963-1969 Toyota Publica Convertible

The 1963-to-1969 Toyota Publica Convertible was the company’s first convertible, added to the Publica line in October 1963. Its name, a combination of the English words “public” and “car,” was selected by Toyota in a public naming contest that received more than a million entries. The Publica Convertible was powered by an 0.7L, horizontally-opposed, air-cooled two-cylinder engine with dual carburetors. Its output was 36 horsepower. Keep in mind that the entire car weighed just 1,367 pounds, which likely produced decent performance from the tiny engine.

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The Publica Convertible’s power was transmitted through a four-speed floor-shifted manual transmission driving the rear wheels. Its maximum speed was 75 mph (120 kmh).

A version of the Toyota Publica Convertible with a detachable plastic hardtop was added to the line in December 1966. This replaced the original version of the convertible that had come with a soft top. While the Publica Convertible was not very groundbreaking, it would set the pattern for the more adventurous move Toyota would make next.

There has been only one sale of a first-generation, air-cooled Toyota Publica on classic.com. It was not a convertible but a sedan, which sold for $9,800 in 2020.

1965-1969 Toyota Sports 800 Convertible

The next Toyota convertible was the 1965-to-1969 Toyota Sports 800, which was Toyota’s first production sports car. It debuted as the Toyota Publica Sports concept at the 1962 Tokyo Motor Show, where its sliding jet-fighter-style canopy caused a sensation. 

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The Sports 800 finally made its way to the marketplace in April 1965, without the heavy canopy but with conventional doors and a roof panel that could be removed, an innovation that predated Porsche’s 911 Targa by several months. The roof, doors, and hood were made from aluminum and the steel used was thin-gauge, all to save weight. The Sports 800 weighed in at 1,279 pounds, 88 pounds less than the Publica Convertible.

The Sports 800 used the engine from the Publica, which was bored out to create a larger 0.8L displacement. A higher compression ratio and twin carburetors worked together with the enlarged displacement to produce 45 horsepower. Power flowed to the rear wheels via a live rear axle. Top speed was a respectable 96 mph.

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A total of 3,131 Toyota Sports 800s were produced. Most were sold in Japan, with a U.S. sales test failing before export plans were abandoned. There was only one original, complete car sold within the past year on classic.com; it sold for $28,500. 

1966 Toyota 2000GT Convertible

The Toyota 2000GT Convertible used in the James Bond film “You Only Live Twice” was a rarity within a rarity. It was based on the 2000GT Coupe, of which a total of 337 were sold between 1967 and 1969.

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While the coupe was the original car intended to be used in the movie, 6-foot-2 star Sean Connery could not fit comfortably inside it. So Toyota converted two of them to white topless versions. Unlike his beloved Aston Martins, Bond never drives the Toyota 2000GT Convertible in the film. Instead it’s driven by Japanese agent Aki, who rescues Bond in it twice.

Because only two Toyota 2000GT Convertibles were made, both for the Bond film, the public never had a chance to buy one. One convertible, used to promote the film in the U.S., was discovered by a Toyota employee in Hawaii in 1977. It has been restored and now resides in the Toyota Museum in Japan. The other 2000GT Convertible has never been found.

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The 2000GT Convertible had the same powertrain as the Coupe, a 2.0L double overhead cam inline-six with triple carburetors and an output of 148 horsepower. This was about three times more power than the average Japanese passenger car of the time. It sent its power through a five-speed gearbox to the rear wheels.

Current values for 2000GT Coupes on classic.com show three recent sales, all from 2023. The three cars sold for between $680,972 and $995,952. The Bond convertible’s value is anybody’s guess.

1984-1999 Toyota Celica Convertible

The 1984-to-1999 Toyota Celica Convertible was an important member of the Celica lineup for 16 years. The word “Celica” is Spanish for “heavenly” or “celestial.” 

While around 2,000 targa-top “Sunchaser” convertibles with removable roof sections had been made in the late 1970s by the Griffith Company, the longer-term Celica convertible story starts and ends with the construction of a 46,000-square-foot Southern California plant built by ASC Inc. This is where mass-production of Celica convertibles with fully folding soft tops, spanning several Celica generations, would take place. Toyota actually reinforced the bodies of the Celica coupes that would later have their tops chopped off at the ASC plant. Once the coupe’s top was removed, the electro-hydraulic top was installed. 

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Because Toyota Celica Convertibles span so many years and generations, the advice to buy the best one you can afford applies. A check of classic.com shows a good supply of the early 1985 models, with eight sales in the past 13 months ranging from $4,444 to $16,000. The final Celica Convertible generation of 1994 to 1999 shows a scarcity of convertibles for sale. The most recent model year car that sold is shown on classic.com as a single 1997 model that went for $10,247. These cars definitely fall in the realm of affordable classics.

1985-2005 Toyota MR2

The now-discontinued Toyota MR2, which stands for “Mid-engine Runabout 2-seater,” was produced for three generations between 1985 and 2005, including 17 model years in the U.S. The first two generations had targa roofs with removable roof panels. The final generation had a conventional folding soft top.

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The first-generation MR2 was sold here from 1985 until 1990, with a supercharged engine option added in 1987.  Its standard 16-valve, double-overhead-cam 1.6L four produced 112 horsepower and did zero-to-60 mph in 8.1 seconds, topping out at 121 mph. With the 145-hp supercharged engine, zero-to-60 mph was cut to 6.5 seconds and top speed increased to 130 mph.

The second-generation MR2, sold in the U.S. for model years 1991 through 1995, was longer, lower and wider. It could be purchased with either normally aspirated or turbocharged engines. The 2L turbocharged version put out 200 horsepower, with a zero-to-60 time of 6.3 seconds and a top speed of 142 mph.

The third-generation MR2, named the MR2 Spyder, covered the 2000 through 2005 model years. A smaller, lighter, simpler two-seat roadster, similar to the original Mazda Miata in character, it came with a single engine, a 1.8L four with 138 horsepower.  Zero-to-60 mph took 7.2 seconds.  

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Values for the three generations of the MR2, based on vehicles sold during the past three months on classic.com, show that there is a plentiful supply of original cars from all generations. Prices range from $7,128 to $24,900, making it another affordable Toyota classic.

1987-1998 Toyota Supra Sport Roof

The 1987-to-1998 Toyota Supra Sport Roof was a targa-top version of the Supra Coupe. It featured a removable roof panel that could easily be stashed in the trunk. Toyota said, “The SPORT ROOF creates a more open and airy environment for the driver and passengers, and gives the Supra a more sporty look.”

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It debuted on the 1987 model year A70 version of the Supra and was available as an option through the end of the A80 version, also known as the MK4 Supra. The A70 Supra ran from the 1987 through 1992 model years, replaced by the A80 Supra in 1993, for which 1998 was its final model year in the U.S. market. 

Both the Sport Roof and standard Coupe versions of these two generations of the Supra were available with either a normally aspirated inline-six or a higher-powered turbocharged version. The peak turbocharged version of the 2JZ-GTE engine in the A80 produced 320 stock horsepower, with over 1,000 horses on tap for talented aftermarket tuners. The A80’s fame was assured after its starring role in 2001’s “The Fast and the Furious.”

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The values for these Supras, particularly the A80 versions, have exploded in the past several years. As usual, buy the best one you can afford. A check on classic.com shows that while A70s with both roof types have sold for between $6,050 and $39,999 over the past year, the A80s with either roof type have gone from $23,175 to an amazing $181,500.

1997 Toyota Paseo Convertible

The 1997 Toyota Paseo Convertible appeared in Toyota’s U.S. lineup for only a year before being discontinued, although it continued to be sold in Canada in 1998 and 1999. Like the Celica convertible, the Paseo’s top-off conversion was also done by ASC Inc. Approximately 1,000 were made for the U.S. market. 

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The Paseo Convertible could claim to be the least expensive convertible available in the U.S. during 1997. For a suggested price of $17,188, you got a 1.5L inline-four packing 93 horsepower, mated to either a five-speed manual or an optional four-speed automatic. To keep costs down, the convertible top was manually operated.

Being an entry-level convertible built on an economy-car platform, it is highly likely that most of the 1,000 Paseo Convertibles made in 1997 have not survived to the present day. Values for the Toyota Paseo Convertible on classic.com show one car listed in 2023 with an asking price of $14,900 and one put up for sale in August with an asking price of $7,995.

1998-2000 Toyota RAV4 Convertible

The 1998-to-2000 Toyota RAV4 Convertible, also known as the Soft Top, was a two-door version of Toyota’s first compact SUV, which had been launched as a 1995 model in Japan and Europe. The RAV4 (Recreational Active Vehicle with 4-wheel drive) arrived in the U.S. as a 1996 model. 

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In the middle of the 1998 model year, the two-door RAV4 Soft Top was introduced. It featured a reinforced folding rear soft top made of vinyl-coated polyester material, incorporating plastic windows to let the light in. The RAV4 Soft Top also had a removable roof panel over the front seats, enabling a decent open-air experience when the soft top was folded and the roof panel was out.

Power for all early RAV4s was courtesy of a 2.0L inline-four with an output of 121 horsepower, later increased to 127 horses. All-wheel drive was standard, with a choice of five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. Zero-to-60 mph was adequate, taking around 10 seconds with the manual and 12 seconds with the automatic.

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The RAV4 Convertible/Soft Top, one of the best-looking Toyota SUVs ever designed, is thought to be rare, mainly due to the existence of the vastly more popular 5-door rigid-top model. Values for the Toyota RAV4 Convertible/Soft Top on classic.com show only three RAV4 Convertible/Soft Top models being sold within the past two years. All were 1998 models, which sold for between $4,606 and $12,750.

1999-2008 Toyota Camry Solara Convertible

The 1999-to-2008 Toyota Camry Solara Convertible encompassed two generations. The first generation ran from the 1999 to 2003 model years, while the second generation Camry Solara, which was longer, taller, and wider, ran from the 2004 to 2008 model years, with a facelift in 2007 for its final two years on the market.

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The Toyota Camry Solara Convertible was built on a two-door version of the Camry sedan platform, which was also used for a hardtop coupe version. There were engine options that at the outset included either a 2.2L inline-four with 135 horsepower or a 3.3-Liter V6 that had 200 horsepower. By the second generation of the Camry Solara Convertible’s run, the horsepower ratings were up to 198 for the four and 225 for the V6.

The values for Toyota Camry Solara Convertibles in original condition sold during the past year on classic.com show a total of six cars that went for prices ranging from $6,500 to $17,000. Mileages shown on these vehicles were between 23,000 and 81,000 miles, so it is still possible to find a Camry Solara Convertible in decent condition at a reasonable price. 

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