SUPRA A40 (MK I)

About the Supra A40 (Mk I)

Before the Supra was the Supra, it was a Celica with a longer nose and a straight-six where the four-cylinder used to live. The A40 was Toyota's first attempt at a Japanese grand tourer — part sports car, part gentleman's express — and it worked better than anyone expected. The 4M-E 2.6-liter inline-six gave it a smoothness the Celica couldn't match. Independent rear suspension, four-wheel disc brakes, and a cockpit that felt more European than Japanese. Toyota was clearly studying the 280Z and decided it could do one better. The Celica Supra wasn't faster than a Datsun, but it was more refined — the car you'd pick for a cross-country run instead of a canyon road. It sold modestly and impressed consistently. The automotive press noticed what Toyota was building toward, even if the public hadn't caught on yet.