Toyota Sports 800
Encyclopedia
The Toyota Sports 800 was Toyota Motor Corporation's first production sports car. The prototype for the Sports 800, called the Toyota Publica Sports, debuted at the 1962 Tokyo Auto Show, featuring a space age sliding canopy and utilizing the 28 hp power train of the Toyota Publica
700, a Japanese market economy car. The Toyota Sports 800 is affectionately called the "Yota-Hachi", which is a Japanese short form for "Toyota 8".
In 1965, the car went into actual production, with chassis code UP15 and an increase in engine
displacement from 700 cc to 800 cc, as well as dual carburetors, which increased power from 28 hp. This engine was sufficient to power the light car around town at 45 mi/h or on a race track up to about 100 mi/h.
The car had aerodynamic styling by Shozo Sato, a designer on loan from Datsun, and Toyota engineer Tatsuo Hasegawa
. Hasegawa had been an aircraft designer in World War II and the resulting Sports 800 was a lightweight and agile machine.
The Sports 800 was one of the first production cars featuring a lift-out roof panel, or targa top
, pre-dating the Porsche Targa. The aluminum targa top
could be stored in the trunk, when not in use.
Between 1965 and 1969 approximately 3,131 units were built by the Kanto Auto Works. Only about 10% of those vehicles are known to have survived, most being in Japan.
Production Tables show 1,235 cars manufactured in 1965, 703 in 1966, 538 in 1967, 440 in 1968, and 215 in 1969.
The vast majority of the 3,131 cars were right hand drive, but some 300 were left hand drive models, built primarily for the Okinawa market. (Okinawa, having been American occupied, drove on the "other side" from the rest of Japan.) A very limited number of left hand drive cars were used by Toyota to "test drive" in the US, but Toyota made a decision not to import or sell the cars in the US market.
There are subtle design differences between the years. Noticeable differences have included: change over from non-synchro to synchro first gear in 1967; a grill and bumperette change in 1968; and side marker lights in 1969. The basic body design, however, remained unchanged.
An air-cooled 790 cc horizontally opposed two-cylinder boxer
engine powered the vehicle. The 0.8 liter 2U
(45 bhp @ 5400) was produced from 1965 through 1969, while a similar 2U-B
was produced from 1966 through 1976 (in 1975 the Dyna Coaster Bus
manual shows that Toyota used the 2U-B
as a separate auxiliary engine, just to run the air conditioning unit for the bus). The 2U
was also used in the Publica (UP20/UP26) and MiniAce (UP100).
Weight was kept down by using aluminum on selected body panels and thin steel on the unibody construction. For the first few years of production even the seat frames were made of aluminum.
There are both Japanese and American Registries on the Internet. Owners are encouraged to register their vehicles.
Toyota produced a one-off prototype Sports 800 Gas Turbine Hybrid for the 1979 Tokyo Motor Show
.
Toyota Publica
The Toyota Publica was a small car manufactured by the Japanese automaker Toyota from 1961 to 1978. Conceived as a family car to fulfil the requirements of the "national car concept", it was the smallest Toyota car during that period and was superseded in that role by the Toyota Starlet, which...
700, a Japanese market economy car. The Toyota Sports 800 is affectionately called the "Yota-Hachi", which is a Japanese short form for "Toyota 8".
In 1965, the car went into actual production, with chassis code UP15 and an increase in engine
Toyota U engine
The Toyota U family was a series of flat-twin engines produced in the 1960s and 1970s.-2U:The 0.8 L 2U was produced from 1965 through 1969, while the similar 2U-B was produced from 1966 through 1976. Output for the B was 49 hp at 5400 RPM.-External links:*...
displacement from 700 cc to 800 cc, as well as dual carburetors, which increased power from 28 hp. This engine was sufficient to power the light car around town at 45 mi/h or on a race track up to about 100 mi/h.
The car had aerodynamic styling by Shozo Sato, a designer on loan from Datsun, and Toyota engineer Tatsuo Hasegawa
Tatsuo Hasegawa
Tatsuo Hasegawa was a Japanese automotive engineer, and known as the development chief of the first Toyota Corolla...
. Hasegawa had been an aircraft designer in World War II and the resulting Sports 800 was a lightweight and agile machine.
The Sports 800 was one of the first production cars featuring a lift-out roof panel, or targa top
Targa top
Targa top, targa for short, is a semi-convertible car body style with a removable roof section and a full width roll bar behind the seats. The term was first used on the 1966 Porsche 911 Targa, and it remains a registered trademark of Porsche AG....
, pre-dating the Porsche Targa. The aluminum targa top
Targa top
Targa top, targa for short, is a semi-convertible car body style with a removable roof section and a full width roll bar behind the seats. The term was first used on the 1966 Porsche 911 Targa, and it remains a registered trademark of Porsche AG....
could be stored in the trunk, when not in use.
Between 1965 and 1969 approximately 3,131 units were built by the Kanto Auto Works. Only about 10% of those vehicles are known to have survived, most being in Japan.
Production Tables show 1,235 cars manufactured in 1965, 703 in 1966, 538 in 1967, 440 in 1968, and 215 in 1969.
The vast majority of the 3,131 cars were right hand drive, but some 300 were left hand drive models, built primarily for the Okinawa market. (Okinawa, having been American occupied, drove on the "other side" from the rest of Japan.) A very limited number of left hand drive cars were used by Toyota to "test drive" in the US, but Toyota made a decision not to import or sell the cars in the US market.
There are subtle design differences between the years. Noticeable differences have included: change over from non-synchro to synchro first gear in 1967; a grill and bumperette change in 1968; and side marker lights in 1969. The basic body design, however, remained unchanged.
An air-cooled 790 cc horizontally opposed two-cylinder boxer
Flat-twin
A flat-twin is a two cylinder internal combustion engine with the cylinders arranged on opposite sides of the crankshaft. It is part of the class of flat engines, sub-type "boxer", and shares most characteristics of those engines.-Motorcycle use:...
engine powered the vehicle. The 0.8 liter 2U
Toyota U engine
The Toyota U family was a series of flat-twin engines produced in the 1960s and 1970s.-2U:The 0.8 L 2U was produced from 1965 through 1969, while the similar 2U-B was produced from 1966 through 1976. Output for the B was 49 hp at 5400 RPM.-External links:*...
(45 bhp @ 5400) was produced from 1965 through 1969, while a similar 2U-B
Toyota U engine
The Toyota U family was a series of flat-twin engines produced in the 1960s and 1970s.-2U:The 0.8 L 2U was produced from 1965 through 1969, while the similar 2U-B was produced from 1966 through 1976. Output for the B was 49 hp at 5400 RPM.-External links:*...
was produced from 1966 through 1976 (in 1975 the Dyna Coaster Bus
Toyota Dyna
The Toyota Dyna is a light truck for commercial use. In the Japanese market, the Dyna is sold alongside its twin called Toyoace. The original Toyoace of 1956 was an improvement over the Toyopet SKB Truck...
manual shows that Toyota used the 2U-B
Toyota U engine
The Toyota U family was a series of flat-twin engines produced in the 1960s and 1970s.-2U:The 0.8 L 2U was produced from 1965 through 1969, while the similar 2U-B was produced from 1966 through 1976. Output for the B was 49 hp at 5400 RPM.-External links:*...
as a separate auxiliary engine, just to run the air conditioning unit for the bus). The 2U
Toyota U engine
The Toyota U family was a series of flat-twin engines produced in the 1960s and 1970s.-2U:The 0.8 L 2U was produced from 1965 through 1969, while the similar 2U-B was produced from 1966 through 1976. Output for the B was 49 hp at 5400 RPM.-External links:*...
was also used in the Publica (UP20/UP26) and MiniAce (UP100).
Weight was kept down by using aluminum on selected body panels and thin steel on the unibody construction. For the first few years of production even the seat frames were made of aluminum.
There are both Japanese and American Registries on the Internet. Owners are encouraged to register their vehicles.
Toyota produced a one-off prototype Sports 800 Gas Turbine Hybrid for the 1979 Tokyo Motor Show
Tokyo Motor Show
The is a biennial auto show held in October-November at the Makuhari Messe, Chiba City, Japan for cars, motorcycles and commercial vehicles. Hosted by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association , it is a recognized international show by the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs...
.