Honest Driver: 1984 Toyota Celica Supra – SOLD!
February 27, 2022 Update – We confirmed the seller of this “Classifind” deleted their listing, so we’re now able to call this one “SOLD!” While this one got away, please reach out either by email or call us directly if you’d like to be informed when we come across something similar.
These days, it’s not surprising to see a late-model Toyota Supra get listed with an absolutely obscene asking price. There’s certainly plenty of reasons why from its prominent role in the 1990s tuner scene to living large in The Fast and the Furious movie franchise. If you can stomach a smaller rear spoiler, the earlier Supra models are just as special in their own way, even if the performance is a shadow of the later turbocharged model. This 1984 Toyota Supra originally listed in February 2022 on Craigslist in La Mirada, California that’s described as being highly original and a strong runner with an asking price of $9,500. Comparing this price against the Hagerty Insurance Online Valuation Tool confirms this private seller has his Supra priced in between a “Fair” example at $5,200 and a “Good” condition car at $12,000.
The Supra has long been a fixture on the import sports car scene, going toe-to-toe with the best that Mitsubishi, Mazda, and Nissan had to offer in the early 90s. It really was a glorious time to be a sports car enthusiast, as even with the Porsche 911 and Acura NSX still dominating the conversation, you could find your way into an almost as capable performer with a much more reasonable price tag. Ah, how I yearn to go back to those days, and that sentiment of nostalgia is a big part of the reason why prices are going up, up, and up. The second-generation Supra certainly wasn’t a rocketship like the later cars, with both of the next two generations gaining turbocharged powerplants, but there’s a lot to like about the 5M-GE inline-six engine that resides under the hood. It’s easy to rev, sounds deliciously raspy, and will still get out of its own way just fine – all with relatively low costs of ownership to maintain.
The MotorWeek Retro Review Channel features this 1983 review of the then-new Toyota Celica Mk II:
The seller’s car certainly looks the part of a Supra, as this was the era that gained the big fender flares and hatch-mounted rear spoiler. The wheels were chunky and the seats heavily bolstered, so even if it didn’t offer supercar-like performance, the looks were on point. The seller’s car is slightly tired in this regard, and the interior definitely needs restoration. The paintwork doesn’t look too bad for a black car, but I’m sure up close there are plenty of swirls and other minor defects. What’s encouraging are signs of the originality that the seller promises, from the old-school California “sunset” license plates to the dealer plate frame still affixed to the back panel. Black on gray is a tasty color combination, and with some fresh upholstery and overall detailing, this Supra will look even more tempting than it already does. I wouldn’t necessarily pay $10K without a hefty pile of service records, but I’d still consider it for a clean, rust-free example like this. Would you?
Here’s the seller’s description:
“Selling our 1984 Toyota Celica Supra car is original. Runs great with its 2.8 6 cylinder twin cam equipped with a 5-speed manual transmission. Tires have a lot of tread on them. I have no room for the Supra so it’s up for sale
we are asking $9500 obo.“
Do you have a Toyota Supra story you’d like to share? Comment below and let us know!
I owned a 1984 black Supra and I just totally loved it. It was actually stolen twice.. the first time the good stuff was stolen but it was fixable. I used the insurance to really set it up in my stole. A $2000 stereo system very high end fancy bucket seats. A great new black paint with all Toyota badges. It was breathtaking.
I was selling filing systems to car dealers.
I sold a very expensive filing system to a Danvers catalog dealer and was delivers the folders and labels on a fall rain store and had to deliver these items on a cold rainy day and when I drove into the service men gathered around my car admiring it. With the windshield wipers still going the car covered with rain it was a spectacular vision for Caddy guys. They opened the hood and gasped at the engine. One tech asked me if I understood what we were looking at to which I answered NO! He answered “Nether do I”
I’ve since had lots of great cars – BMW convertible, Mercedes, and several Audis and that Supra is still the favorite car I ever had.