1987 Toyota Celica

This Toyota Celica convertible, registration number ‘E680 AYJ’, shows a former keeper on the V5C Registration Certificate but as the second is the original buyer’s wife, who put in into her name after he died, it’s really a one-owner-from-new car.

Which would be remarkable in its own right – and then you discover it’s had a minimum of one main-dealer service every year; it’s not often you see 38 main-dealer stamps in the book for what was a relatively modest car, is it?

It’s still very original too, with a hard-won patina and evidence of preservation rather than restoration, something else that separates the great cars from those that are merely very good.

Showing just 42,000 miles on the odometer, a reading we’re confident is saying is accurate, it starts, runs and drives very well and everything we tested worked as it should.

Being offered with no reserve, we can see this ultra-original Celica attracting an awful lot of interest.

The black coachwork appears to be honest and original, which is something of a mixed blessing because while the shutlines and panel alignment are all very good – and there are no dents, dinks, or ripples to worry about either – the paintwork is a bit tired.

Which is a very #firstworldproblem because the car’s next owner will have to decide whether to continue to embrace the stonechips and scratches, the polishing swirls, and the sun-faded door mirror caps and the door trims or to treat it to a full respray.

This is not a decision we envy: On the one hand it’s nice to see original paintwork, even if it isn’t in the first flush of youth – and on the other few would condemn the decision to restore it.

Perhaps an easier decision is to have the 195/60R14 tyres replaced. The rear tyres are Dunlop SP Sport that date back to 2013 and 2017, while the front tyres are Arrowspeed CP661 from 2014. However, the seller tells us these were only put on last year. You could also set up a search for a centre cap, as the nearside rear is damaged, although the alloy wheels are otherwise in a good condition with no scuffs or scrapes to their rims.

The roof seals and latches securely when it is raised and tucks away neatly underneath a vinyl cover when it isn’t required. It too is in a generally good condition, even if there is a perceptible repair to the offside. It also comes with the original cassette tape that talks you through the process of raising and lowering it, which is a huge improvement over having to scan a QR code or download an app to find out what does what.

Interestingly, for all the eighties were an era where greed was good and too much wasn’t enough, aerodynamic addenda are restricted to a three-piece rear wing and a deep chin spoiler.

Plus, pop-up headlamps, of course, which continue to fulfil their role smoothly and quietly. Their lenses are also free of chips and cracks, something that is also the case with the other lamp lenses.

The funky grey velour-and-tweed interior provides the sort of textural contrast you just don’t get anymore. It too is in a good condition having developed a bit of character via a slightly tatty gear knob and wear to the tweed sections of the driver’s seat but little more.

Sorting that out might prove less of a dilemma than the coachwork, as getting a top-notch trimmer to affect a repair to the driver’s seat wouldn’t compromise the car’s originality too much.

Nor would having them retrim the gear knob – and even replacing the latter wouldn’t be too much of an issue as long as you took care to hang onto the original. They might like to tighten up the netting pockets on the back of the front seats while they’ve got it, and sort out the torn and drooping headlining at the rear of the folding roof.

The rest is good news. The seats are otherwise in great shape with firm and plump cushions and no apparent sun-fading or UV-damage to their upper surfaces, something that can be a problem in convertible cars.

The front seats also still hold you as firmly as a love-sick anaconda thanks to their pronounced bolsters and they’re manually adjustable, so could be repaired without having to seek the help of a 15-year-old with a laptop.

The rest of the cloth trim is in a very good condition, including the tweed door cards and rear quarter trim.

The gear knob might be worn but the steering wheel is remarkably well preserved, as are the pedal rubbers and the carpets but then the latter have been protected by genuine OE rubber mats and therefore show only a few marks with the exception of the nearside rear, which has more widespread staining.

The lettering on the switches and controls is still bright white and almost unmarked, the headunit is the factory Toyota-branded radio-cassette player, and the key to unlock the roof is in the glovebox.

Everything works as it should, including the two door-mounted warning lights, something we recognise as one of those small details that reveal so much about a car’s curation.

The boot still contains its wooden trim panels, and these appear to be straight and unwarped and free of water damage. The rear seats fold down too, extending the usefulness of what is already a decent-sized luggage compartment.

The engine bay is probably the weakest part of the car, and we can see the need to refresh it probably outweighs any desire to maintain its originality. There’s still a balance to be struck, of course, but treating it to a deep-clean before assessing your next step would help you tread the line with more confidence than if you just dived straight in.

But the issues do appear to be largely cosmetic; as the video shows, the two-litre, twin-cam, 16-valve engine fires into life with the sort of enthusiasm you’d expect of a car that’s been serviced 37 times by a Toyota main dealer in its 39-year life.

It idles very well too, and revs with the 16-valve enthusiasm we remember so fondly: Our test drive was a drive along memory lane as much as an assessment of the car’s dynamic behaviour, although we found nothing to fault in this area either.

It won’t surprise you to learn that the dashboard shows good oil pressure plus a good charge to the battery. Nor that there are no odd noises, or excessive smoke.

While the last mention of structural corrosion during an MoT was back in 2018, surface rust is developing thanks to cracks in the underseal. It’s also starting to take a hold on the wheelarches, and the rear of the offside sill.

That said, the Celica’s MoT certificate is valid until May 2027, and its only advisories this time were for the rear tyres – and as we all know, there are few more satisfying ways to spend your hard-earned than on fresh rubber.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and the Celica’s history file includes the Toyota wallet and book pack. This includes the stamped service history booklet, which records the following maintenance:

· 04.09.1987 and 007 miles – pre-delivery inspection by Bexhill Toyota

· 21.09.1987 and 771 miles – service by Bexhill Toyota

· 25.05.1988 and 5,225 miles – service by Bexhill Toyota

· 12.12.1988 and 7,983 miles – service by Bexhill Toyota

· 21.08.1989 and 10,133 miles – service by Bexhill Toyota

· 06.09.1990 and 12,325 miles – service by Bexhill Toyota

· 09.09.1991 and 14,408 miles – service by Bexhill Toyota

· 09.09.1992 and 16,263 miles – service by Bexhill Toyota

· 08.09.1993 and 17,419 miles – service by St. Leonards Motors Toyota

· 05.09.1994 and 20,343 miles – service by St. Leonards Motors Toyota

· 11.09.1995 and 22,926 miles – service by St. Leonards Motors Toyota

· 09.09.1996 and 23,275 miles – service by St. Leonards Motors Toyota

· 10.09.1997 and 25,294 miles – service by St. Leonards Motors Toyota

· 08.09.1998 and 26,737 miles – service by St. Leonards Motors Toyota

· 07.09.1999 and 27,676 miles – service by St. Leonards Motors Toyota

· 08.09.2000 and 29,055 miles – service by St. Leonards Motors Toyota

· 10.09.2001 and 30,629 miles – service by St. Leonards Motors Toyota

· 11.09.2002 and 30,927 miles – service by St. Leonards Motors Toyota

· 08.09.2003 and 32,797 miles – service by St. Leonards Motors Toyota

· 09.09.2004 and 32,623 miles – service by St. Leonards Motors Toyota

· 12.09.2005 and 33,363 miles – service by St. Leonards Motors Toyota

· 13.09.2006 and 33,972 miles – service by St. Leonards Motors Toyota

· 12.09.2007 and 34,590 miles – service by St. Leonards Motors Toyota

· 10.09.2008 and 35,380 miles – service by St. Leonards Motors Toyota

· 12.09.2009 and 36,039 miles – service by St. Leonards Motors Toyota

· 09.09.2010 and 36,506 miles – service by St. Leonards Motors Toyota

· 12.09.2011 and 37,035 miles – service by St. Leonards Motors Toyota

· 12.09.2012 and 37,556 miles – service by St. Leonards Motors Toyota

· 17.09.2013 and 38,207 miles – service by St. Leonards Motors Toyota

· 19.09.2014 and 38,596 miles – service by St. Leonards Motors Toyota

· 17.09.2015 and 39,158 miles – service by St. Leonards Motors Toyota

· 22.09.2016 and 39,607 miles – service by St. Leonards Motors Toyota

· 13.09.2017 and 39,865 miles – service by St. Leonards Motors Toyota

· 18.09.2018 and 40,658 miles – service by St. Leonards Motors Toyota

· 20.09.2019 and 41,200 miles – service by St. Leonards Motors Toyota

· 14.09.2020 and 41,562 miles – service by St. Leonards Motors Toyota

· 14.09.2021 and 41,701 miles – service by St. Leonards Motors Toyota

· 07.09.2022 and 41,867 miles – service by St. Leonards Motors Toyota

Remarkable, isn’t it – and the only reason it hasn’t been serviced in the past four years is that it hasn’t been used following the original owner’s passing.

(Great to see that the person filling out the mileage at the time of the pre-delivery inspection had a sense of humour, isn’t it?)

There’re plenty of invoices on file too, plus an almost complete run of MoT certificates.

One of the many joys of working here is that we get to see cars like this, one-owner-from-new survivors that transport us straight back to a time when we could only look on in awe as some lucky so-and-so drove past in a new one.

But, in the same way as the past four decades have taken their toll on us, this one is starting to show its age; ignore the rust that’s starting to form underneath and it’ll start to crumble – but sort that out and those impeccably maintained mechanical systems should continue to flourish, offering the lucky winning bidder the chance to enjoy driving it for another 39 years.

And yet, for all its rarity and originality, prices haven’t yet started to rise: Our estimate is that the bidding will run out of steam somewhere between £6,000 and £9,000 but as it is being offered with no reserve, it’ll be going to a new home after the opening bid has been placed.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at THE MARKET HQ in South Oxfordshire. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays (apart from Bank Holidays) between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.