Toyota Sports 800 wins Best of Show at Retromobile 2025

Sixty years after its market introduction, the compact Toyota Sports 800 has won a major prize. The distinctive compact Toyota received the award for 'Best of Show, best preserved post war car' at Retromobile in Paris. Ronald Kooyman, director of the Louwman Museum, accepted the trophy from the hands of the show organizer.

Retromobile, regarded by experts and specialists as the classic car show in Europe, was held in early February in Paris. Toyota France asked if we could make the Sports 800 available for their stand, together with the battery electric RAV4 EV and the very first Toyota Prius. With these three models on the stand, the French importer told the story of sixty years of electrification within Toyota. On the first public day, a professional jury made their customary tour of the show floor and, after discovering the Sports 800, were immediately impressed by the two seater with removable roof panel. They were not only surprised to see Toyotas first sports car, but the excellent original condition also earned extra points in the jurys report.

The Toyota Sports 800 appeared on the market in 1965, after a concept model had been presented at the 1962 Tokyo Motor Show. The name refers to the engine displacement of the two cylinder engine, which was 100 cc larger than that of the Publica on which the model is based. Thanks to twin carburetors, power increased from 28 to 45 hp. The lightweight two seater was one of the very first models with a removable (aluminum) roof panel that could be stored in the luggage compartment.

Exactly 3,131 units of the model were built between 1965 and 1969. Of those, 1,235 date from 1965. In total, around 300 left hand drive examples were produced. How many Sports 800 units still exist is unknown.