This JDM-Spec Celica GT-Four Was The Coolest Car In The American Classifieds

This week’s found in the classifieds is something of a unicorn in the United States, and not just because it was originally a JDM vehicle. We actually got the rally-bred all-wheel drive Celica in the States, though ours was called All-Trac and it had slightly less power. It was also rare, so just finding one these days is tougher than convincing your mother-in-law that you don’t spend too much money on car parts. Finding a JDM model on these shores with just 63,000 original miles and apparently in drool-worthy condition, well that just doesn’t ever happen.

There’s another reason I call this particular Celica GT-Four a unicorn. The car was listed on eBay last week for $10,200, but it was listed as a 1989 model. The seller was a dealership in Florida that apparently specialises in bringing JDM cars to U.S. shores, so I’d expect them to at least know the proper model year for the cars they sell. I’m not a Toyota expert, but I’m pretty certain the fifth-generation ST185 all-wheel drive Celica debuted around the world for the 1990 model year. Could there be some little-known JDM variant that officially had a 1989 branding, or did the dealership just see 1989 on the Celica’s Wikipedia page and fail to notice that was the year of release, and not the actual model year?

In any case, the minor discrepencey must not have mattered because the seller cut the auction off early, saying it was no longer available. A quick check on their website confirms it, so it’s safe to say that this Celica found its new forever home despite the dealer not knowing what year car they were selling. Little stuff like that bothers me from a professional car dealer, and yet, a big part of me doesn’t want to sweat the details because this Celica is 10 levels of epic. The pics show a clean car, and with just 100,000km (or about 63,000 miles) it has all kinds of all-wheel drive tomfoolery still to experience. Honestly, I’d have a very hard time choosing between an ST185 and a Supra, but I’m also a huge rally fan and a sucker for cars that you just don’t see very much. Toyota’s All-Trac system was pretty good for the day, and the boosted 3S-GTE 2.0-litre mill is a sweetheart. And here in America, we don’t see them very much. At all.

So what sets the JDM Celica apart from its American doppleganger? Not much, aside from sitting on the wrong side of the car and about 20 extra ponies under the bonnet to deliver 220bhp in stock trim. Whether or not this particular example is stock is unclear - the steering wheel doesn’t appear to be standard-issue Toyota, and there’s at least an aftermarket strut bar up front. Sadly, the only info in the ad was a short passage stating it ‘runs great, no leaks, no squeaks, pulls hard.’ The rest is a primer on U.S. import laws (which doesn’t matter since the dealership already imported it) and ways to get financing for a 26-year old Celica with the steering wheel on the wrong side. Apparently they found a buyer to accept all of the above, and frankly, I’m a bit jealous.

$10,200 is almost enough for many average buyers to have in cash, or at worst, throwing down 5 bills with financing for the rest would be a pretty gentle payment. And though American-spec Celica All-Tracs are booking out for around $7500 in great condition, I’d say this car was worth the five-figure asking price considering it’s probably the only JDM ST185 in the country. And it looks like someone else felt the same way, because this classified find sold before we even had a chance to go live with the article. But I couldn’t let it pass without showing you all just what kind of specialty performers are available in the States for a decent price. This car has age, rarity, and turbocharged all-wheel drive performance, and while I love Subarus as much as the next would-be rally driver, they’ve become a dime a dozen on Main Street U.S.A. I bet you could spend the next 25 years crossing the country in this turbo Celica, having a blast behind the wheel while never seeing another one like it.

Yeah, somebody got an awesome Christmas gift this year.