Pete Brock's JP6 Prototype: Toyota's stillborn Le Mans project

Reading this month's Vintage Racecar Magazine, I came across a fantastic period photo of a gorgeous low-slung GT car prototype. Its designer was Pete Brock, who penned the Shelby Daytona Coupe and was the originator of the Corvette Sting Ray.  Brock and his buddies Bruce Burness and Trevor Harris got together to design this car from the ground up for Toyota at their shop in California. This followed on the heels of Brock's successful work for Japanese maker Hino, which was then acquired by Toyota. By this point, Brock enjoyed a good reputation in Japan, which must be how he was commissioned to create the JP6.

The JP6 was to be Toyota's 2-Liter entry for Le Mans, using the inline six from the 2000GT as its powerplant (with view towards an eventual V8) and a diminutive spaceframe structure for the chassis. Development started in 1966, but was scuppered due to lack of funding by '67, and Toyota had the prototype shipped back to them where it presumably was scrapped or used as a testbed for other more promising projects. The car never turned a wheel in anger, but it certainly looked state of the art for the time, and was achingly beautiful. I have no idea what happened to the prototype, but I would certainly love to see it come out of the shadows if it does still exist.

Image credits: Automobile Magzine, top. Other images from Shin Yoshikawa's book on the 2000GT.

More info in French at 2000gt.net

Comments

[Raphael Orlove]

That is definitely the prettiest Porsche 908 I've ever seen.

[Bill A.]

I met Pete Brock while attending Art Center in 1992.
Really nice guy, spoke Spanish fluently!
This car is proof of his amazing talent.
I had never heard of it. Thanks for publishing it.
By the way, I also met Count Goertz while at Art Center Europe.
He was credited with designing the 2000 GT.
Another incredible designer (RIP), who just happenned to work with my grandfather in the sixties designing furniture for public schools in Mexico!
(Not a well known fact)

[Bill A.]

Correction, he worked on the 2000 GT project for Nissan.
I just read up on it, and his design was not the one that became the Toyota 2000 GT.

[J Kraus]

Development must have continued into at least autumn of 1967, as the tail lamps on the prototype shown in the photo are standard circa-1968 Toyota Corona units.

[Paul Sher- Code One Movie Cars]

Great to read such good info. I talked to Pete a year or so ago. The prototype was taken out of the museum and was destroyed on the track. I have the film car that was used in Ice Pirates, Solar Babies, the Flash, Max Headroom, Seaquest DSV, Hologram Man 1&2, Lawnmowerman 2 and a syfy porn movie that I haven't been able to locate.
The car still runs great and is safe and sound here in New Jersey along with the spare body and the molds. According to Pete "Then you have everything that remains."

We are in the process of removing the VW engine and drivetrain and replacing it with the V8 automatic from an 85 Eldorado. As well as removing the rear wheel covers added by the film crew. I've grown kind of fond of the front wheel covers. So they are staying. (But the cheap sheet metal is being replaced with fibreglass.) A slightly modified rear with Lamboesque air scoops for the heat exchangers to cool the 400 powerplant. And a rear wing! It will be finished in dark charcoal with some chrome 20 inch rear wheels.

Rest assured, this car will be cared for and appreciated forever. I first saw it on my first day at Ohrberg Hollywood cars 30 years ago and spent 20 years trying to pry it away from the owner. It was the most fantastic car I had ever seen. I have a few Ferraris and Lambos and even a few Batmobiles. But the JP6 is still my favorite!