1996 Toyota CELICA

First registered in Japan on 1st July 1996, this convertible based on the sixth generation Celica GT has covered 143,000 miles. With a 5-speed manual transmission, it is powered by Toyota’s 3S-GE 2.0-litre twin-cam 16 valve four-cylinder engine, understood to have had an increased compression ratio for the Japanese domestic market which delivered 178bhp, a top speed of around 135mph and a 0-62mph time of 8.5sec.

DVLA records show that this car was imported and registered in the UK in May 2008.

The vendor bought the car in July 2016 from a former racer and owner of Radical Autos in Devon. It was intended as a stopgap weekend toy whilst another car was in the body-shop for six months awaiting a low-priority respray. He was going to sell it when the other car came back out but as the convertible offered something different to the newly painted coupé he ended up keeping it.

The exterior black painted bodywork appears in a good overall condition for its age with maybe a touch of orange-peel effect on lower surfaces and slight swirls on the bonnet. There’s what looks like a tiny car-park ding on the driver’s door and a small scuff on the passenger side A-pillar but there are no other obvious dents or stone chips. The sill strips and wheel arch linings look intact with no significant cracks or scuffs.

The black fabric hood is in a generally good condition with just a small hole in the outer layer to the nearside of the rear window which doesn’t affect the water-proofing and a rubber seal coming away slightly at the base of the passenger window. The vendor reports that the roof mechanism operates without issue, unclipping manually and then opening under power.

This Celica Convertible runs on 17-inch Calibre Vintage alloy wheels. Known as pseudo-split rims, they not only give the appearance of a two-part wheel but the ‘hidden’ hubcap also mimics the look of centre-lock wheels. The polished rims and gold centres appear in a fair condition with just a little scuffing in places and add interest to an otherwise all black car. The tyres are a mix of Zeta and Falken rubber but all appear to be in a usable condition with reasonable tread.

The fabric upholstery to the seats looks generally good with just a small section of seam coming unstitched on the driver’s seat side bolster. Nothing significant but worth getting repaired to prevent it getting worse; a stitch in time and all that.

The black vinyl padded dash and door cards appear sound although as you would expect there is some light scratching and scuffing to hard plastic surfaces such as the sides of the rear cabin. Of more significance is what looks like heat damage to the driver door armrest and centre armrest where there are deep wrinkles in the covering. The passenger side armrest by way of contrast is just slightly creased.

The Pioneer CD / FM Tuner is a recent addition, has built-in Bluetooth phone connection (for two phones simultaneously), USB/Aux inputs and is compatible with streaming services such as Spotify. The vendor reports all electrical items such as mirrors and windows function as expected.

Under the bonnet, the engine bay is tidy and reasonably clean with just a little surface rust on the radiator fan housings and some of the fixings.

The small upright water tank seen at the front offside of the engine bay with a hose stretching right around the back to the air cleaner, is a CGON fuel efficiency improvement system fitted by Radical Remaps in Cornwall. This generates hydrogen and oxygen gases from water and directs them to the air intake which is claimed to improve fuel burn thereby increasing efficiency and reducing NOx and CO.

Further performance customisations include a Tanabe strut-tower brace and the removal of the exhaust manifold heat-shield, showing the down-pipes titanium heat-wrapped for increased flow and potentially more power.

Underneath the car, the floor pans appear sound with oxidation apparent on the structural components, heat shields and suspension parts. There is a Longlife stainless steel sports exhaust system fitted with a recent repair in the vulnerable mid-section pipe.

Inside the boot, the linings and carpets look intact and in good condition with just a few patches of residue from something sticky. Under the carpet sits the 16-inch steel spare wheel with a Bridgestone spare-use tyre which appears in good condition. On the floor, the only signs of rust are on an old jack handle. A newer handle and wheel brace are fitted to the underside of the spare wheel cover panel. The boot lid itself is also lined and shows in a good condition - again with no sign of rust.

The car’s online MOT history shows mostly annual testing since being imported in 2008 with a few failures, mostly to exhaust emissions issues. The current MOT certificate is valid until 29 May 2021.

It is unknown when the CGON was added, or indeed what performance improvement it gives, but as the previous owner had an interest in the startup company that made it, it was likely to be some time prior to 2016.

More recent work in current ownership includes a new timing belt & coolant pump - May 2018, rear brake pads May 2019 and an exhaust repair May 2020.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button to arrange an appointment. If you’d rather limit your social exposure and not inspect the car in person, you may be able to arrange a video call to discuss any issues and to zoom in on any specific areas of concern.

The vendor reports that this Toyota Celica GT Convertible starts, drives and handles well as you would expect from a well-maintained sports car.

There appear to be very few convertible Celicas of this era left in the UK - only around 20 according to some websites, over half of which are off the road. Consider too that only a minority had manual transmission and you’ll see that finding another car like this wouldn’t be so easy. Of course, as we know only too well, rarity is no measure of desirability but this Celica GT Convertible is by no means an undesirable car, in fact it attracts a fair amount of attention when out and about.

Offered with NO RESERVE, we think this rather sweet sports cabriolet will fetch between £2,000 and £5,000 - and you never know, a cheeky low bid might just win it for you.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located on Hayling Island, near Portsmouth; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.