Last Driven in ’92: 1986 Toyota MR2. Illinois USA

This first generation Toyota MR2 is a garage find that’s been parked since 1992. The MR2 is a two owner vehicle, purchased by a college professor with under 40,000 miles and parked in a climate controlled garage until the house was sold in 2019. This MR2 presents far better than you might expect, but it would likely clean up extremely well considering the black paint still looks to be in good shape and the interior is near mint. The biggest bonus of all is that it comes with an incredibly rad Toyota team jacket, purchased from the selling dealer at the time of delivery and then left in the car ever since. Find this untouched MR2 here on eBay with bids to $5,000 and the reserve unmet.
 
 

The first generation MR2 sported a mid-engine design, light weight, and lithe handling. They were a classic case of how you don’t need boatloads of power to make a car feel like it’s flying all the time. Like a Miata, you can get darn close to breaking a lot of rules without ever ending up on the wrong side of the law. The trouble is, finding a bone-stock MR2 from this era is getting quite hard to do, and survivors are often listed with eye-watering price tags when they do turn up. The first generation models, despite being down on power compared to the second generation platform, seem to be faring far better on the collector car marketplace.

That’s what makes this one so desirable, as even in non-running condition, all signs point it being a bargain at the current Buy-It-Now price of $7,500. The seller confirms that the MR2 does crank just fine, but that the fuel pump will need to be replaced before it can fire off. The interior is in immaculate condition, especially for a car that’s been sitting for a while and with close to 60,000 miles. The grippy MR2 bucket seats are in fine shape, and the car retains its stock shift knob and steering wheel. Despite the clean condition, the seller reports that both the radiator and the mufflers have rotted out and will need replacing.
 
 

The MR2 is in Illinois, which means the future next owner better inspect the underside before lodging a bid. A college professor may have good tastes in cars, but they rarely have the luxury of parking one car for summer duty and another for winter use. The Toyota Genuine Parts jacket is a perfect gift for the MR2 enthusiast that will bring this clean example home, and hopefully they will wear it proudly at the first in-person car show gathering they attend – along with the authentic leather driver’s gloves that were also found in this time-capsule coupe. Which generation  MR2 is your favorite?