The word ‘Toyota’ written large across the nose of the two cars wasn’t necessarily what it seemed. The presence of the Japanese manufacturer’s name on two Group C machines at Fuji nearly 40 years ago didn’t identify the design so much as offer a pointer to the future. It turned out to be a long and winding future, littered with false dawns and heartbreak. Eventually, though, the marque would find plentiful success at the greatest sportscar race of them all.
The Fuji 1000Km round of the World Endurance Championship in October 1983 was ground zero in the story of Toyota’s bid for glory at the Le Mans 24 Hours. No one could have predicted that it would take 35 years for the marque to bag the biggest prize in sportscar racing, or that its maiden victory in 2018 would be the first of five in a row. It’s a streak that Toyota will try to extend with its GR010 HYBRID in the centenary edition of the French enduro this June against Ferrari, Porsche et al in the Hypercar class. It’s also a chance to validate those wins: victories one to five were scored in the face of limited opposition.
The Toyota-powered car that made its debut on the world stage at Fuji 1983 is correctly called a TOM’S-Toyota 83C. It was the start of an ultimately successful endeavour, initiated as the new Group C fuel formula was blooming
