The Golden MR2

The Golden MR2 is a 1988 Toyota AW11 that has been built from top to bottom by Bernie Gugliotti from the Lehigh Valley area in Pennsylvania. Although golden at first sight, the actual color is called Curcuma yellow.

Bernie's love of Toyota MR2's started off when he bought his first car, a 1986 AW11 at the age of 16. The golden MR2 is not only his daily driver during the week, but his therapist on the weekends when he takes it to rip through the valley.

This particular MR2 has been converted from automatic to manual with a fully rebuilt 4A-GE engine that has been ported and polished by Morgantini Racing. It is equipped with BC Racing BR-Series coil overs , an aluminum radiator, upgraded silicone hoses, a Buddy Club replica lip and 15 x 8 inch Vors TR37 wheels.

Bernie rebuilt his mid-ship runabout in his home garage, stripping it apart to repair any rust and take care of all the cosmetic repairs as they appeared. The countless hours that were spent through the many nights has brought him to the point where he has won some awards for his quality work.

Bernie's love for his MR2 has pushed him to purchase and rebuild another, that's how he adopted the name "Deuce MR2's" on Instagram. The Toyota MR2 is an icon in car culture and has people searching high and low for well kept examples for a decent price. Today you can find an MR2 like Bernie's for around $8-10k or you can bring a trailer and get one that needs some TLC for $3-5k, either way hidden gems like the the Golden MR2 are only going up in value and should most definitely come back to the new Toyota lineup. What do you think?