On the morning of December 16, 2023, a yellow Toyota Celica from a previous generation rolled down the streets of Saigon, catching the attention of car enthusiasts. This was because both sides of the car had a UN sticker, a special symbol indicating that the car belonged to Mr. Dang Le Nguyen Vu, the chairman of Trung Nguyen Group, who owns a collection of over 500 cars.
Through conversations and research, we found out that this was the fourth Toyota Celica sports car to appear in Mr. Vu’s garage. He recently acquired it, and the license plate was also updated to 51L.
Why did Mr. Vu buy this Toyota Celica?
The Toyota Celica is an interesting model as it is considered one of the rare Japanese supercars produced by Toyota from 1970 to 2006. The name Celica comes from the Latin word “coelica” meaning “heavenly,” implying that the car can bring thrilling and exhilarating experiences on the road. In Japan, Celica is exclusively reserved for Toyota Corolla dealers.
Its impressive history has made the Toyota Celica a popular choice among car enthusiasts worldwide. During his journey to build a unique JDM car collection in Vietnam, and perhaps in the world, Mr. Dang Le Nguyen Vu actively sought after this car model.
This is the fourth Toyota Celica sports car to appear in Mr. Dang Le Nguyen Vu’s garage. This car belongs to the fourth generation and is the next piece after the first, fifth, and seventh generations that were previously revealed. Therefore, this businessman is striving to collect all seven generations of the Toyota Celica line.
What makes the newly acquired Toyota Celica so special?
In August 1985, the Toyota Celica entered its fourth generation with comprehensive changes in its exterior, interior, and drivetrain. It was a completely new car with front-wheel drive, a sleek body, and a new 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine. Car enthusiasts would be thrilled with this upgrade.
Notably, the Toyota Celica was no longer built on the Toyota A platform but was redesigned on the Toyota T platform, which was the base for the Toyota Corona. The Toyota A platform is now exclusively reserved for the Toyota Supra. The coupe style in Japan was only used for the Corona coupe, available only at Toyota Japan’s Toyopet Store dealerships.
An optional feature that was only available on the Corona coupe was the four-wheel steering system, which Celica in this generation did not have. However, the Celica in this generation with a turbocharged engine did not have retractable headlights.
Toyota introduced the “Final Celica,” the GT-Four (ST165), in the Japanese market in October 1986. With full-time four-wheel drive, including an electronically controlled center differential lock and turbocharging, this heart was capable of producing a maximum power of 190 hp and a maximum torque of 258 Nm.
Noteworthily, the All-trac system was equipped on the Toyota Celica in this generation, and it became the flagship of the Celica line, becoming Toyota’s official racing car for many years afterward. GT-Four, with its modified viscous-coupled center differential, began exporting in 1987 and was sold in the North American market under the name 3S-GTE from the GT-S 2.0 L engine that produced 190 hp.
The well-received ST165 chassis was introduced at that time. Toyota decided not to make any major changes to the suspension system for the AWD. The front suspension system consists of MacPherson struts with anti-roll bars and tower strut bars, while the rear suspension system uses trailing links with rear linkages on each side, along with stabilizer bars.
The ST165 GT-Four made its World Rally Championship debut at the 1988 Tour de Corse and finished sixth. Its first win came at the 1988 Cyprus Rally (not part of WRC) and its first WRC win at the 1989 Rally Australia.
Compared to most of the Toyota Celica cars in my possession, the one driven by Mr. Vu has the most downgraded interior. The color also surprises as the businessman kept the car in its original yellow color and only added black details such as the grille, rear wing, roof borders, and the entire roof was wrapped in white. Additionally, it has double-spoke silver wheels.
The interior features a combination of wine and black colors, with most details kept in their original state. The only modifications are the addition of a coffee holder and a cigarette ashtray, two inseparable items in Mr. Dang Le Nguyen Vu’s cars. It is unclear whether Mr. Vu owns any other cars from this line after the appearance of the fourth-generation Toyota Celica. However, when the market no longer had beautiful supercars to offer, this businessman shifted his focus to collecting JDM cars.
“King of Coffee” Đặng Lê Nguyên Vũ acquires rare Ferrari California worth over 10 billion VND
Recently, the “king of coffee” Dang Le Nguyen Vu has once again impressed car enthusiasts by adding a rare 2010 Ferrari California to his garage, worth over 10 billion Vietnamese dong.
The Aston Martin V8 Vantage 007 Edition manual owned by Mr. Dang Le Nguyen Vu spotted posing on the street
The Aston Martin Vantage 007 Edition is a limited edition of 100 cars worldwide, released in parallel with the premiere event of the 25th James Bond film – No Time To Die. The car is inspired by the 1977 V8 Vantage model featured in the movie The Living Daylights.
Ho Chi Minh City: 54-year-old Vintage Toyota Corona for Sale at 43 million VND
A surprising offer has appeared in a car salon in Ho Chi Minh City, where a vintage 1966 Toyota Corona in remarkably good condition is being sold for just 43 million VND. This unexpected opportunity has captured the attention of many with its timeless appeal and nostalgic charm.
Surprising Purchase: Mr. Dang Le Nguyen Vu acquires a used Audi R8, despite owning a unique pair of R8s.
The Audi R8 V10 Plus, which has just joined the billionaire Mr. Dang Le Nguyen Vu’s collection of million-dollar cars, is attracting attention with its mileage of just over 6,700 km after years of use.
Billionaire Đặng Lê Nguyên Vũ acquires 2010 Ferrari California instead of buying a new car
The recently acquired 2010 Ferrari California by Mr. Dang Le Nguyen Vu has quite an impressive history, as it was once owned by a renowned tycoon from Ha Tinh province.
