Drugs. Unsolved murders. Toyota Supras. This story truly has it all. While the Toyota Supra sees renewed interest for its newer models in this fifth generation—including a new manual Supra—even older used Toyota sports cars are enjoying a spike in popularity. So, when over a dozen well-maintained classic Supra cars hit an auction site, the industry took notice. But, their backstory is notorious.

37 classic sports cars seized from an alleged Massachusetts drug trafficker

In 2020, a man by the name of Cory Taylor was pulled over as part of a routine traffic stop that would quickly become anything but routine. When cops searched the van he was driving, they found 138 pounds of marijuana. Police arrested him, and the following investigation revealed that he was allegedly involved in a huge drug trafficking ring.

Authorities seized a total of 37 classic sports cars—mostly classic Toyota Supra coupes—from Taylor’s personal collection, along with various weapons and $4,000,000. Taylor posted his own bail but disappeared shortly after. Officials discovered his body in an abandoned building after a few weeks. As of yet, the cause of his death is still a mystery.

The Northwestern District Attorney’s Office seized the accused’s sports car collection and has been holding onto it—until now.

A herd of classic Toyota Supra sports cars is off to auction

Fox News Auto reports that 29 of the total 37 cars are at the auction. Stanley J. Paine Auctioneers, a local company that often partners with the district attorney’s office to auction off seized vehicles like these, will manage the sales. It’s not specified where the remaining eight classic sports cars are or what their fates may be. It’s possible the D.A.’s office is still holding the coupes as evidence.

Of the 29 sports cars at auction, a whopping 13 of them are fourth-generation Toyota Supras. This specific generation is best known for the Fast and Furious Supra made famous by the film franchise.

Other classic cars sent to auction from Taylor’s collection include a handful of BMW M3s, two Honda S2000s, two Nissan 350Zs, and two Mitsubishi Lancer Evos. 

He may be accused of drug trafficking, but you have to admit—the guy had taste.

Why is the Toyota Supra so popular?

We can’t know why the deceased loved the classic fourth-generation Toyota Supra so much, but we can guess. This model has seen a strong spike in nostalgia-based popularity within the last few years because of its origins in the Fast franchise.

A custom Supra classic sports car that saw action in the Fast & Furious film sold for $550,000 at an auction. A non-Hollywood low mileage Toyota Supra sold for a record $200,000 at a separate auction. And a brand-new 2020 Supra sold for $100,000, double its retail value.

There are plenty of things about Toyota’s feisty little sports coupe that make it an attractive buy. We may never know why Corey Taylor felt the need to own more than a dozen of these performance cars, but his collection will bring joy to enthusiasts from all over when these cars officially sell at auction on June 4.

Online bidding for these classic sports cars is open now, and early numbers hint at major records for used Toyota Supra sales. The auction site requires a $5,000 deposit from bidders to prove serious intent to purchase.