The Toyota Land Cruiser has been an off-road rock in America for anyone wanting a reliable off-road vehicle. In various formats and variations, it has been around since 1951. Not all versions have been sold here in the United States and regretfully 2021 will be the last year for our beloved Land Cruiser in America. Toyota recently confirmed that it would not be offering the Land Cruiser for the 2022 model year. So let's take a quick history cruise before we consider a really sweet restoration I found.
The original Toyota Jeep BJ kicked off the Land Cruiser concept but was never sold in America.
The 20 Series Land Cruiser started in 1958 with ONE SUV sold here in the United States. But what a start!
Most people probably think of the 40 Series when they think of a retro-looking Land Cruiser.
Some SUV'ers refer to them as the FJ40 since it used their F-type engine and was patterned after the Jeep. The 55 Series started down a path of luxury outfitting for the SUV market with the 60 Series soon following that plush, velvety path.
The 80 Series (America missed out on the 70 Series) came out in 1991 and offered full-time four-wheel drive. The 100 Series came with independent front suspension and even sleeker styling. With the 200 Series marking the end of the run (for now) of the Land Cruiser in America.
It is not a surprise that Toyota canceled the Land Cruiser. It is an expensive SUV and was never promoted much in advertising. Since 2005, Toyota never sold more than five thousand units, with some years not even reaching two thousand units in sales.
With the latest 2021 models starting with an MSRP of $85,565 it is easy to see why sales were slow and 13 MPG didn’t help sales any.
I saw this gray beauty at a recent Goodguys car show and was immediately taken back to the 70s. It is a 1969 FJ40 Land Cruiser. The owner took his time on a five-year restoration effort on this original Arizona FJ. There probably was little rust to deal with, since it was an Arizona SUV and the owner powder coated the frame. The owner added some modern touches like a third brake light, a better wiring harness, and upgraded components. But he restored the original Warn winch and plenty of stock items remained in this Land Cruiser. The FJ 40's were sold either as a hardtop or a soft top. It came with three six-cylinder 3.9 liter engine options with horsepower ranging from 105 to 128. It came with a two-speed transfer case and those wrap around rear windows were a great look and staple for the Land Cruiser. I always thought the folds down jump seats in the back were a smart space saver.
We have seen original Broncos being restored and sold for tree topping prices. Now that Americans won’t be able to grab a new Land Cruiser I am betting these Series 40 Land Cruisers will see a bump in price and the level of restoration will likely rise.
© 2021 Mark C. Bach