Toyota LandCruiser: 70 years of 4x4s

The Toyota LandCruiser story commenced with US occupational forces in Japan sounding out Toyota about building the Willys Jeep under licence to reduce the load on American domestic production of the illustrious military off-roader post-WWII.

The result was the Toyota Jeep, or BJ, launched in August 1951, and its initial success prompted Willys, the sole manufacturer of the Jeep by then, to demand Toyota cease marketing its model with the ‘Jeep’ name.

Toyota settled on ‘Land Cruiser’ as the new name for the BJ from June 1954. Thus a legendary name was born and it remains Toyota’s longest-serving nameplate, predating the original 1966 Corolla.

Just a year later in 1955, Toyota introduced the second-generation 20 Series LandCruiser. This was no longer an obvious Jeep knock-off, and was chosen by Leslie Thiess to work alongside Land Rovers and Dodges on the Snowy Mountains hydro-electric scheme in Australia from 1958.

Recognising the robustness and reliability of the LandCruiser, Thiess (later Sir Leslie Thiess), quickly tied up distribution rights for the rugged new off-roader in Australia, which became one of Toyota’s earliest export markets.

The third-generation 40 Series of 1960, which continued to help develop Australia’s post-war mining and farming industries, was once again available in short-wheelbase soft-top and hard-top models, plus long-wheelbase cab-chassis, pick-up and wagon forms.

In 1967, Toyota introduced the ground-breaking new 55 Series wagon, which was more like a modern passenger SUV, marking the split between the original LandCruiser workhorses and better equipped, more comfortable 4x4 wagons, of which the new 300 Series is the latest incarnation.

Meantime, the 40 Series models remained in production and sold alongside the 55 Series wagon. It was the 55 Series that was replaced first, in Australia, with the introduction of the 60 Series in the early 1980s, before the 40 Series LandCruiser was finally replaced by the 70 Series in 1984.

Toyota has introduced regular updates to the 70 Series since then, including various powertrain upgrades over the years, but the current 76 Series wagon, 78 Series Troop Carrier and 79 Series single-cab and dual-cab ute models are all based on the 1984 LC70.

Separately, the 60 Series LandCruiser, which offered turbocharged diesel power as an option, was followed by the big, stylish and sophisticated 80 Series in 1990.

LandCruiser fans nearly fell off their chairs when Toyota launched the 100 Series model with independent front suspension in the 1998. But there was more shock to come in 2007 with the launch of the 200 Series, which brought V8 diesel power and active roll-control suspension.

Now, after 70 years of LandCruisers, the 14-year-old 200 Series is being replaced by the new 300 Series powered by an all-new diesel V6.

The revered LandCruiser name continues to be applied to the smaller LandCruiser Prado and, until it was discontinued in 2016, the Prado-based FJ Cruiser that paid homage to the original 40 Series from the 1960s.

To late 2020, about 10.4 million LandCruisers have been sold in 170 countries and regions worldwide (including Prado and 70 Series models), with 1.12 million or more than 10 per cent of them coming to Australia, which remains one of the world’s biggest LandCruiser markets and continues to help shape an enduring 4x4 icon.