Toyota Land Cruiser

The Toyota Land Cruiser (Japanese: トヨタ ランドクルーザー Toyota Rando-kurūzā?) is a series of four-wheel drive vehicles produced by the Japanese car maker Toyota Motor Corporation.
The Land Cruiser series is the longest running series in Toyota history.
Development of the first generation Land Cruiser began in 1951 as Toyota's version of a Jeep-like vehicle and production started in 1954.
The Land Cruiser has been produced in convertible, hardtop, station wagon, and utility truck versions.
 The Land Cruiser's reliability and longevity has led to huge popularity, especially in Australia where it is the best-selling full-size,
body-on-frame, four-wheel drive vehicle.
Toyota also extensively tests the Land Cruiser in the Australian outback — considered to be one of the toughest operating environments in both temperature and terrain.
 Main rivals include the Range Rover, Land Rover Discovery, Mitsubishi Pajero and Nissan Patrol.


20 Series:

1955 — The Second generation, 20 Series was introduced. It was designed to have more civilian appeal than the BJ for export reasons.
 It also had more stylish bodywork and a better ride thanks to longer four-plate leaf springs which had been adapted from the Toyota Light Truck.
 It had a more powerful 135 PS (99 kW) 3.9 L six-cylinder Type F gasoline engine, but still only had a three speed gearbox. The interior of the vehicles were made more comfortable by moving the engine 120 mm (4.7 in) forward.
The 20 Series still had no low range, but it had synchromesh on the third and fourth gears.
1958 — The first Station wagon Land Cruiser was introduced with an even longer 2,650 mm (104.3 in) wheelbase (the FJ35V; wagon and van).
 The FJ25 production started in Brazil being the first Toyota vehicle built outside Japan.
1957 — A 4-door Station Wagon was added as the FJ35V. Land Cruisers were first imported into Australia by B&D Motors as FJ25/28 cab chassis with Australian made bodies.
 They were the first Japanese cars to be regularly exported to the countryand a few were initially used in the Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric Scheme, by sub contractor Theiss Constructions


40 Series:

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1965 — Global production surpassed 50,000 vehicles.
The Land Cruiser was the best selling Toyota in the United States.
1968 — The 100,000th Land Cruiser was sold worldwide.
1972 — The 200,000th Land Cruiser was sold worldwide.
1973 — The 300,000th Land Cruiser was sold worldwide.
The first diesel Land Cruiser was introduced for export on long wheelbase models with a six-cylinder H engine
1974 — A four-cylinder 3.0 L B diesel was offered. The introduction of this engine boosted sales in Japan by putting the Land Cruiser in a lower tax compact Freight-car category than its 3.9 L gasoline version. Note: the new B diesel engine was different from the B gasoline engine used in the original BJ.
1975 — The 3.9 L gasoline engine was replaced by a larger, more powerful 4.2 L 2F unit.
The FJ55 received front disc brakes.
The 3.6 L H diesel engine was optional in some markets in the HJ45.
1976 — United States-version FJ40 Land Cruisers received front disc brakes like the FJ55.
The Toyota Land Cruiser Association was founded in California.
1977 — The Irish Army took delivery of the first of 77 FJ45 Land Cruisers. Although fast, reliable and with good off-road performance the type tended to rust excessively in the wet Irish climate. A few which did not succumb to the effects of weather were repainted in gloss olive green and survive as ceremonial gun tractors at military funerals.
1978 — The first BJ / FJ40 and FJ55 models were officially sold in West Germany with both diesel (BJ40) and petrol engines (FJ40 /55).
1979 — United States-version FJ40s were updated this year with a new wider, square bezel surrounding the headlights.
Power steering and cooler were offered in FJ40s for the first time.
The diesel engine was improved, evolving into the 3.2 L 2B only in Japan.
1980 — The H diesel engine (HJ45) was replaced by the 4.0 L 2H engine (HJ47).
1981 — the Diesel version received front disc brakes and the more powerful 3.4 L 3B engine, and added LWB BJ45 with 3B.
1983 — the last FJ40s imported to the U.S. were 1983 models (mid 1982 to mid 1983). It is unknown how many were imported by Toyota, but many guess the number to be around 300. 1983 FJ40s typically bring a premium for their rarity, though they are not much different from 1982 models (mid 1981 to mid 1982).