Try to describe the legendary Land Cruiser in a few words, it will definitely be – durable, strong, reliable, and indestructible. But even these characteristics do not fully describe the impenetrable quality of an SUV built to survive in the most challenging conditions on the planet. And the Land Cruiser has been passing all the tests with honor for 70 years.
Source: Motor1
Like a battle-hardened soldier, this machine was born in the merciless conditions of war. During the Korean War in 1950, the UN and the US came to the aid of South Korea, and Japan played the role of a supply base while under US control. Soon, Japanese automakers received an order to supply compact vehicles with all-wheel drive for the American army. And as Toyota engineers thought about the production of their first SUV in the late forties, the work began immediately. With experience in building machines for the Japanese army in the 1940s, the famous manufacturer was well-positioned to fill a large number of orders from the Allied forces. In 1950, the development of such a machine began, and after five months of design, in January 1951, the prototype car was constructed.
Toyota BJ was born as the Japanese analog of the American Willys Jeep. The novelty was created primarily for military purposes and was assembled from existing parts: the chassis was taken from a one-ton Type SB truck, a 3.4-liter gasoline engine from a Type B truck. Toyota decided to name the prototype Jeep BJ (B stood for Type B engine and J – for Jeep 4×4). The SUV, driven by a 3.4-liter engine with 85 hp, turned out to be very strong thanks to elements borrowed from trucks, and brilliantly showed itself off-road. The power unit was paired with a 3-speed manual transmission. Downshifting on BJ, unlike the “Willis”, was not provided.
Toyota BJ, 1951
Source: myAutoWorld
Toyota won the status of the undisputed leader among SUVs in July 1951. Riding a BJ, pilot Ichiro Taira drove to the checkpoint on Mount Fuji at an altitude of 12,388-foot-high. Before that, no one had ever traveled so high by car. This is how BJ solidified its status as the best off-roader and holds it to this day. BJ was being finalized a couple more years, after which the car was sent to mass production. Interestingly, in 1954, BJ had to be renamed Toyota Land Cruiser, after Willys claimed trademark infringement. So the 4×4 SUV got a new name. Conceptual changes in the life of the vehicle occurred four years after the launch of the first car. So, in November 1955, the second Land Cruiser (series 20) was introduced, in which the main changes took place not outside, but inside: As a result, a strict and brutal army vehicle without frills turned into a comfortable civilian car.
Source: Post War Classic
Compared to previous releases, the 60 series (1980-1990) underwent several interior modifications: power windows were installed, the front panel was changed, and the seats received additional lateral support and a more “sporty” profile. The FJ62 model that entered the market switched from a four-speed manual transmission to a four-speed automatic. It was upgraded to a 3955cc 3F inline-six engine that offered about 20 hp more than the previous one. The 1988 3F engine received electronic fuel injection (EFI), which was reflected in its index – 3FE. Round headlights were also replaced with double square ones. The 3F engine had been made lighter and more compact to reduce exhaust emissions and fuel consumption, but at the same time, its power had been increased to 155 hp. at 4200 rpm. The FJ62 also had three rows of seats: to get into the third seat, the second had to be folded down first. Thanks to the high roof, the interior was spacious enough, although there was not much legroom. In 1988, the JF62 station wagon was also added to the lineup. The example of the 60th series shows how the Land Cruiser, starting with a semi-military truck, gradually turned into a comfortable passenger car. This phenomenon laid the foundation for the subsequent appearance of the 80th and 100th series models.
1988 Land Cruiser is also a legendary car of the screens. One of the most cinematic all-terrain vehicles has appeared on the screens of films and TV shows like A Touch of Fate (2003), The Invasion (2007), The Vampire Diaries (2009-2017), Alias (2001-2006), Greenberg (2010), Undercovers (2010-2012), The Jane Austen Book Club (2007) and much more.
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