Toyota · 1951–present

Toyota Bandeirante

The Toyota Land Cruiser (Japanese: トヨタ・ランドクルーザー, Hepburn: Toyota Rando-Kurūzā), also sometimes spelt as LandCruiser, is a series of four-wheel drive vehicles produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. It is Toyota's longest running series of models. As of 2019, the sales of the Land Cruiser totalled more than 10 million units worldwide. Production of the first generation of the Land Cruiser began in 1951. The Land Cruiser has been produced in convertible, hardtop, station wagon and cab chassis body styles. The Land Cruiser's reliability and longevity have led to huge popularity, especially in Australia, where it is the best-selling 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. In Japan, the Land Cruiser was once exclusive to Toyota Japanese dealerships called Toyota Store. Since 1990, the smaller variation of the Land Cruiser has been marketed as the Land Cruiser Prado. Described as a "light-duty" version of the Land Cruiser by Toyota, it features a different design compared to the full-size model and, up until 2023, it remains the only comfort-oriented Land Cruiser available with a short-wheelbase 3-door version. In 2025, an even smaller variation called Land Cruiser FJ was introduced. It is built on the IMV platform shared with the Hilux. As of 2023, the full-size Land Cruiser was available in many markets. Exceptions include the United States (since 2021 where the smaller Land Cruiser Prado has been sold under the Land Cruiser name since 2024), Canada (since 1996), Malaysia (which receives the Lexus LX instead), Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea, Brazil, and most of Europe. In Europe, the only countries where the full-size Land Cruiser is officially sold are Gibraltar, Moldova, Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine. The Land Cruiser is hugely popular in the Middle East, Russia, Australia, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, New Caledonia, and Africa. It is used by farmers, the construction industry, non-governmental and humanitarian organizations, the United Nations, national armies (often the pickup version), and irregular armed groups who turn them into "technicals" by mounting machine guns in the rear. In August 2019, cumulative global sales of the Land Cruiser family surpassed 10 million units.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Successor: Toyota Land Cruiser (J70)

All Toyota Bandeirante data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

Origin

In 1936, the Imperial Japanese Army introduced the Kurogane Type 95 Four Wheel Drive reconnaissance car. However, in a separate development, in 1941, the Japanese government asked Toyota to develop a light truck for the military. And after the Empire of Japan occupied the Philippines, then a self-governed American colony, during 1941–1942, a captured Bantam GP (or Willys MB) was sent to Japan for assessment and testing. Japanese military authorities subsequently requested that Toyota produce a similar vehicle, albeit with an altered external appearance. The prototype Model AK led to the Yon-Shiki Kogata Kamotsu-Sha (四式小型貨物車 type 4 compact cargo-truck). The half-ton truck featured an upright front grille, flat front wheel arches that angled down and back (like the later FJ40), headlights mounted above the wheel arches on either side of the radiator, and a folding windshield. Production AK10 vehicles were powered by the 2,259 cc (2.3 L), 4-cylinder Type C engine from the Toyota Model AE sedan coupled to a three-speed manual transmission and a two-speed transfer gearbox. Unlike the U.S. Jeep, the AK10 had limited use and photographs of it in the battlefield are rare. In June 1954, responding to claims of trademark violation by the Willys Company that produced the original Jeep, then Director of Technology Hanji Umehara renamed the vehicle "Land Cruiser." The postwar Toyota "Jeep" BJ is completely different from the AK10 and inherits no mechanical parts from it. However, a lot of lessons learned while developing the AK10 were applied when developing the BJ.

Lineage

Toyota divided the Land Cruiser family into four series. The most basic version is the "heavy-duty" series, which prioritizes functionality, durability and off-road capabilities over comfort or technology. It is also characterised by flatter steel body panels and a near vertical greenhouse. Models considered as "heavy-duty" by Toyota are the BJ, FJ, 20, 40 and 70 series. The "station wagon" series of the Land Cruiser has more emphasis on comfort and interior space. The "station wagon" series first appeared in 1967 as the 55 series Land Cruiser Station Wagon, which was conceived as a four-wheel drive vehicle for recreational use with sufficient space to carry an entire family – a format that was popular with customers in the U.S., and later commonly known as sport utility vehicles. Models considered as part of the 'station wagon' series are the 55, 60, 80, 100, 200, and 300 series. Since the 70 series, the "light-duty" series has been offered. Primarily tuned for the European market, it was intended to be a more comfortable version of the "heavy-duty" series by adopting coil spring suspension, while being smaller and more affordable than the 'station wagon' series. Since 1990, the "light-duty" series gained an additional moniker for some markets, Prado, coinciding with the release of the 90 series Land Cruiser that was designed to be more comfort oriented. "Light-duty" models included the 70 wagon, 90, 120, 150 and 250 series. The fourth series, named Land Cruiser FJ, is a model slotted below the Prado. It was unveiled in October 2025 and went on sale in 2026. Availability of these series varies by market. Until 2021, the U.S. and Canada received the "station wagon" model, but switched to the smaller "light-duty" model with the release of the 250 series in 2023. Most of

Light Duty series

== Heavy Duty series == BJ and FJ (1951). ==== History ==== In 1950, the Korean War created demand for a military light utility vehicle. The United States government ordered 100 vehicles with the then-new Willys specifications and tasked Toyota to manufacture them. The Toyota "Jeep" BJ prototype was developed in January 1951. This came from the demand for military-type utility vehicles, much like the British Land Rover Series 1 that was developed in 1948. The Jeep BJ was larger than the original U.S. Jeep and more powerful courtesy of its Type B 3.4-litre six-cylinder OHV Four-stroke petrol engine which generated a power output of 63 kW (84 hp; 85 PS) at 3,600 rpm and 215 N⋅m (159 lb⋅ft) of torque at 1,600 rpm. It had a part-time four-wheel drive system like the Jeep. However, and unlike the Jeep, the Jeep BJ had no low-range transfer case. In July 1951, Toyota's test driver Ichiro Taira drove the next generation of the Jeep BJ prototype up to the sixth stage of Mount Fuji, the first vehicle to climb that height. The test was overseen by the National Police Agency (NPA). Impressed by this feat, the NPA quickly placed an order for 289 of these off-road vehicles, making the Jeep BJ their official patrol car. For the first two years, manufacture was exclusively to order and in small volumes. In 1953, however, regular production of the "Toyota Jeep BJ" began at the Toyota Honsya Plant (rolling chassis assembly). The body assembly and painting were done at Arakawa Bankin Kogyo KK, later known as ARACO (now an affiliate of Toyota Auto Body Company). The "Toyota Jeep BJ" Series was introduced in the following variants: BJ-T (Touring), BJ-R (Radio), BJ-J (Cowl-chassis for a fire-engine). In June 1954, the name "Land Cruiser" was coined by the technical director Hanji Umehara.

Station Wagon series

=== J50 (1967) === The Land Cruiser 55 was produced from 1967 to 1980. Toyota refers to the FJ55G and FJ55V as the first "real" station wagon (now known as a sport utility vehicle) in the Land Cruiser series, thus marking the beginning of the station wagon body style. It was the first Land Cruiser to have fully enclosed box frame members. Of all the Land Cruiser wagons sold in the U.S., including the FJ45, it is the only one to not have hatch and tailgate in the rear, but rather a tailgate only with an electrically operated window that can be retracted into the tailgate. History. 1967 – Production of the FJ55 began. The FJ55 was a 4-door station wagon version based on the FJ40's Drive-train, replacing the 4-Door FJ45V (I). It was colloquially known as the "Moose". It has also been referred to as a "pig" or an "iron pig". The FJ55 had a longer wheelbase (at 2,700 mm (106 in)) and was mainly designed to be sold in North America and Australia. Fire engine versions were also available, using the regular front clip but with open bodywork and no doors. 1975 – January 1975 saw the F series engine being replaced by the 2F engine. Unusual for Toyota, the model designation (e.g. FJ55) did not change, except in Japan, where it was changed to FJ56. July 1980 – Production ends. Gallery. === J60 (1980) === The Land Cruiser 60 series was produced from 1980 through 1990, for most markets but the Cumana Plant in Venezuela continued production until 1992 for their local market. It is a front engine, four-door wagon which can seat five to eight people. The 60 series was available in the following exterior colours: Alpine White, Brown, Desert Beige, Freeborn Red, Royal Blue; and in the following metallic exterior colours: Charcoal Gray, Cognac, Gray-Blue, Rootbeer, Sky Blue, Stardust Sil

Land Cruiser FJ

The Land Cruiser FJ is a model slotted below the Prado. This model was introduced in October 2025, and went on sale in 2026. It is built upon the IMV platform shared with the Hilux.

Land Cruiser Se Concept (2023)

The Land Cruiser Se is a monocoque-based three-row battery electric concept SUV using the Land Cruiser nameplate showcased at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name: Toyota Land Cruiser
Manufacturer: Toyota
Production: 1951–present
Class: Off-road vehicle, Full-size SUV (J)
Layout: Front-engine, four-wheel-drive

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q25377587CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Land_CruiserCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1377594889 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:TBJ40.JPGPublic domain · Photo: Spiggot at English Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-10-01
Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.