The Toyota Land Cruiser History: How It Evolved, Why People Love It

The Land Cruiser cemented Toyota’s self-described reputation for “quality, durability and reliability.”

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Published July 31, 2023

The Toyota Land Cruiser is one of the motoring world’s most iconic nameplates. Toyota has sold more than 10 million Land Cruiser-branded vehicles globally. It’s one of the pillars upon which the behemoth that is Toyota was built.

Land Cruisers have been in series production for 70 years. And while most icons — Corvette, Mustang, Jeep CJ/Wrangler — remain relatively static, few vehicles have evolved more than the Toyota Land Cruiser. It began as a spartan amalgam of spare truck parts. It became one of the most luxurious, capable and well-built vehicles on the road — until Toyota took it away from the American market.

But Toyota is bringing the Land Cruiser nameplate back for the 2024 model year, which makes it an optimal time to revisit the Land Cruiser’s history throughout the generations and explore why people love it.

Why people love the Toyota Land Cruiser

Quality, Durability and Reliability

“Quality, Durability and Reliability” has become a Toyota hallmark. The Land Cruiser established that reputation and has been the greatest embodiment of it. Land Cruisers have been built in Japan and built to a standard, pairing high luxury with commercial-grade toughness. They cross deserts and the Outback. And they last forever doing it. How long will the FJ60 and its descendants stick around? The short answer is that we don’t know. Many of them are still on the road.

It’s not pretentious

One of my colleagues described the Toyota Land Cruiser aptly as “old money.” Perhaps to its sales detriment, the Land Cruiser is not flashy. It’s not flaunting badges. It has been an “if you know, you know” (and you don’t care whether others know) type of enthusiast vehicle. It’s for people who needed a family, dog and beach car and bought the best-made one they could find. The Mercedes G-Wagen shares many extraordinary build qualities with the Land Cruiser. But it’s far more often spotted brand new in LA than modestly sporting its 13th beach sticker on Nantucket.

Persistent Evolution

Toyota has never been puritanical about the Land Cruiser. It has held true to its roots as a rugged off-roader. But it has evolved with the times and the different locations (and emissions standards) it has encountered. America got the luxury family car it needed in the 1980s. Other markets needed a continuation of the FJ40 or absolutely rock-solid pickups with easily replaceable parts. Some form of Land Cruiser has been there for everyone and will no doubt continue to be as we move into a new era of automotive propulsion.

How the Toyota Land Cruiser Got Started

Toyota grew into one of the world’s largest automakers in the years after World War II. The Land Cruiser, the company’s iconic off-roader, set the table for that rise to power. It was the first Toyota seen in many parts of the globe — at times because it was one of the few cars that could reach those places.

It cemented Toyota’s self-described reputation for “quality, durability and reliability.” Indeed, the Land Cruiser defined itself by its ability to do just about anything … except consume gasoline efficiently.

1951-1960: Toyota Jeep BJ & 20 Series

toyota jeep bj early origins of toyota land cruiser

The Toyota Jeep BJ (1951-55) emerged from military prototypes made during the Korean War. The “B” came from Toyota’s B-Series engine; the “J” came from jeep. That name quickly became problematic (no, not for that reason): Willys, as it turned out, had trademarked “Jeep.” Toyota went with “Land Cruiser.”

These vehicles found steady employment as military, police and fire vehicles. Toyota eventually modified it into a civilian version in the form of the 20 Series Land Cruiser (1955-60). It had rounded, more stylish bodywork, a more spacious cabin, a better suspension and a shorter wheelbase for better maneuverability. It used the bulletproof F-Series inline-six engine that would remain a mainstay of the model until 1992.

The 20 Series was the first Land Cruiser exported to the United States. Toyota sold one of them alongside 287 Toyopet Crown sedans in 1958, its first year selling cars in the U.S.

1960-1984: Land Cruiser 40 Series

Formidable off-roader
Minimal passenger comfort
Durable engine
Toyota replaced the 20 Series with the 40 Series, also known as the FJ40 Land Cruiser. Like the Jeep CJ and the original Land Rover, it was a vehicle built for conquering terrain, figuratively or literally. It was the first Land Cruiser to offer low-range gearing, a noteworthy improvement for off-roading. The original had two doors, a column shifter and rear jump seats for maximum versatility (and minimal comfort).

Significant upgrades to the FJ50 came in the mid-late 1970s. It received its first diesel (1974), four-speed manual (1974), a bigger 4.2-liter engine (1975), disc brakes (1976), power steering (1979) and air conditioning as an option (1979). While prices climbed significantly for a hot minute, the FJ40 market has since settled. There are a lot of them on the market.

One common modification involves swapping the stock engine for a General Motors V8; Toyota’s famed powerplant lasts forever and provides decent low-end torque, but its power output is a bit feeble by modern standards.

1967-1980: Land Cruiser 50 Series

Funky, two-tone wagon aesthetic
Propensity to rust
No rear hatch

For a time, Toyota produced a funky, four-door wagon version of the Land Cruiser called the 50 Series, also known as the FJ55. Toyota intended it for both the U.S. and Australian markets, so it had to both survive the Outback and keep up on American freeways. It was more family-friendly than past versions. It had two-tone paint, a sort-of-wonky-looking front end and a great nickname: “the Iron Pig.”

Clean FJ55s are relatively rare, as this car has a propensity to rust. The FJ55 is also the only Land Cruiser not to offer a rear hatch; the back window rolled down into the tailgate.

1980-1990: Land Cruiser 60 Series

More family-friendly design
Still a tough off-roader
Indestructible
FJ62 goes automatic
The 60 Series replaced the 50 Series as the four-door wagon Land Cruiser. From 1984 onward, it was the only Land Cruiser on sale in the U.S. Consider it the nexus of Toyota truck enthusiasm and vintage off-roading. It was much more family-friendly than the FJ40, with a more comfortable interior, standard AC, rear heating and power windows, but it kept the Land Cruiser’s typical off-road capability.

blue toyota fj cruiser in front of a mountainous landscape

There are two versions, the FJ60 (1980-87) and the post-facelift FJ62 (1988-90). The FJ62 switched from a four-speed manual to a four-speed automatic transmission. It upgraded to the 3F inline-six engine, which offered about 20 more horsepower. It also exchanged round headlights for dual square ones.

The 60 Series Land Cruisers have been nearly indestructible so far. Well-kept ones are still out there living the sweet life with astronomical mileage counts. Transmission swaps to a five-speed manual are common for FJ60s; Toyota built it with a five-speed manual transmission but did not offer it in the U.S., and four-speed versions turn into high-revving, fuel-guzzling ogres at highway speeds.

1985 – Now: The Forbidden Fruit

The “Land Cruiser” broke off into different lines in the 1980s. Some did not make it to the U.S. market. The 70 Series (1984-present) remains in production; just check out this cool South African pickup. It more directly replaced the FJ40 as a bare-bones, off-road workhorse. (America got the 4Runner instead.)

There’s also the Land Cruiser Prado line (1990-present), which is smaller, lighter and less powerful than the 200 Series. Spawning from the 70 Series, it has existed in J90, J120 and (the current) J150 generations. Lexus sells the J150 as the GX 460 here in the U.S.

1990-1998: Land Cruiser 80 Series

Bigger and rounder design
Full-time 4WD
End of the old engine
The 80 Series replaced the FJ62 and expanded on the family wagon concept — literally. The J80 was five inches longer, five inches wider and about 600 pounds heavier than its predecessor. It received some slick 1990s styling.

Enthusiasts respect the J80 for its off-roading chops. It was the first Land Cruiser to employ full-time all-wheel-drive, a coil-spring suspension and optional locking front and rear differentials. Toyota ended the “F” engine line in 1992, swapping it for a 1FZ-ZE inline-six that added about 60 more horsepower.

In 1995, Toyota added airbags and anti-lock brakes. In a controversial aesthetic decision that same year, the “sombrero” logo replaced the block caps reading “TOYOTA” on the grille. The 80 Series also boasted a rebadged Lexus variant: the LX 450.

1998-2007: Land Cruiser 100 Series

First model with independent front suspension
First with a V8 engine
Sold as a Lexus variant too (LX 470)
Toyota kept the 80 Series’s general appearance around for the 100 Series, but there were momentous structural changes. The Land Cruiser switched from a solid axle to an independent front suspension for the first time. This shift sacrificed some off-road capability in favor of on-road ride quality. (Some foreign markets got a “105” version that kept the solid axle.)

The 100 Series was also the first Land Cruiser to offer a V8 engine. Later models packed 275 horsepower. It needed it; this Cruiser added another 400 pounds on top of the 80 Series’s mass. Toyota also continued loading the vehicle with luxury features and tech that now seems incredibly dated (DVD navigation, anyone?). The J100 was also sold as the Lexus LX 470.

2007-2021: Land Cruiser 200 Series

The biggest of them all
Expensive, coming in at early $90,000
Plenty of modern safety and off-roading technology.
The 200 Series is the current luxury behemoth, also known as the Lexus LX 570. In the U.S. market, it has generally come in one trim (though Toyota has offered a limited-run Heritage Edition in recent years) with a 5.7-liter V8 engine. A 2015 facelift upgraded the transmission to an eight-speed automatic.

The 2020 Land Cruiser weighs in at a staggering 5,815 pounds, making it one of the heaviest cars on the road. It has a price tag to match, coming in at nearly $90,000. Major additions to the 200 Series include advanced off-roading tech such as crawl control and hill descent control and Toyota’s Safety Sense suite of technologies. This Land Cruiser generation, already aging, could be the last when Toyota retires it early next decade.

2022-Present: Land Cruiser 300 Series

Not sold in America
New body-on-frame TNGA-F platform
Abandoned V8 for turbocharged V6 power

Toyota finally replaced the J200 Series Land Cruiser with the J300 Series for the 2022 model year. Toyota suspended the nameplate in America, only bringing the J300 over as the Lexus LX 600. Changes with the J300 generation are significant.

Most notably, the Land Cruiser moved to Toyota’s TNGA-F body-on-frame platform used by the Sequoia and Tundra pickup. It also shed about 440 pounds and abandoned the V8 for a more efficient turbocharged V6 engine.