A quick history of the Land Cruiser

August 1st, 2021 marks the 70th anniversary of the Toyota Land Cruiser, and with the upcoming Land Cruiser 300 coming this summer, it's time for a quick history lesson on Japan's king of offroaders that has withstood the test of time and boldly went where no Japanese car has gone before from the top to the ends of the earth.

1. BJ Series (1951) - The origin of the Land Cruiser began in 1951 when Toyota developed a military truck prototype called the Toyota Jeep BJ. It was powered by a 3.4L straight-six engine and designed to resemble the military Jeeps used by U.S. forces stationed in Japan. Following a lawsuit by Willys, which claimed ownership of the Jeep name, it was renamed the Land Cruiser due to trademark infringement.

 

2. 20 Series (1955) - Unveiled in 1955, the Land Cruiser 20 Series built upon the foundations of the BJ Series. This model was designed to appeal more to civilian customers and was sold in Brazil as the Bandeirante starting in 1959. The LC20 series offered four different body styles and was powered by a choice of 3.4L and 3.9L petrol engines.

 

3. 40 Series (1960) - Launched in 1960, the 40 Series upgraded the 20 Series with a new 3.9L engine producing 126PS and a low-range three-speed gearbox.

 

4. 55 Series (1967) - The Land Cruiser 55 Series marked a shift for the brand, transitioning from a heavy-duty classification to a more comfort-oriented station wagon style.

 

5. 60 Series (1980) - Introduced in 1980, the 60 Series retained the off-road characteristics of its predecessors while addressing the growing SUV market. It included features such as air conditioning, rear heating, and an updated interior for added comfort.

 

6. 70 Series (1984) - Reviving the Land Cruiser's roots as a heavy-duty off-roader, the 70 Series was launched in 1984.

 

7. 70 Series Wagon (1985) - The wagon variant of the 70 Series created the foundation for the brand's Light Duty class and led to the introduction of the Prado name.

 

8. 80 Series (1989) - Unveiled at the 1989 Tokyo Motor Show, the Land Cruiser 80 Series was the first Land Cruiser of the Heisei era.

 

9. 70 Prado Series (1990) - The model formerly known as the Land Cruiser 70 Series Wagon was renamed the Land Cruiser Prado in 1990, representing the Light Duty class.

 

10. 90 Prado Series (1996) - The second generation of the Land Cruiser Prado emerged in 1996, available in both three-door and five-door configurations. It offered a choice of six engines, with the most powerful being a V6 3.4L petrol engine producing 185PS.

 

11. 100 Series (1998) - The Land Cruiser 100 Series debuted in 1998 as the first model to feature a V8 engine. Later that year, a more luxurious variant called the Cygnus was launched, which was marketed as the Lexus LX worldwide.

 

12. 120 Prado Series (2002) - Entering its third generation in 2002, the Prado was remodeled into a more luxurious light-duty off-roader and was offered in the U.S. as the Lexus GX.

 

13. 200 Series (2007) - Launched in 2007, the Land Cruiser 200 served as Toyota's flagship SUV. With a strong exterior design and premium interior, it included features such as Multi-Terrain Select, Crawl Control, Variable Gear Ratio Steering, Active Height Control Suspension with Adaptive Variable Suspension System, and KDSS (Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System). A facelift was unveiled in 2015, along with the introduction of its Lexus LX derivative in Japan.

 

14. 150 Prado Series (2009) - In the fall of 2009, the Prado entered its fourth generation, featuring a more luxurious design, improved interior, and advanced features borrowed from the 200 Series, including KDSS and Crawl Control. This generation saw two facelifts, one in 2013 and another in 2017.

 

15. 70 Series (2014) - To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Land Cruiser 70, Toyota reintroduced it as a limited model in 2014. Available as a five-door van and a pickup, the 2014 LC70 was powered by a 4.0L V6 1GR-FE engine, producing 231PS of power and 360Nm of torque, with a fuel economy rating of 6.6 km/l on the JC08 mode scale.

 

16. 300 Series (2021) - The Land Cruiser 300 Series represents the evolution of Toyota's off-road flagship. Built on the company's TNGA platform, it offers a choice of a 3.5L V6 turbo petrol engine generating 415PS of power, surpassing the previous V8 engine, and a 3.3L V6 turbodiesel engine, both paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. The model comes equipped with the latest Toyota Safety Sense active safety package and is set to launch in Japan later this year.

Happy 70th anniversary to the Toyota Land Cruiser! From the scorching sands of the Arabian Peninsula to the Amazon rainforest, from the streets of New York to Tokyo, the Land Cruiser truly withstood the test of time as the king of Japanese off-roaders that boldly went where no Japanese car has gone before, from the top to the ends of the earth. As the world prepares for the arrival of the Land Cruiser 300 Series, let's all give a big hand to the Land Cruiser heritage.