As Toyota’s longest-running series, the inspiration behind the Land Cruiser began when the Japanese imperial army came across a Willys MB jeep during their occupation in the Philippines in 1941 and sent it to their authorities back at home, who turned to Toyota to design one of similar fashion. A year later, the AK10 was introduced to the Japanese military, later renaming it the Land Cruiser to avoid claims for trademark violations by Willys Company. The J40 variant such as the one in the example was produced from 1960 to 1984 and was designed with more comfort options to meet the demands of civil clientele. This reportedly 1st owner 1979 Land Cruiser has been rebuilt and is currently up for sale in Idaho.

Exterior and Interior

This 1979 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 has been recently repainted in a light shade of tan, almost close to white, to show off its military inheritance. This short body version has a removable white hardtop. The exterior of the jeep looks to be in showroom condition, with all of its parts well looked after. According to the seller, the entire vehicle is rust-free and includes a factory skid plate, front disc brakes, Warner locking hubs, and brand-new tires wrapped around black wheels with chrome hub caps. The black/grey interior seems to be in decent condition as well, with grey leather seats and a black aftermarket center console that hosts a period-correct push-button radio. The vehicle has its classic three-spoke steering wheel that sits over the traditional FJ40 gauges. The leather door panels come in a matching grey as well and are an attractive contrast to the exposed interior body parts. As anyone interested in this vehicle would like to know, part of the FJ40’s legacy is that Toyota still produces many of its parts worldwide as a result of its profitability, thus these vehicles can easily be maintained.

Engine

Under the hood of this 1979, Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 is a 4.2L petrol engine that produces up to 133hp and 210Nm of torque. It breathes through a 2-barrel Weber carburetor and drive is sent to the wheels via a four-speed manual transmission and dual-range transfer case.