History of The Land Cruiser

The Land Cruiser FJ40 helped put Toyota Motor Company on the map from 1960 to 1983. It was the Fj40 that helped develop the early Toyota production and consistent sales in the united States as well as inter nation markets. Yet even before the Toyota FJ40 we had a vehicle that is much more unknown in the Toyota off raod line up.

This unknown but mighty “cruiser” was then called the Toyota BJ that was produced in the 50’s. The BJ was Toyota’s first 4×4 utility vehicle and was powered by a prewar B-type 75 hp engine. The 3.4L six-cylinder engine was originally purposed for medium-light trucks proved to be a perfect fit for this 4×4.

The Toyota BJ and the Willys Jeep had a lot to be compared. They were boxy, both 4×4, both open framed body, however the BJ too the the cake in the engine department due to is torque and factory standard low 5.53:1 first-gear ratio.

To put the Toyota BJ to the test Toyota sent the driver Ichiro Taira to scale Japan’s Mt. Fuji up to a check point that reached 12,388 feet.  Present for the test were workers from the National Police Agency, as well as Japan’s forestry and utility agency’s.  Shortly after this test 1,300 Toyota BJ’s were on order.

This was a first step that helped put the BJ on the right track, however when the public head the name Toyota BJ, they were not rushing to purchase because the name did not explain what the vehicle was capable of.

After Toyota saw this little tank out preform anything that they could throw at it, the Toyota marketing team came together and coined the name Toyota Land Cruiser in 1954.  This was a much more fitting and much more marketable name that would prove to last 57 years and still counting!