A vintage Toyota Land Cruiser that can be all yours — but there's a catch
Most Toyota Land Cruiser you'll see today will either be shiny, chrome-dressed current examples, which have never seen the off-road in their life. Or, they'll be gruff, mud-splattered war horses — potentially topped off by a range of hunting or fishing–related bumper stickers.
Those in the former category are most likely to be current model 'Cruisers, purchased by the perennial 'soccer mom'. Very rarely do we see any of the older generations populate this category, but when we do, it's always an almighty sight to behold.
Here's one such example — a 1974 FJ45 pick-up. And it's for sale.
Photo / The Classic Motor Company
For sale at The Classic Motor Company in Miami, Florida, this example has done just 29,026 miles in its 42 years on this planet. But judging by the pictures, you could easily be convinced that it was some kind of museum piece, fostered for in a showroom since birth.
The minty fresh finish, inside and out, stems from a partial restoration to its exterior and mechanicals in 2015, followed by another going over from the experts at The FJ Company; a group who specialize in restorations of the humble FJ Land Cruiser.
Among the recent updates and transformations to the Land Cruiser include a host of rebuilt and replaced period-correct parts, plus several little touches that just push it over the line as a special vehicle — like the reproduced owners manual and tool box.
Photo / The Classic Motor Company
Ultimately though what makes this superb brute such a desirable machine is how well it sums up the Toyota we know and love. The wonderful simplicity of it all, from the minimal amenities in the cabin, to the lovably purposeful exterior. Overall it creates a vehicle that's beauty is in its purity as a tool — a bit like when I pick up one of my dad's Swedish Eskilstuna chisels.
There is, literally, a price to all this. And it's 87,000USD — or just under 130,000NZD.
Too much? Just right? Classic cars seem to be as safe an investment as anything else these days. I envy the man or woman who winds up with this one in their garage.
