60 Years of Landcruiser

1951

Toyota Jeep BJ (1951-1955) The Land Cruiser was the realized dream of Kiichiro Toyoda who in 1941 had wanted to produce a car fully made in Japan that would emulate the success of Ford and Chevrolet. Toyota called its prototype the Toyota Jeep. It soon became known as the BJ due to its B-type engine. It came with two front seats, a rear bench for two people, five simple gauges on a metal dashboard, a fold down windscreen and a canvas hood. Then in July 1954 the name Toyota 'Jeep' was dropped in favour of the Land Cruiser.

1955

Land Cruiser 20-30-Series (1955-1960) Because it could hold its own against rivals such as Willys Jeep and Land Rover, the 2nd generation Land Cruiser model 20 was chosen in 1955 by Toyota as the vehicle to spearhead Toyota’s first real drive into export markets.

1960

Land Cruiser 40-Series (1960-1967) The Classic 40-series inherited the tough and reliable reputation the FJ20 had began to forge. Although it may have looked much the same, it had 25 years of accumulated technology advances going for it. This resulted in a roomier, more powerful vehicle.

1967

Land Cruiser 55-Series (1967-1980) The 55-Series was borne out of the growing demand for a station wagon that had a larger body, and that could carry more people and more cargo. The body size was larger than that of a compact car, the ride was as comfortable as a passenger car, and it was designed not just for utility but also for leisure use.

1980

Land Cruiser 60-Series (1980-1984) The 60-series marked the evolution from a utility vehicle to a passenger car. It changing the way drivers thought about 4WD vehicles.

1984

Land Cruiser 70-Series (1984-Present) The 70-Series closed the 30-year chapter of the 40-series. The new model was restyled but without compromising on its legendary toughness. In 1990 the 70-series wagon underwent a complete makeover. In addition to the original 2-door, a 4-door semi-long was introduced. The name was changed to the Prado. Wide body versions of Prado followed in 1991 & 1993 and another newly developed engine 1KZ-TE was also added. With a full model change in 1996 it embarked on a new and independent path.

1989

Land Cruiser 80-Series (1989-1996) The 80-series replaced the popular 60-series. Its aim was to be at the forefront of technology and luxury. It was large and imposing at 5 meters length and 2 meters wide with 3 types of engines to choose from.

1996

Land Cruiser Prado 90-Series (1996-1998) The 90-series Prado was introduced as an independent series due to growing competition from the Mitsubishi Pajero.

1998

Land Cruiser 100-Series (1998-2002) The 100-Series helped earn the Landcruiser its reputation for off road toughness, durability and reliability hence became one of the most popular vehicles in Tanzania- a vehicle ideal for project and fleet use.

2002

Land Cruiser Prado 120-Series (2002-2009) The key word for the 120-Series was functionality on and off the road. This model included a re-designed front suspension to address reliability and stability concerns of the previous generation

2007

Land Cruiser 200-Series (2007-Present) The 10th generation Land Cruiser VX & GX set a new standard as the future of 4-wheel drive station wagons in Africa. It is undoubtedly a technological tour de force with class-leading product features such as safety, stability and power.

2009

Land Cruiser Prado 150-Series (2009-Present) The restyled and redesigned 4th Generation Prado combines state-of-the-art driving (including Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS), Crawl Control, multi terrain vision and radar cruise control) with ultimate desire and design credentials.

2011

FJ Cruiser (2011- Present) The FJ not only successfully builds on the DNA of its predecessors stretching back to 1951 but will also add a new fresh dimension to take the Landcruiser into the future.